Tag Archive | Niels Erik From

Amethyst: February birthstone

The deep rich purple of amethysts is so appealing. The stone, a form of quartz, is traditionally the birthstone for the month of February.

Naturally when I see a lovely piece of amethyst jewellery I try to get it for my Etsy shop. Below are some of my snaffles:

Kupittaan Kulta caged amethyst pendant, designed by Elis Kauppi. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

Magnificent NE From modernist amethyst pendant necklace. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inlgenookery: click on photo for details.

1970 amethyst flower ring, hallmarked in London. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From modernist amethyst ring – a great example of Danish design. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

A 1990 Celtic style brooch with a central facetted amethyst, by Malcolm Gray of Ortak on the Orkney Islands, Scotland. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

A 1972 amethyst and sterling silver choker, by Daedalus Ltd of London. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

This could almost be part of a set with the necklace above: it too dates from 1972. This amethyst and sterling silver ring was made by Magnus Maximus Designs in Cumbria. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

An amethyst and sterling silver modernist bar brooch by NE From of Denmark. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

A stunning amethyst orb ring from 1968 by the Danish master, Hans Hansen. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Caged amethyst and sterling silver bracelet. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

1970s modernist amethyst and sterling silver adjustable ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

1967 NE From amethyst necklace, a superb piece of Danish modernist design. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

1970s amethyst pendant and chain. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

Arts and Crafts style amethyst and sterling silver brooch. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Huge 1930s Arts and Crafts facetted amethyst ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Amethyst and silver tone plated modernist ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

Jugendstil amethyst and 935 silver brooch in the form of ginkgo leaves. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From modernist amethyst wishbone ring: more Danish deliciousness. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Danish ring featuring a tumble polished amethyst in a silver plated frame. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

Amethyst is such a popular stone it is also mimicked in glass, also known as amethyst paste or crystal:

Amethyst paste and sterling silver brooch by Charles Horner. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

1970s modernist stainless steel and amethyst glass hexagonal link bracelet. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Victorian amethyst paste and pinchbeck brooch. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

Having the blues (in a very good way)

Every now and then in my Etsy shop I notice I seem to have a lot of jewellery in a particular style, or by a particular maker, or in a particular colour. And the other day I realised I seem to have accumulated a lot of blue jewellery.

Blue jewellery in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery.

Sadly none of the stones is a sapphire: blue glass, sodalite, turquoise and chalcedony, plus wonderful blue enamel on the Joid’art ring at bottom left. I haven’t listed everything yet, and two of the brooches are already spoken for, but just today I put the wonderful NE From sodalite ring in my shop. I don’t expect it’ll hang around for long …

NE From sodalite and sterling silver modernist ring. Could it be any bluer? Click on photo for details.

Amethyst jewellery

I have always had a fondness for amethysts: something about the beautiful violet colour is so appealing. So no surprise that I seem to have accumulated a few pieces of amethyst jewellery for my Etsy shop …

Amethyst and sterling silver pendant, hallmarked Sweden 1970.

Amethyst and sterling silver pendant, hallmarked Sweden 1970. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Amethyst and sterling silver ring, hallmarked in Birmingham in 1973. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

Amethyst and sterling silver ring, hallmarked in Birmingham in 1973. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Kultaseppa Salovaara amethyst and sterling silver pendant. A great piece of Finnish design from the 1970s.

Kultaseppa Salovaara amethyst and sterling silver pendant. A great piece of Finnish design from the 1970s. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Niels Erik From (NE From) amethyst and sterling silver ring.

Niels Erik From (NE From) amethyst and sterling silver ring. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

An amazing amethyst late Arts and Crafts ring, with seven magnificent amethysts.

An amazing amethyst late Arts and Crafts ring, with seven magnificent amethysts. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

A stunning Niels Erik From amethyst and sterling silver necklace.

A stunning Niels Erik From amethyst and sterling silver necklace. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Jugendstil amethyst and 935 silver brooch, with a ginkgo leaf design, possibly by Max Gradl of Pforzheim Germany. This is a great example of early 1900s German Art Nouveau.

