From humble beginnings: A history of the great Georg Jensen

Hancocks pride themselves on having a team of very knowledgeable folk when it comes to keeping ourselves up to date with the very latest Georg Jensen designs and trends. Understanding customer wants and needs and the unique history of the Georg Jensen brand and their ethic.

All Georg Jensen designs are unique, flawless and simply breath-taking. But we want to take you back a few decades so that you can have a better understanding of the design and artistry involved in any Georg Jensen jewellery creation.

Georg Jensen has an extensive history, racking up more than a century’s worth of experience in crafting timeless, aesthetically-pleasing designs for their customers. The collections are truly stunning and a wonder to behold, the marriage of art nouveau and ‘serene flowing forms’ instantly captures people’s eye, earning Georg Jensen a reputation for sheer excellence and quality.

From humble beginnings

The beginning of Georg Jensen wasn’t quite so gleaming. Georg began his adult career as a sculptor, and although his works were quite well received, they were not enough to keep him thriving in the arts. He eventually turned his hand to pottery, going into partnership with Christian Peterson, however, again, his work did not earn him enough to look after himself and his two young sons.

In 1904 Georg took his final gamble in the arts and invested his remaining capital in opening his own silversmith in Copenhagen. At the time, his designs were modern and nothing like the rehashed designs that the middle classes were used to. He had, in essence, struck gold.

Exquisite unique pieces

His designs often depicted nature as small sculptures and each piece of ‘art’ jewellery was hand crafted, meaning there was no mass production, just a lot of focus on intricacy. Every item was perfected with an ‘invisible clasp’ feature and sold in Jensen’s workshop. By the 1920s, Jensen had opened stores in cities across the globe, including New York, London and Paris.

It was during 1908 to 1918 that Georg experienced his heyday from an artistic perspective, his designs were critically and commercially successful, with his greatest designs being created within this particular decade. However, personally, Jensen experienced a lot of loss over the years, especially when his third (and most beloved wife) Johanne died from Spanish influenza. Jensen applied himself to his work, which meant that 1919 and 1920 were the busiest years of his life.

Through hard work, sheer talent and love for art, his designs continued to capture the affection of buyers throughout the decades. Many collectors, even to this day, enjoy the functionality, abstract design and beauty of the pieces. The rest, as they say, is history.

Georg Jensen designs are some of the most recognised throughout the jewellery industry and the launch of new collection can create quite a stir.