INNI PÄRNÄNEN

Burnt Paper, Candle Wax, Iron
and Cotton Thread Ring

Turku--Finland’s oldest city--is not only the site for one of the city’s most beloved structures, the Turku Cathedral, it is also Finland’s official Christmas City.  

Turku holds numerous yuletide events celebrating the season.  Finland is also home to featured jewelry designer Inni Pärnänen.

The ebb and flow of the unique materials implemented in 42-year-old Pärnänen’s stunning jewelry collections is a coupling of quirky style meets contemporary art.  

Designs are innovative and visually arresting while also confronting concepts of value and perceptions of beauty.

In addition to working with sterling silver, the graduate of Finland’s University of Industrial Arts Helsinki embraces a variety of unusual components.  

In Pärnänen’s hands steel wire, dyed paper, cotton thread, parchment, candle wax and cow’s horn become remarkable pendant necklaces, brooch pins, and rings.

Each design pointedly shatters the idea that only 18-karat gold and diamonds can be beautiful.  The floral-inspired arrangement of jewelry items from her 2007 – 2009 Series that highlight candle wax and paper with burnt edges is absolutely gorgeous.  The paper petals resemble the bloom of a dog rose.

Painted Copper Brooch Pin

Likewise the ethereal jewelry items highlighted in her 2000 – 2003 Series of parchment are reminiscent of delicate beetle wings.   Her handcrafted jewelry collections boast a myriad of textures and forms; some familiar, others not so much.  Nothing is solely informed by current trends but instead by Pärnänen’s natural curiosity and desire to explore every creative possibility.

“It is the possibilities of a material or technique that appeal to me and often start the process.  The nature of the material and the structure of the resulting piece define how my jewelry is worn.

Three-dimensional structures with complex interiors created from simple geometrical starting points are characteristics of my jewelry.” 

Sterling Silver with Cow Horn and Steel Wire

2013 Jewelry Trend Alert:   Pärnänen’s unique design mode though not driven by trends does include a few of the year’s top styles such as floral patterns, sterling silver, and the inclusion of found objects.