Jugendstil amethyst and 935 silver brooch, with a ginkgo leaf design, possibly by Max Gradl of Pforzheim Germany. This is a great example of early 1900s German Art Nouveau jewellery. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

Caged amethyst pendant necklace, by Elis Kauppi of Kupittaan Kulta, Finland.

Caged amethyst pendant necklace, by Elis Kauppi of Kupittaan Kulta, Finland. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Arts and Crafts style amethyst brooch, vintage lace pin.

Arts and Crafts style amethyst brooch, vintage lace pin. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

Kultaseppa Salovaara amethyst and sterling silver pendant.

Kultaseppa Salovaara amethyst and sterling silver pendant; a lovely 1970s vintage Finnish piece of jewellery. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Amethyst is the birthstone for February.

Moss agate

Moss agate is such a beautiful and appealing stone, with its beautiful dark green mossy filaments and sometimes with rusty red or occasionally black inclusions as well. It occurs naturally in Scotland, and so it comes as little surprise that it was, and is, commonly used in Scottish jewellery.

Moss agate is a form of chalcedony, and is sometimes called dendritic agate. Both ‘moss’ and ‘dendritic’ refer to the organic appearance of the filaments within the stone. Despite their appearance, they are mineral rather than vegetable!

I am fascinated by moss agate and always try to have some in my Etsy shop. Below are a selection: some are for sale and some have already sold (marked as such).

Art Deco moss agate necklace. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

Handmade moss agate ring, hallmarked 1970. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

Vintage John Hart Scottish moss agate and sterling silver brooch, 1962. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photos for details.

Vintage John Hart Scottish moss agate and sterling silver brooch, 1962. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photos for details.

Moss agate Celtic brooch by Thomas Kerr Ebbutt, hallmarked Edinburgh 1965.

Moss agate Celtic brooch by Thomas Kerr Ebbutt, hallmarked Edinburgh 1965. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photos for details.

Huge moss agate and silver tone metal modernist statement ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

Moss agate bangle, 1971.

Vintage moss agate and sterling silver bangle, 1971. Click on photos for details. (NOW SOLD).

Vintage modernist ring by N E From with moss agate.

Vintage Danish modernist ring by N E From with moss agate and sterling silver. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photos for details. (NOW SOLD).

Vintage John Hart Scottish moss agate and sterling silver brooch.

Vintage John Hart Scottish moss agate and sterling silver brooch, 1962. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photos for details. (NOW SOLD).

Vintage John Hart Scottish moss agate and sterling silver brooch.

Vintage John Hart Scottish moss agate and sterling silver brooch, 1971. Click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Vintage Scottish moss agate ring, 1964.

Vintage Scottish moss agate ring, 1964. Click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Moss agate ring. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Moss agate ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Oval moss agate ring, with a Celtic style sterling silver mount.

Vintage oval moss agate ring, with a Celtic style sterling silver mount. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photos for details. (NOW SOLD).

Vintage John Hart Scottish moss agate and sterling silver brooch, 1957. Click on photos for details. (NOW SOLD).

Vintage John Hart Scottish moss agate and sterling silver brooch, 1957. Click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Vintage John Hart Scottish moss agate and sterling silver brooch, 1965. Click on photos for details. (NOW SOLD).

Vintage John Hart Scottish moss agate and sterling silver brooch, 1965. Click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

Vintage Art Deco moss agate ring.

Vintage Art Deco moss agate and sterling silver ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photos for details. (NOW SOLD).

Vintage Art Deco moss agate pendant and chain, 1920s 1930s design. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photos for details.

Vintage Art Deco moss agate pendant and chain, 1920s 1930s design. (NOW SOLD).

Rings that remind me of things: Part 5

Part five of an occasional series about rings in my Etsy shop that remind me of things, and one that seems grimly appropriate given the near-Biblical amounts of rain the northern UK has seen recently.

Ring:

N E From modernist Baltic amber and sterling silver ring. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

N E From modernist Baltic amber and sterling silver ring. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

Thing:

Mosaic of Noah's Ark, Kykkos Monastery, Cyprus.

