In the field of contemporary jewellery design, Swedish jewellery designer Sara Robertsson stands out for her approach, weaving together organic minimalism and sustainable aesthetics.
Established in 2015, Sara Robertsson Jewellery is deeply grounded in genuine craftsmanship, with each piece meticulously produced either in Sweden or Portugal, and Scandinavian minimalism. Sara's designs are the result of a thorough design process where intuition and patience are combined. This delicate balance ensures that each piece takes the time it needs to develop without rushing.
Discover more about the core identity, creative process, and future vision of the Sara Robertsson Jewellery brand.
Natalia Muntean: How would you define the core identity and values of the Sara Robertsson Jewellery brand? And what sets it apart from others in the industry?
Sara Robertsson: I’m a designer first, and this shines through in everything my brand is about. Every decision in the company comes from my deep passion for creating beautiful, sustainable pieces that speak a universal language. I think this is what makes the range I offer a unique mix of organic universal shapes and minimalism, both with pieces you will want to wear every day and also bold statements that can be seen as wearable sculptures.
NM: How did your background in womenswear design influence your transition to becoming a jewellery designer, particularly in terms of inspiration and techniques?
SR: From the moment I created my first piece in silver, I felt an immediate connection and meaning that I felt was lacking for me working with fashion womenswear. Working with jewellery also matched my longing to work with a more sustainable approach and to move away from fast fashion and set production quotas and seasons. I would say that being a womenswear designer first is definitely a very big part of my expression as a jewellery designer. For my collection Silk, I am inspired directly by fabric and draping, and I wanted to create lightweight pieces in larger sizes reminiscent of the flow of fabric. Being trained in working with such a different material first has given me a different approach to silver and what that material can do. I think it has made me freer as a jewellery designer.
NM: Could you elaborate on the concept of “organic minimalism” that serves as the core ideology for your jewellery collections, and how it is reflected in your designs?
SR: I’m very inspired by the shapes in nature and evolution, but I always strive to find the core of the shape and simplify it as much as possible to make it feel universal, timeless and elegant. It’s not minimalism in the sense of straight lines and geometric shapes, it’s soft and organic but very stripped down and simplified.
NM: What sources of inspiration, whether from art, nature, or culture, consistently inform your designs? How do you stay creatively inspired and avoid design stagnation?
SR: Like probably all creatives, I have my good and bad periods creatively, that is inevitable. But having worked as a designer for so long, I have now come to learn what helps me when I’ve lost inspiration. The most important thing is to not try to push it since that almost always leads to bad decisions that you will regret later. Have patience and trust that these periods are also important. When I start the design process, I always try to work intuitively and not overthink. It can be sketching, painting simple shapes with watercolour, or working with clay, paper or thin metal sheets. The important thing is to let the hands work and find the connection between the hands and the mind. That’s where the magic happens. I find most of my inspiration in the shapes in nature, but I can also look to art, sculpture, clothing, ceramics, interior design or other creative fields. Sometimes just a glimpse of something sparks the mind and starts the process.
NM: Given your emphasis on a balance between intuition and patience in the design process, could you walk us through how you typically approach the creation of a new piece of jewellery from concept to completion?
SR: This is very much related to the question above. Trust is the key, I think. Trust in the process, that ideas will come and you need to let them evolve in their own time, and not rush it. Typically, I start with one of the above creative processes, where I use my hands and work intuitively without overthinking. When I find a shape or silhouette I like, I explore it further in more sketches or other 3-D techniques like clay or paper. I always try to simplify and stylize as much as possible. Once the shape is set, the technical part starts: how is it worn, do I need a lock, an ear pin etc. And then I create either a prototype in my studio or a digital technical drawing. Then it’s ready to send to the workshop to create the first samples, and these are then revised until everything is perfect. I never work with set production timelines, a piece is finished when it is finished and it will take as long as it takes. That is the beauty of working in your own company, you can decide this yourself. I think there are so many bad products released on the market just because companies want to fill their production quotas and always release news instead of focusing on only the actual good products.
NM: Your designs are meant to be worn and cherished for many years. How do you ensure both durability and timelessness in your creations?
SR: I always put a lot of consideration into the designs, making sure they are as simple and genuine as possible - focusing on the core expression and removing any unnecessary elements. By simplifying, you automatically move towards more timeless shapes and minimise the risk of it just being a trend. I also only work with very experienced goldsmiths with excellent expertise and craftsmanship and each piece is thoroughly quality checked. Silver is in itself also a durable material and pieces can almost always be fixed if damaged by, for example, re-polishing or soldering.
NM: As a designer who values the environment by using recycled materials, could you discuss your perspective on sustainability within the jewellery industry and how it aligns with your brand’s philosophy?
SR: This is so important, but as a small brand can be very hard since you’re not as prioritised in production or sourcing of materials and don’t have as much influence as bigger brands have. However, you can always choose who not to collaborate with. But working with jewellery in fine materials is in itself much more sustainable than working with cheaper material options. It lasts longer and it can be re-polished if scratched and mended if broken. So that is a good start. Most silver used in jewellery production today is recycled, which is great and if a piece should be damaged beyond repair, you can still recycle the material. I would love to see more sustainably and ethically sourced precious and especially semi-precious stones in the industry. It is very difficult to find distributors for this and also the main reason I’ve decided not to work with these gems currently. I work with pearls, which I love, and almost all my pearls are traceable down to the actual pearl farm. I know my distributor has a dialogue directly with the pearl farm, guiding and encouraging them on their path to sustainability, too.
NM: Your designs are described as having a “poetic expression.” Do you consider any symbolic or narrative elements in your designs? If so, could you share an example of a piece with a particularly meaningful story?
SR: I created the collection Spirit almost in a daze after I had a miscarriage at week 12 following a long period of fertility treatments. It is a reflection of life and death and what it means to be human that is very personal to me and many of the pieces carry poetic, symbolic and universal meaning. I’m just about to release the latest addition to this collection, called a Mother’s Heart. This is a piece celebrating my own parenthood, as I eventually became a mother after further treatments. It feels very special to add this piece to the collection.
NM: What is your vision for the future of Sara Robertsson Jewellery, and how do you see it evolving in the coming years?
SR: I love the path I’m currently on and want to follow this path growing in an authentic, sustainable and consistent way, always putting the designs first.
