ARJE GREIGST (1938-2016)

Danish jeweler Arje Griegst established his company in Copenhagen in 1963. Known as a “goldsmith who thought like a sculptor,” Griegst’s gold and precious stone designs are inspired by nature and have a dream-like quality similar to Art Nouveau jewelry.

His first solo exhibition at the Kunstindustrimuseet (Designmuseum Denmark) in 1963 showcased 35 pieces. That same year, his ring was exhibited at the Cooper Union Museum in New York. A meeting with Anders Hostrup-Pedersen of Georg Jensen led him to Paris to develop his technique and produce rings for the company, using the lost wax technique. Influenced by the Rococo period, classical myths, Surrealism, and the Renaissance, Griegst’s work stood in stark contrast to Scandinavian Modernism, earning him the nickname “enfant terrible.”

Queen Margrethe became a prominent patron of Griegst’s jewelry. His work is featured in numerous museums worldwide and earned him several awards, including the Bindesboll Medal. Griegst also designed ceramics for Royal Copenhagen, glasses for Holmegaard, and taught at the Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. Greigst is still a family-run business today.