Mosaic of Noah’s Ark, Kykkos Monastery, Cyprus.

Part 1 was a ring that reminded me of an Iron Age hillfort, Part 2 was a ring that reminded me of an alien spaceship, Part 3 was a ring that reminded me of a cream horn, and Part 4 was a ring that reminded me of a radio telescope.

19 May 2016 UPDATE: The ring has now sold. Sorry!

A medley of Niels Erik From rings

I’ve just obtained two more rings by N E From in one of my favourite styles of his: a central cabochon in a low collet, surrounded by a higher rim and with a lower, black oxidised area between.

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N E From rings. All for sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details. (Update: the amethyst ring is now sold).

Unusually, the two I’ve just got hold of have a smaller head size than I’m familiar with: they are ‘mini’ versions of the design I currently have in rose quartz, amethyst and rhodochrosite. One of these smaller ones is unusual for two other reasons as well as its wee size: it is in moonstone, a stone not often used by N E From, and the oxidisation is missing.

(Update: all but the small round amber ring and the round rose quartz are now sold; I also have two oval rose quartz rings in this design).

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N E From rings. Left to right: moonstone ‘mini’, rose quartz, amethyst, Baltic amber ‘mini’, rhodochrosite and Baltic amber oval. (Update: the amethyst ring is now sold).

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N E From designs, #1: asymmetrical concave discs

The more I study Niels Erik From’s modernist jewellery, the more I like it. I don’t know whether it’s to do with my archaeological career, and the years spent working on finds from various excavations, but I am an inveterate typologiser. I just can’t help it. So I have noticed the variations in the various designs that N E From used in his jewellery.

NE From rose quartz ring, with a larger head at 16 mm diameter. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. Design #1.1.1

Usually he made a suite of jewellery types – rings, brooches, earrings, cufflinks, bracelets, necklaces, pendants – and in a variety of themes all riffing on a basic design, and using a range of different semi-precious stones. Putting my Linnaean hat on, I’m going to start with what I rather clunkily call his asymmetrical concave disc design. It probably has a proper name given to it by From, but I don’t know what that is.

The characteristic features of this design are a dished, concave disc of silver, into which is set, asymmetrically and near the edge of the disc, a cabochon semi precious stone (or sometimes a solid silver cabochon) held in a plain collet. The silver around the collet is oxidised to give a blackish effect, to contrast with the rest of the disc, which is untreated and silvery.

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N E From amethyst ring, 15 mm diameter head. NOW SOLD: click on photo for details. Design #1.1.1

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N E From black onyx ring, 15 mm diameter head. NOW SOLD: click on photo for details. Design #1.1.1

NE From amazonite ring with a smaller diameter head (13 mm). For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photos for details.  Design #1.1.1

NE From rose quartz and sterling silver ring, this one with a smaller head at 13 mm diameter. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. Design #1.1.1

This basic design is also found in brooches:

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N E From solid silver brooch, for sale by decotini on Etsy: click on photo for details. This design is also occasionally seen as a pendant brooch, with an additional small loop attachment on the back to allow it to be worn as a pendant. 45 mm diameter. Design #1.1.2

and earrings:

Niels Eric From modernist rose quartz clip on earrings. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD). Design #1.1.3

and cufflinks:

N E From tiger's eye cufflinks.

N E From tiger’s eye cufflinks. For sale at vintagecufflinks.com: click on photo for details. Design #1.1.4

and bracelets:

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N E From blue glass bracelet. For sale at scandinaviansilver.co.uk: click on photo for details. Design #1.1.5

and necklaces:

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N E From solid silver necklace. Design #1.1.6

and pendants:

Niels Erik From rhodochrosite and sterling silver pendant. Click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD). Design #1.1.7

N E From amethyst pendant. For sale at JohnKelly1880.co.uk: click on photo for details. Diameter 42 mm. Design #

N E From amethyst pendant. For sale at JohnKelly1880.co.uk: click on photo for details. 42 mm diameter. Design #1.1.7Okay, now we’ve got the basics out of the way, let’s start riffing.

