PRESS RELEASE - The new Hargreaves Stockholm showroom is open!

For the last 20 years…

Master goldsmith Jemima Hargreaves has dreamed of the day when she could open her own “bricks and mortar” space, a cosy showroom filled with things she loves, where she could entertain existing clients and get to know new ones. In addition to the showroom, as a woman in a very male dominated industry she wanted to create a supportive female-first co-workshop (more about that in a future post).

That dream finally came true; after years of hard work and planning and despite the threat of the Covid-19 lockdown and social distancing, the showroom and workshop at Dalagatan 39 in Stockholm opened in May 2020.

Located in the popular residential area of Stockholm’s Vasastan, the streets are lined with fine nineteenth-century and National Romantic architecture. The showroom is surrounded by an abundance of small local restaurants which occupy the triangle made by Odenplan, Vanadisplan and St. Eriksplan which are often more laidback and charismatic than those in the centre of town. Small shops and vintage stores sprinkle the surroundings, while a ten minute walk to Vasaparken is perfect for picnics in the summer and ice skating in the winter.

The space at Dalagatan was previously owned and run by a goldsmith colleague; over the last few years Jemima had discussed the possibility of taking over the location when the current owner retired. They finally came to terms in the new year of 2020. As the property had previously been a goldsmiths workshop and retail space, Jemima knew the location was proven, local residents were aware of it already and extensive and costly security measures were in place, something less to worry about.

Nothing of the previous space was anything like her dream; so began a period of securing money for the renovations, using her years of experience as a production manager at the best companies to plan the space, finding all the pieces of furniture, artwork and lighting, and not least all the tools and equipment for the workshop, much of which Jemima has collected over the last 20 years.

Work began on the space at the end of March 2020 and took about 3-4 weeks; starting with the removal of all the existing furnishings (some of which were re-used to create new pieces), the tired flooring and filling and painting the 100+ year old walls amongst many other things. Some nice discoveries were made along the way; peeling back 1970’s wallpaper in the workshop at the back of the space revealed the original paint colours on the walls, which were then carefully matched and replicated in the new scheme.

Jemima often jokes that this place is her home away from home; filled with a carefully chosen mix of reconditioned, retro and new furniture, special artwork, verdant planting and carefully chosen lighting, all of which share the space with a luxurious yet subtle colour palette that suggest the core Hargreaves Stockholm brand tones and true to form some rainbows, glitter and opulent gilding thrown in for good measure of course.

The floors, walls and ceiling are all the same dark silky chocolate colour, a magnificent backdrop to the bright orange touches of the reconditioned planters and the reclaimed bureau, all rounded off with gilded accents like the arched brushed brass lamp perched over the ceramic hare, the cast bronze branch lamp with its ruffled bottle green shade and the gilded frame with its classic picture of Ingmari Lamy from the latest campaign. As with most things Jemima does, the paneled back wall of the showroom and the display cases in the window are covered in repurposed glitter that she used in her display cases at the launch of Hargreaves Stockholm at Stockholm Fashion Week 2017.

Like the jewellery she makes, each piece in the showroom has a story, from the 1950’s gilded acid etched champagne glasses that remind Jemima of her grandmother to the rainbow rug made from recycled t-shirts which finally made its way from the US despite the restrictions in place during the Covid-19 outbreak. There are more of course, but you will have to ask Jemima about those.

When you think it is time for a visit, Jemima will be happy to welcome you to share her space with a glass of champagne or true to her British roots maybe a steaming cup of tea…

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EDITORS NOTES

Hargreaves Stockholm
Launched at Stockholm Fashion Week in 2017, Hargreaves Stockholm has quickly become known as a fine jewellery brand with ethics and quality at its heart. Their designs combine clean Scandinavian lines, the smooth weight and feel of solid precious metals and Jemima Hargreaves’ now signature scatter of responsibly sourced diamonds and coloured stones. The feeling of holding something that could be made of magic or even a piece of the stars themselves in your own hand is like nothing else. That connection is created with absolute passion and skill wrought in responsibly sourced 18ct gold and beautifully set with carefully selected diamonds and gemstones in Stockholm, Sweden.

Jemima Hargreaves has been a magpie since birth and still is now, perhaps even more so, loving anything that glitters and sparkles; her favourite and the inspiration for many of the pieces she creates, are the small glass topped boxes of diamonds and stones she has collected over the last 20 years of her career as a Master Goldsmith. Impressive enough on their own, when mixed together the stones sparkle in the Nordic sunlight with their deep and varied rainbow tones, sparking memories of the Swedish coast and forests that Jemima now calls home.

Jemima Hargreaves
Jemima Hargreaves is an apprentice trained goldsmith, qualified DGA (2005), with 20 years-experience in the fine jewellery industry. She has managed generations-old traditional workshops, fast-fashion production and boutique businesses, consulted for some of Europe's longest standing jewellery companies and has created pieces and managed projects for royalty, celebrities and private collectors.