Wonderful and heavy vintage solid silver cross pendant Finland necklace. Fully hallmarked for Holger Lindstrom for Kalevala Koru, Finland 1947 (early production)

Size cross: 2"¾ tall with bale by 2"¼

Length chain 20"inches long

Weight: 24.4grams  Kalevala Koru vintage scandinavian jewelry

The history of the famous Finnish jewelry brand Kalevala Koru began in 1935 in Helsinki. Its founder was the Finnish writer Elsa Matilda Heporauta (August 31, 1883 – May 7, 1960). In 1935 she moved to Helsinki and, inspired by the 100th anniversary of the Kalevala, founded the Kalevala Women’s Memorial Association and Kalevala Koru jewelry company. She was president of the company from 1935 to 1946. Noteworthy, it was Frithjof Germund Paaer (1881 – 1950), who created first designs for the company and worked there as chief designer until his death. Based on ancient findings, his jewelry pieces were mostly buckles.

In 1939, Heporauta took her jewelry to the New York World’s Fair in America. Also, she gave gold pendant as a gift to Eleanor Roosevelt, during their meeting in the White House.

Initially, Kalevala Koru made jewelry based on archaeological finds from the Viking Age kept in the National Museum. In addition to adapting antique jewelry, since the late 1940s, the company has created unique jewelry, interpreting the natural, cultural and social phenomena of its time. Speaking of the jewelry company Kalevala Koru, one cannot but mention the silversmith Pentti Sarpaneva, who created many designs for this company in the mid-1960s. Pentti Sarpaneva (June 4, 1925 – July 10, 1978) created relief-like, Byzantine-style bronze and silver jewelry for the company.

The company Kalevala Koru is the largest in its field in Finland and one of the largest in the Nordic countries. According to a 2015 survey, it was ranked 11th among the most respected brands in Finland.