Multiple discs in a row:

N E From Baltic amber moderist brooch. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

N E From Baltic amber brooch. NOW SOLD: click on photo for details. Design #1.2.1

Multiple discs in an equal sized trefoil arrangement:

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N E From amethyst brooch. NOW SOLD by VintageJewelsNL on Etsy: click on photo for details. Design #1.2.2

NE From rose quartz pendant.

N E From rose quartz pendant. #1.2.3

Multiple discs in an unequal sized trefoil arrangement:

N E From silver earrings. For sale on Etsy: click photo for details.

N E From silver earrings. For sale on eBay: click photo for details.

Rings of six discs:

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N E From rose quartz brooch.  For sale at Estate925 at trocadero.com: click on photo for details. Design #1.2.5

N E From amber pendant.

N E From amber pendant. Design #1.2.6

Discs interspersed with open circles:

Niels Erik From rose quartz modernist bracelet with five discs. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. Design #1.3.1

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N E From rose quartz bracelet with six discs. NOW SOLD: click on photo for details. Design #1.3.1

N E From rose quartz necklace.

N E From rose quartz necklace. (Possibly a bracelet later converted into a necklace?). Design #1.3.2

Discs with surrounding circles:

N E From rose quartz earrings.

N E From rose quartz earrings. Design #1.4.1

N E From chrysoprase bracelet.

N E From chrysoprase bracelet. Design #1.4.2

N E From amber necklace.

N E From amber necklace. Design #1.4.3

N E From amethyst pendant. NOW SOLD: click on photo for details. Design #1.4.4   

NE From Baltic amber pendant and chain. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. Design #1.4.4 

Discs with surrounding double circles:

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N E From chrysoprase brooch. NOW SOLD by VintageDesignSilver on Etsy: click on photos for details. Design #1.5.1

N E From rose quartz earrings.

N E From rose quartz earrings. NOW SOLD by PatriciaJon on Etsy: click on photo for details. by Design #1.5.2

N E From amber pendant.

N E From amber pendant. Design #1.5.3

Discs with surrounding ovals:

N E From amber bracelet.

N E From amber bracelet. For sale at vintage-jewels.nl: click on photo for details. Design #1.6.1

N E From rose quartz necklace.

N E From rose quartz necklace. Design #1.6.2

I’m sure there are plenty of other variations I haven’t come across yet. It’s fun looking!

Cabochon semi precious stone types I have seen used in the various designs:

Single arrangements:

Design #1.1.1 (ring): amber, amethyst, chrysoprase/green chalcedony, glass (blue), ivory, malachite, onyx (black), rhodochrosite, rose quartz, solid silver, tiger’s eye.

Design #1.1.2 (brooch): amber, chrysoprase/green chalcedony, glass (blue), rose quartz, solid silver.

Design #1.1.3 (earrings): amethyst, chrysoprase/green chalcedony, rose quartz, solid silver.

Design #1.1.4 (cufflinks): amber, rose quartz, tiger’s eye.

Design #1.1.5 (bracelet): chrysoprase/green chalcedony, glass (blue), rose quartz, solid silver.

Design #1.1.6 (necklace): solid silver.

Design #1.1.7 (pendant): amber (small and large), chrysoprase/green chalcedony (large), rhodochrosite (small), rose quartz (small and large).

Multiple arrangements

Design #1.2.1 (row brooch): amber, rose quartz, tiger’s eye.

Design #1.2.2 (equal trefoil brooch): amber, amethyst, rose quartz.

Design #1.2.3 (equal trefoil pendant): rose quartz.

Design #1.2.4 (unequal triple earrings): solid silver.

Design #1.2.5 (ring of six discs brooch): chrysoprase/green chalcedony, rose quartz.

Design #1.2.6 (ring of six discs pendant): amber

Discs interspersed with open circles

Design #1.3.1 (bracelet): amethyst, rose quartz.

Design #1.3.2 (bracelet): rose quartz.

Discs with surrounding circles

Design #1.4.1 (earrings): rose quartz.

Design #1.4.2 (bracelet): chrysoprase/green chalcedony.

Design #1.4.3 (necklace): amber.

Design #1.4.4 (pendant): amethyst, tiger’s eye.

