{"product_id":"lapponia-bjorn-weckstrom","title":"1974 Lapponia Björn Weckström \"Kang's chain\" made in Finland","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom the luxury Finnish jewelry brand Lapponia,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ethe 1974 piece \"Kang's chain\" created by Björn Weckström.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA sterling silver bracelet with a rough, matte texture, featuring irregular parts that look like mineral-rich or craggy rock faces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe clasp is cleverly integrated into one of the links, making it completely invisible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI was overwhelmed by a shape that feels more like a sculpture than jewelry.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI remember being moved when I first saw a gold brooch by Weckström at a vintage store in Tokyo,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand to be honest, I spent a few days researching Lapponia for this arrival, only to be overwhelmed once again by these pieces of jewelry that look like sculptures inspired by Nordic nature.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe graduated from a goldsmithing school in Helsinki,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ebut he also had a dream of becoming a sculptor, so he combined those passions\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eand started creating jewelry in the 60s while surrounded by the nature of Finland.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt’s a wonderful background characteristic of the Nordics, where gold and silversmithing are so accessible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGeorg Jensen also built his career as a silversmith while aspiring to pursue pottery.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWeckström’s jewelry features matte, brushed surfaces and angular designs,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand with their innovative synthesis of materials like gold, sterling silver, and acrylic resin,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI believe they were truly clever, revolutionary, and unique for their time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn fact, they still look incredibly fresh even today. That is what makes them amazing.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIf these pieces were inspired by, for example, a frozen, snow-covered lake,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ethen we have nothing to do but be grateful for Finland’s nature and climate. lol\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTruly, these are all pieces that make you want to collect them.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI couldn't stop digging.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt goes without saying that the brand was quickly recognized around the world;\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eit reached the point where John Lennon ordered a piece from Gothenburg to gift to Yoko Ono.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHe continued to create innovative modernist jewelry well into the 70s.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAs a side note, it’s a famous story that two years after making this \"Kang's chain\" in '76,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehe received a call from George Lucas—though he didn't know who he was, he decided to work with him,\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eand provided the \"planetoid valleys\" necklace worn by Princess Leia in the original 1977 Star Wars film.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLapponia was integrated into another company in 2020, sadly ending its 60-year history.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI was able to acquire this from a jewelry dealer in Paris who is a collector of Scandinavian jewelry himself.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eI am happy and honored to be able to handle it personally for the first time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt is a rare piece of silver jewelry, and there is no guarantee I will encounter the same one again.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIt’s easy to misread as \"Lapponia,\" but I’ll let you know that the pronunciation is \"Lapo-nia.\" lol\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHallmarks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e925\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e= Sterling silver 925\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eV7 = Indicates manufacture in 1974.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFinland Lapponia = Made in Finland, Lapponia.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBJORN\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e= Designer's first name\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e*The silver has been polished and cared for once.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eFree Shipping\u003c\/span\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eMaterial - \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003esilver 925 \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eDiameter - 18-18.5cm Inner circumference when clasped\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eweight - 60g\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s2\"\u003eModel wrist circumference\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cspan\u003e Mens 16cm \/ Ladies 14cm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003eCondition - \u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003eCondition \u003cspan\u003eThere are fine scratches and some areas where the matte finish has worn off, revealing the shiny silver beneath; the traces of it being well-loved only add to its coolness. In any case, this is how it will naturally look with long-term use, so you don't need to be afraid of getting the first scratch—it's the kind of piece you can even wear continuously.\u003cbr\u003ePersonally, it doesn't bother me at all, but since it is not in brand-new condition, it is priced accordingly.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"TOTO.CZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44366172193085,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0513\/3097\/3881\/products\/IMG_55332.jpg?v=1673874868","url":"https:\/\/totocz.com\/en\/products\/lapponia-bjorn-weckstrom","provider":"TOTO","version":"1.0","type":"link"}