Ishtar Liljefors' crowns shaped by cranes and Game of Thrones

It was photographs of her grandmother’s wedding day in Swedish Lapland and the bridal crown she was wearing that proved a trigger for Ishtar's early fascination with jewellery but in shaping her most recent collection, she turned to nature to add a new and unique dimension.

Cranes, those large, long-legged and long-necked birds, lend themselves easily to artistic interpretation and the dance of the cranes that migrate from North Africa to Sweden in order to undertake their courtship rituals bond them for life became a focus for Ishtar who incorporated it into a contemporary reworking of her bridal crown. 

Made from pewter and set with diamonds, it forms a range of pieces that fuses contemporary simplicity with the intricacies of fairy tales and folklore and won Ishtar a prized 2017 International Jewellery London Bright Young Gem award. 

Ishtar inspired by bridal crowns and dancing cranes

She works mainly in precious metals and gem stones and utilises traditional bench work techniques to individually hand make each piece.

Much of it is hand hammered giving her work a look that would be equally at home on a fantasy film set, as they would be for bridal or special occasion jewellery. 

Currently in high demand after being featured at Ishtar’s debut showing at IJL 2017 are her customisable elven tiaras that can be inset with pearls or precious stones, including diamonds, sapphires and rubies.

Her troll rings are made from molten from silver or gold, and can be worn individually or stacked, creating unusual, uneven surfaces that create bold statements.