Ole Lynggaard was born in 1936. From an early age, he enjoyed working with his hands, drawing and shaping sculptures. He found inspiration in nature, art and architecture – and it soon became clear that his path would be a creative one. The idea of becoming a goldsmith came naturally to him, not least because his parents owned two jewellery stores. At 17, he began his apprenticeship as a goldsmith, and in 1957 he received his journeyman’s certificate. His graduation piece was a highly demanding design that earned him a silver medal, and he was also awarded a second silver medal for diligence.

The following year, the newly trained goldsmith left Denmark with a backpack over his shoulder. Young and visionary, he dreamed of creating rare jewellery of the finest craftsmanship, in a visual language that would be instantly recognized as his own. He studied metal design in the design metropolis of Schwäbisch Gmünd in Germany and absorbed the inspiring atmosphere of leading jewellery workshops in Paris. He experienced the workshops of Fifth Avenue in bustling New York, then continued on to peaceful San Francisco, before travelling further to Japan, Shanghai, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Tehran, Isfahan, Jordan, Jerusalem, and Cairo.

After five years abroad, Ole Lynggaard returned home to Denmark, where Karin – his love, and today his muse and wife of more than fifty years – was awaiting him. He rented a combined workshop and office in Hellerup, north of Copenhagen. There, he revisited his many sketches and ideas from his formative years of travel and began to work. The year was 1963, and OLE LYNGGAARD COPENHAGEN was founded.

Since then, Ole Lynggaard's name has become synonymous with exclusive Danish jewellery design and craftsmanship. Inspiration from fauna and nature runs like a thread through his design universe and has shaped several of his now-iconic collections, defined by a timeless aesthetic and playful detail.