Rare Owe Johansson Sweden Finland Sterling XL Statement Necklace 1960/70s

Measurements: Pendant: 2.75"W x 3"L x .75"Thick (6.99cm x 7.62cm x 1.91cm)

Chain: 19.5"L (49.53cm)

Markings: 925 Made in Finland Designer's Signature

Weight: 46.8g

Please note that I have muted or blurred the pendant in some of the photos to remove reflections and allow the shape and details to be better seen.

Extraordinary extra large and bold statement pendant by the incomparable Owe Johansson. Solid sterling silver, it is styled as a round dome shaped body with 13 three dimensional orbs, making a ring around the center that is concave, creating a bold, sculptural focal point. The pendant’s clean geometry, substantial scale and highly reflective finish embody the futuristic Scandinavian modernist aesthetic of the 1960s and 1970s. Its layered construction gives the design impressive depth, while the articulated bail allows the pendant to move freely on the sleek sterling silver chain.

Measuring approximately 3 inches in diameter and 0.75 inch thick, this is an exceptionally large and visually commanding example of Johansson’s work. It wears beautifully as a dramatic statement necklace and would make a sophisticated addition to a collection of Finnish, Scandinavian or mid-century modern jewelry.

About the Designer: Owe Johansson

Owe Johansson, born in 1939, is an internationally recognized Swedish silversmith, jewelry designer, and industrial designer associated with the Scandinavian Modernist movement. Raised in southern Närke, Sweden, Johansson trained as a silversmith in Pforzheim, Germany, an important European center for jewelry and metalwork education.

Johansson established his first silversmithing workshop in Sigtuna, Sweden, in 1965. His early career gained significant recognition in 1968 when he participated in the influential Ungt Svenskt Silver, or “Young Swedish Silver,” exhibition at the National museum in Stockholm. He later worked in several Swedish cities, including Varberg and Ystad, while expanding his practice to encompass jewelry, hollowware, enamelwork, and industrial design.

Although Swedish by birth and training, Johansson also designed jewelry and decorative objects for Finnish manufacturers. His Finnish-made designs are often signed “OWE JOHANSSON” or “DESIGN OWE” and may carry Finnish silver, assay, date, and manufacturer’s marks. Documented examples were produced by Kultakeskus in Hämeen linna during the 1970s. Because of this important Finnish collaboration, Johansson is sometimes described in the vintage market as a Finnish designer, though he is more accurately identified as a Swedish designer whose work was also manufactured in Finland.

Johansson’s jewelry reflects the bold experimentation of postwar Scandinavian design. His pieces frequently feature sculptural silhouettes, strong geometric or organic forms, smooth domed surfaces, dimensional construction, and restrained ornamentation. Many designs possess an architectural quality, allowing the shape, volume, texture, and reflective character of the metal to become the primary decorative elements.

Johansson’s silverwork is represented in major international museum collections, including the National museum in Stockholm, the Röhsska Museum in Gothenburg, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Today, his jewelry and silver objects are sought by collectors of Scandinavian Modernist, Brutalist, and studio-crafted design.

During the late 1960s and early 1970s, Johansson collaborated with Finnish manufacturers, producing many of the striking sterling silver pieces now stamped:

OWE JOHANSSON
MADE IN FINLAND
925

Collectors actively seek Johansson's jewelry because:

Production numbers were relatively limited.
Many pieces are hand-finished.
His bold 1960s–1970s Modernist aesthetic remains highly desirable.
Finnish-made examples are especially prized.

Sterling rings, cuffs, pendants, and necklaces commonly sell from $300 to over $900, with rarer statement pieces bringing substantially more depending on size, rarity, and condition.