Discs with surrounding double circles

Design #1.5.1 (brooch): amethyst, chrysoprase/green chalcedony.

Design #1.5.2 (earrings): rose quartz.

Design #1.5.3 (pendant): amber.

Discs with surrounding ovals

Design #1.6.1 (bracelet): amber.

Design #1.6.2 (necklace): rose quartz.

More Frommery

Oooh, oooh, oooh, I have just put five new N E From pieces into my Etsy shop  each one a peach, and bringing my total number of Niels Erik From pieces to 15. Here they are all together:

All the Niels Erik From goodies in my Etsy shop at the moment. Click on photo for details.

All the Niels Erik From goodies in my Etsy shop at the moment. Click on photo for details.

So excited to have them! Aren’t they gorgeous?

N E From tiger's eye ring. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

N E From tiger’s eye ring. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

N E From rose quartz modernist ring. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

N E From rose quartz modernist ring. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

N E From Baltic amber moderist brooch. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

N E From Baltic amber modernist brooch. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

N E From green chalcedony ring. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

N E From green chalcedony ring. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

N E From Baltic amber modernist ring. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details.

N E From Baltic amber modernist ring. For sale in my Etsy shop: click on photo for details. (NOW SOLD).

I’m not saying I’m slightly obsessed with Niels Erik From … okay, I am. Is there a Twelve Step Programme somewhere?

29 August 2015 update: I’ve added some more and my total is now 18, with another to come!

Frommery! N E From, eleven not out …

Oooweeee, I listed two new Niels Erik From pieces in my Etsy shop today, bringing my total to eleven. Don’t they look good together?

Niels Erisilver jewellery for sale in my Etsy shop right now. Don't they look good together?k From (N E From)

Niels Erik From (N E From) silver jewellery for sale in my Etsy shop right now. Don’t they look good together? Click on photo for details.

I did an earlier post about him here, with information about his silversmithy, designs and maker’s marks.

Love me some Niels Erik Frommery!

23 June UPDATE: Blimey, I’m not the only one who loves a bit of Niels Erik action – since posting this on 16 June, three of my last six sales have been his pieces. He’s a popular chap, that’s for sure.

1 July UPDATE: Make that four of the last seven sales! I am adding N E From pieces all the time, so do keep looking.

Niels Erik From: Danish silversmith

PLEASE NOTE: Even though this is an old post, I update it every time I get a new piece of Niels Erik From jewellery for my shop. So if you are interested in his wonderful jewellery, do bookmark this page!

I have a real soft spot for the work of Niels Erik From, the Danish jeweller (1908—1982). He is considered one of the greats of Danish silver design, and his pieces are very collectable. I am lucky to have some of his jewellery for sale in my Etsy shop at the moment. It’s always a great day when I get my hands on some of his beauties!    NE From sterling silver daisy pendant and chain. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

(As this blog post was getting rather unwieldy, I have moved all the NE From items I have sold to a new blog post, which can be found here.)

NE From amethyst ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From Baltic amber and sterling silver pendant. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From sterling silver daisy pendant and chain. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details. (I have three of these in total – please contact me if you would like to buy more than one).

NE From modernist chrysoprase ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

Large and striking NE From facetted smoky quartz pendant with a hidden suspension loop. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From Baltic amber pendant with a sterling silver mount. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From rock crystal modernist ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photos for details.

NE From Baltic amber clip on earrings. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery.

NE From Baltic amber pendant and curved solid bar chain necklace. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From amethyst modernist pendant and paperclip chain. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

Sweater or collar clips by Niels Erik From: such a fantastic sculptural design. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From chrysoprase post ring, with a 1974 London import mark. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

