Kirsti Paakkanen’s iconic jewellery collection to be auctioned at Stockholms Auktionsverk Helsinki

The two previous Kirsti Paakkanen Collection auctions held at Stockholms Auktionsverk Helsinki this spring attracted extraordinary attention. Together, they generated nearly one million unique object views both online and at the physical viewings – and both sales resulted in “white glove” auctions, with every single lot sold.

Now time has come for the jewellery collection that perhaps most clearly came to symbolize Kirsti Paakkanen’s (1929–2021) public persona. Paakkanen was not only the woman who brought Marimekko international prestige and global recognition, but also a style icon whose aesthetic balanced austere elegance with dramatic sculptural jewellery. Often dressed in black, she allowed the bold creations of leading Finnish designers to take centre stage.

The collection includes several works by Björn Weckström for Lapponia, whose organic and sculptural design language became a natural extension of Paakkanen’s visual identity as a visionary business leader. Among the highlights is the large silver necklace Poema, originally created for Princess Leia in Star Wars, but ultimately replaced at the last minute by the now legendary Planetoid Valleys. The collection also features jewellery designed by Jukka Rintala, one of Paakkanen’s closest creative collaborators over many years. Rintala’s iconic Swan jewellery series for A. Tillander is represented in its entirety in the collection – and Paakkanen wore the Swan ring every day.

Another highlight is the iconic diamond necklace that became synonymous with Paakkanen through countless photographs and public appearances.

– Kirsti Paakkanen’s jewellery is far more than a collection of extraordinary jewels – it represents a public identity instantly recognisable to many people in Finland. She wore Finnish design with remarkable authority and made jewellery an integral part of her personal language. This is a collection with unique provenance, international appeal, and a powerful sense of female integrity, says Helena Laakso, specialist at Stockholms Auktionsverk Helsinki.

The International Spring Auction also includes several other key pieces, including Helene Schjerfbeck’s colour lithograph The Silk Shoe (1938), Elin Danielson-Gambogi’s Apple Trees in Bloom, a magnificent Fabergé silver and enamel table clock by Henrik Wigström, and Greta Skogster-Lehtinen’s monumental tapestry created for the Enso Gutzeit headquarters in the 1930s.

The exhibition opens today at Eteläranta 14 in Helsinki and online, and continues until the auction on May 24.

Explore the auction here.

For further information:

Helena Laakso, specialist, Stockholms Auktionsverk Helsinki
Cell: +358 50 518 0616