Since its creation in the 1930s, Finnish jewellery brand Kalevala has held a key role in Nordic culture. Swedish designer and artist Martin Bergström is the latest creative to help shape the brand – joining sculptor and jewellery artist Björn Wecström – and has looked to Finnish nature and flowers to inspire a new collection.

The ‘Itu’ collection, made in Kalevala’s Helsinki factory using recycled premium-quality silver and gold, draws on Bergström’s sculptural sensibilities in its curving forms and textured surfaces. Encompassing necklaces and earrings, it is a gentle nod to the organic patterns in nature.

‘What I find especially fascinating is seeing how the organic themes are transformed into jewellery by the skilled hands of Kalevala’s goldsmiths,’ Bergström adds. ‘The spirit of Finnish nature, the moon cycles and historical elements endlessly inspire me. The collection features a rich variety of jewellery, multiple interpretations, each drawing from the same core theme in its own way. I want the jewellery to come alive when worn, to be loved and treasured.’

The jewellery draws on the heritage of the brand. Founded by women, it began with an initiative from writer Elsa Heporauta, who wanted to build a statue to honour a Finnish woman at a time when statues were reserved for men. To fund the project, artisans made and sold jewellery, the proceeds of which then went to support women and children upon the outbreak of the Winter War (with the Soviet Union, lasting for the winter of 1939-40). Almost a century later, the spirit of community remains, with a third of all profits supporting disadvantaged women in a range of initiatives.