Another view of the NE From chrysoprase post ring, showing the stem under the head. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From Baltic amber ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From sterling silver ring. This one is UK size H, US size 4 1/4, European size 46, and has an internal diameter of c. 17 mm x 15 mm (the shank is not quite a true circle), but I think it is actually a very slightly larger ring size than this. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From amethyst modernist ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From chrysoprase ring. This one is UK size M, US size 6 1/2 – 6 3/4, European size 52 1/2 and has an internal diameter of c. 17.5 mm. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From chrysoprase ring. This one is UK size N, US size 7 – 7 1/4, European size 53 1/2 – 54 and has an internal diameter of c. 18 mm. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From chrysoprase ring. This one is UK size P – P 1/2, US size 8 1/4, European size 56 1/2 and has an internal diameter of 18.5 mm. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From rose quartz ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From (Niels Erik From) plain sterling silver band. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From (Niels Erik From) rhodochrosite ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From (Niels Erik From) amethyst and sterling silver ring. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

NE From (Niels Erik From) amethyst and sterling silver modernist bar brooch. For sale in my Etsy shop, Inglenookery: click on photo for details.

Despite the high regard in which his work is held, I haven’t been able to find out too much about Mr From. He first started working as a silversmith in 1931, and he registered his silversmithy in Nakskov, in south Denmark, in 1944. His earlier pieces developed out of the organic Skønvirke style, a Scandinavian development of the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts movements. From designed these early pieces himself, and they are characterised by floral and foliage motifs, as well as other inspirations from nature, such as fish.design.

From the 1950s onwards most of From’s pieces were designed by other designers, and have a markedly different look—out went the detailed, romantic designs from nature, and in came modernist, clean lines with abstract and geometric shapes. Occasionally the modern designs took nature as their inspiration, with abstract leaf and blossom shapes, but generally they followed the modern trend of the 1950s for sparse, minimalist design. But ever the canny businessman, From continued manufacturing some of the popular older Skønvirke style jewellery alongside the modernist pieces.

In 1960 From’s son-in-law Hilmer Jensen joined the company, and he took over following From’s death in 1982. However, the company failed to flourish and it closed in 1990.

I used to keep the pieces of his that I have sold listed here, but the page was getting too unwieldy. I have moved all my N E From sold pieces to a new page, here.

A more detailed exploration of one of From’s designs can be found here, with more to come as I find time to write them!

The maker’s marks on From’s pieces varied over the years. On the earliest pieces in the Skønvirke style, the maker’s mark is ‘FROM 830.S’, with the 830 referring to the silver content of 830 parts per 1000.

'FROM 830.S' on a silver cufflink by Niels Erik From in the Skønvirke style.

‘FROM 830.S’ on a silver cufflink by Niels Erik From in the Skønvirke style.

An intermediate mark used in the 1940s and 1950s, on the earlier Skønvirke style jewellery, reading ‘FROM 925S’ in capitals:

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‘FROM 925S’ mark on one of the earlier Skønvirke style rings. The 925 refers to the silver content of 925 parts per 1000, ie sterling silver.

An intermediate mark used in the 1950s and 1960s, reading ”N.E. From’ in flowing handwriting-like script; sometimes also with ‘925S STERLING DANMARK’ in capitals used on a modernist ring from the 60s:

Modernist N E From amber ring I sold in my shop, with the same style of mark. Danmark spelling again. (NOW SOLD).

Modernist N E From amber ring I sold in my shop, with the same style of mark: Danmark spelling again. (NOW SOLD).

A different mark used from the 1950s onwards was ‘STERLING DENMARK N.E. FROM 925 S’. This mark occurs on both the modernist pieces and on the pieces in the earlier Skønvirke style that From continued to produce as they were so popular:

The maker's mark on the back of the clip on earrings in my Etsy shop, reading 'STERLING DENMARK N.E. FROM 925 S'. The 925 refers to the silver content of 925 parts per 1000, ie sterling silver.

The maker’s mark on the back of the modernist clip on earrings in my Etsy shop, reading ‘STERLING DENMARK N.E. FROM 925 S’. (NOW SOLD).

Mark ‘FROM 925 S.’ used in the 1960s and 1970s: il_570xN.757770170_cwllMark used in the 1970s: ‘N.E. FROM STERLING 925S. DANMARK’:

Mark on a brooch dating from the 1970s: 'N.E. FROM STERLING 925S. DANMARK'

Mark on a brooch dating from the 1970s: ‘N.E. FROM STERLING 925S. DANMARK’