Handcrafted jewellery made in Denmark, drawing on inspiration from the Nordic minimalistic lines and the mysterious energy and surroundings from the Middle East, ELHANATI was founded in 2011 by Orit Elhanati. Born in Copenhagen to parents of Greek, Israeli and Danish descent, the Middle Eastern undertones emerge from each piece that is handmade in the Copenhagen atelier, using recycled 18k solid gold. Using traditional craftmanship techniques each piece is carefully crafted, and two pieces are never alike. The creation process is intuitive with a playful approach to the design process, where each piece is imagined and is worked through at the atelier by using hammering, burning and dripping techniques that create the unique organic signature structures and surfaces ELHANATI is know for, that become miniature wearable pieces of art.

The gemstones are carefully sourced around the world by local partners and undergo a strict certification process. All diamonds used have the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) ensuring they are conflict-free. Only the highest quality of gemstones are used, mainly Top Wesselton VVS and VS diamonds, but you will often see the more traditionally used stones being reinvented as the opal, tiger stone or malachite. Working with local stonecutters each stone is cut perfectly for each individual piece.

The yellow gold I use has a direct connection to the Middle East. Many of the things I create are stories about the streets of Jerusalem, the path to the Dead Sea, the textures of the mountains, cliffs and desert lines. Gold has always fascinated me. I have always been infatuated with my grandmother and her friends sitting on the porch in Tel Aviv dripping in gold. This has imprinted itself in my mind and has followed me throughout my life – I love theway jewelry is made to be passed on through generations and becomes a part of the woman and her story. I am inspired by my environment and people around me. The nature, the sea, the clean lines of the desert, rocks and the rawness is deeply inspiring to me. I am not religious, but I believe in these greater powers that have such a force, that we cannot comprehend. Each thing I create whether it be a piece of jewelry or something in my home is somehow inspired by all these different places and people. It is very important to me that there is a feeling behind everything I do. When I make jewelry I always sit by myself. I need silence and the time to stand still, otherwise it is impossible to remain playful in this fast-paced world. I love using elements that I find from my trips around the world, that highlights the relationship between humans and the natural environment. You will see the special texture in Roxy and Drawn, that are elements of the sea that have been worked into the gold, to give that special texture. Jewellery is something you keep with you for eternity, it is something borrowed, it is never really yours, and it is something to pass on to the next generation.’