What Scandinavian design in diamond jewellery

Sophie Bille Brahe has always preferred to express herself with her hands. But rather than wild gesticulations, her mode of communication takes the form of intricate jewellery, often encrusted with pearls or diamonds, which she designs at her studio in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“I could talk you through all my collections and it will almost explain my life in the last 10 years,” she says. “I can see, when looking back, that they helped organise my thoughts. It’s my way of understanding the world and where I am in life – it’s my language. This took on new (and quite literal) meaning when Bille Brahe unveiled two recent launches: the first, titled “Toi, Moi, Nous Sommes”, is a collection of six engagement rings featuring traceable and conflict-free centre stone diamonds.

The second, a line of diamond-adorned alphabet jewellery titled “Lettre de Lumière”, is based on Bille Brahe’s own handwriting – rings can be worn individually, or alongside other initials for a fluid, cursive-like effect.

Bille Brahe is a firm believer in the coveted gemstone’s appeal, and working with traceable and conflict-free diamonds, which she plans on doing across her other designs, is a natural next step.

Diamonds and other gems have long been Bille Brahe’s way of evoking a timeless Scandinavian sensibility, one that has become her signature and a draw for women on the hunt for uniquely elegant jewellery.

Considering Bille Brahe’s great-grandfather was the renowned astronomer Tycho Brahe, it’s unsurprising that her designs echo celestial formations and convey, in her words, “the Scandinavian feel of the cold winter night, where the stars are completely bright”.

Having trained as a goldsmith and graduated from London’s Royal College of Art with a master’s degree, Bille Brahe expected to design in-house for a jewellery brand.
She ended up launching her own in 2011, after being approached by shoppers and press keen to get their hands on her creations. Now, her products are stocked by luxury retailers from Dover Street Market to Net-a-Porter.

The first item Bille Brahe made for herself was the Croissant de Lune earring, which features a constellation-like crescent of tapered diamonds. At the time, naysayers told her she couldn’t wear so many diamonds on a single ear; some 16 years later, the earring remains one of her most iconic pieces and a mainstay in her core collection.

“I always end up doing it for myself,” she says, adding that designs feel extra personal and easy to style as a result. “The jewellery you wear somehow becomes a part of you, without you thinking about it.”
Besides the obvious appeal of working with precious gems, jewellery as a medium allows Bille Brahe to create wearable items that outlast trend cycles and transcend generations.
“I wanted to do something that could be long-lasting. I wanted to do something where it was something you could wear for the rest of your life, and pass it on to your children,” she says.

Above all, Bille Brahe makes pieces she wants to wear. And wear them she does: she counts her diamond tennis necklace, Ocean ring – which channels the curve of a wave – and SBB initial rings among her daily necessities.

While some may balk at the number of diamonds in her everyday rotation, her designs are proof that a string of diamonds can look effortless and playful. According to Bille Brahe, this mentality is quintessentially Scandinavian: rather than reserving certain items for special occasions or buying luxury for investment value, the region’s culture prizes practical pieces that can be worn day and night with ease.

The goal is to bring this frame of mind, and her jewels, to a wider audience: Bille Brahe’s dream is to have appointment-only boutiques scattered around the world, and this month she’ll celebrate the launch of her WeChat account, which will help drive growth in the mainland Chinese market.
Designers might want to take note of Bille Brahe’s autobiographical approach. After all, like perfume and clothing, jewellery is “something women increasingly see as a part of how they look”, she says. “It’s a part of how you understand yourself.”