COLOURFUL, HANDMADE JEWELLERY FROM A SMALL STUDIO IN COPENHAGEN

Be the Summer is a small jewellery studio in Copenhagen, Denmark. I make colourful pieces with freshwater pearls, gemstones and 14k gold-filled findings. Each piece is made to order or in tiny batches of two to four, never mass-produced.

The idea behind it is simple: colour belongs in everyday life, not just in summer. A pearl that catches the light on a grey morning. A pop of gemstone against a plain white tee. A warm gold detail under your winter coat. These are pieces made to be worn often, not saved for one occasion.

I'm Esther, the founder, designer and maker behind Be the Summer. I design and make nearly every piece myself in my Copenhagen studio. I choose each pearl and stone, shape the wire, and put everything together by hand. My favourite part is the moment a colour combination or a design finally clicks. And sometimes that can take days of sketches and trial and error.

HOW IT BEGAN

The idea for Be the Summer started on a trip to Bali in 2022. I was hoping to find a piece of jewellery that really felt like me, but I couldn't find one. Then I came across a few women sitting in a small shop, making jewellery by hand, and I remember thinking: maybe I can too?

When I got home, I bought some materials and started playing around. I got hooked.

Not long after, I left my job in Singapore and moved to Denmark. It was a new country, a new language, new surroundings and a new network to build, and I was about to become a mum. Everything was new. It was a tough season, and honestly, making jewellery was the one thing that kept me sane. But I also just loved it.

My friends back in Singapore encouraged me to try selling what I made, and I thought, why not? So in 2023, Be the Summer began. Looking back, my first designs were a bit kiddish, but we all start somewhere. What I did know was that I wanted colour. I wanted pieces that felt like sunshine and warmth through the Danish seasons. Colour became my way of carrying summer with me.

Each collection starts from something I've seen or lived, whether nature, travel or a memory. Fleur began as a necklace I knew I had to make, pieced together bead by bead over a year. When I brought it to my first FindersKeepers Design Market at ArtMaze in Copenhagen in May 2024, it was met with so much love that it grew into a whole series. Read the full story of Fleur

MADE SLOWLY, IN SMALL BATCHES

Most pieces are made to order, and when I prepare for markets or for Ossolo, I make them in batches of just two to four. That means less waste, no piles of unsold stock, and every piece still passes through my hands. Some designs are limited or final releases, so once they're gone, they don't return.

I work with materials that hold up to everyday life:

• 14k gold-filled findings: a much thicker layer of real gold than plating, so it keeps its warmth with daily wear instead of flaking or fading.

• Freshwater pearls: each one shaped by nature, with its own lustre and character.

• Gemstones: chosen for colour first, then for how they catch the light.

Because pearls and stones are natural, no two pieces are exactly alike. Small variations in shape, tone and texture are part of what makes each one yours.

WHY BE THE SUMMER

I've always been drawn to colour. Whenever I see something vibrant, I tend to walk toward it without thinking. Colour makes me feel something. It lifts me, and it stays with me.

But to me, summer isn't only a season. It's all around us, even when it doesn't feel like it. Not all my designs are inspired by summer, either. Avina, for example, came from autumn and winter. The brand name comes from the idea that anyone can be the summer, not just me. It's a state of mind, a warmth you carry into an ordinary day. It can be expressed through anything and everything. Jewellery just happens to be my way.

AN INVITATION

If something here feels like you, I hope you find your piece. You can shop the full collection online, or see a small selection in person at Ossolo, Oehlenschlægersgade 32, 1663 Copenhagen (5-7 mins walk from Enghave Plads Metro), and at markets around Copenhagen, which I share on Instagram. For questions about a design or sizing, write to me at hello.bethesummer@gmail.com. I'm always happy to hear from you.

[ Find your piece ]