From royal jewels to the iconic elephant: Everything you need to know about Ole Lynggaard’s 60 year history

Ole Lynggaard is one of those revered Scandinavian institutions that has quietly grown to great repute over the course of the late 20th century and early 21st century. As captured in Vogue Scandinavia’s April / May issue, the company is marking its 60th anniversary this year, and with it, an impressive timeline of milestones: not just within the fine jewellery industry but also across the cultural landscape of the Nordics and beyond.

Established in 1963 by a then 27-year-old Ole Lynggaard, the namesake company appointed his children Charlotte and Søren to its ranks, eventually to become creative director and CEO respectively. More recently, the family business has welcomed a new generation into the fold, as Charlotte's 26-year-old daughter, Sofia, has joined the design team. "We are always saying: first family and then company," says Charlotte in our feature on the anniversary.

The family-first mindset has proven to be a winning approach – alongside Ole Lynggaard's steadfast dedication to the highest level of craftsmanship and artisanal integrity – earning appointment as proud purveyor to the Royal Danish Court, and winning over the hearts of jewellery lovers across the world. Here, Vogue Scandinavia takes a look back at all the seven key moments to know from the illustrious house’s past 60 years.

Related: Video: Witness the magic inside the atelier of beloved Danish jewellery house Ole Lynggaard

Inspired by his parents who owned two fine jewellery stores, Ole channelled his love of sculpting and drawing into goldsmithery training in the late 1950s. Then, with just a duffel bag slung over his shoulder, he travelled for five formative years, studying metal-shaping in Germany, visiting work shops in New York and Paris, and absorbing wonderfully foreign experiences in different corners of Africa and Asia, where encounters with elephants sparked his enduring fascination with the animals.

Upon returning home, the young goldsmith opened his own artisan workshop in Hellerup, just north of Copenhagen, and established the eponymous fine jewellery house.

In the late '70s, Ole Lynggaard introduced a range of changeable clasps showcasing a new and creative perspective on fine jewellery design, where one piece can be part of endless creative combinations and transform into a variety of looks. Turning the clasp into an essential part of the design, he paved the way for the brand’s playful and passionate approach to craftsmanship and design.

Charlotte Lynggaard, daughter of Ole Lynggaard, officially joins the company as a goldsmith’s apprentice in the '80s. In 1994, Charlotte launches her first fine jewellery collection, Bees & Flowers, and with it ushers in a more feminine DNA to the jewellery designs. “I started with flowers because I knew that my father would never do a flower,” she tells Vogue Scandinavia. Charlotte eventually took on the position of creative director, which she holds to this day.

A testimony to an established record of supplying the royal family of Denmark for over 25 years, Ole Lynggaard is appointed Purveyor to the Royal Danish Court in 2008. Over the decades, the company has created an exclusive range of fine jewellery for several European royal families. “Our connection with the Royal Danish Court has been ongoing for many years, but we don’t mention it often,” Charlotte says. “It’s always a very big honour to do a piece for them, because in a way, you feel like that piece becomes part of history.”

Charlotte Lynggaard designs The Midnight Tiara for a grand exhibition at Amalienborg Palace. The Queen of Denmark suggests that the tiara be shown to Crown Princess Mary who is granted the privilege of being the only one allowed to wear the tiara. The Midnight Tiara also sparked the creation of The Leaves Collection, and the satinised gold surfaces have since become a signature feature of multiple collections.

Following the very first elephant design that Ole introduced to the world in 1991 – a special design for his beloved wife and muse Karin on their 25th wedding anniversary – Ole Lynggaard introduced five new elephant pendants on the year of his 80th birthday in 2016. The largest of the five pendants, adorned with diamond pavé, was again a present Karin to mark their 50th wedding anniversary. The elephant has always been a special token of the brand.

This year, Ole Lynggaard celebrates its 60th anniversary. The workshop and headquarters are still located just north of central Copenhagen, on the very same street Ole Lynggaard started the company – and the company is still driven by the Lynggaard family. Today, the company operates six flagship stores and has a network of 250 retailers and 150 employees across the globe.

To mark the anniversary, the house is releasing an all-new 'Funky Stars' collection that takes the technical prowess behind each piece to new heights, and has created an exclusive line-up of couture dresses dreamed up by Charlotte, together with her daughter Sofia. The 60th anniversary has been a special time of reflection and renewed dedication to the craft. “This is our home, this is our life, this is our passion. We can’t help it. Our hearts beat for it," says Charlotte Lynggaard on the occasion.