Celine Gulset owes her interest in crafts to her grandfather, a textile engineer and knifemaker. Yet, she says, her introduction to the goldsmith trade specifically happened almost by accident.
When she discovered that it was a possible career, she decided to go all-in: she moved to Copenhagen for over four years to study for a Danish Craft’s Certificate as a goldsmith—and then returned to Oslo to take the Norwegian Certificate as well. She didn’t have to, no. But, as Celine herself explains, “I like to do things thoroughly.”
Thoroughness and ambition have since been the two driving forces behind Celine’s company, Gulset. Rather than joining a larger established company after training, she launched the jewellery brand in 2011, as she tells Localfolk when we catch up with her.
“I was very determined to build my own brand and do things my way. It was important for me to keep costs down in the beginning and build the company’s foundations,” she explains.
In this way, Gulset started small—but she has steadily built the brand over time. A lot of her marketing has been simple word of mouth from existing satisfied customers, as well as exciting pop-up stores that have created a buzz around her brand. She tells of long days and hard work over the last decade. But it has not gone unrecognised. In 2015, Celine received a well-deserved reward for her efforts, when she was named “founder of the year” in her home area of Asker and Bærum.
“That was really surprising and quite overwhelming, to be honest!” she says. “But I am really honoured that my hard work and dedication to quality craftsmanship has been recognised. It was great news for our external partners too, who always bring their best. We’re really proud to work with the very best in different fields.”
Gulset’s vision is to create jewellery that is timeless and modern—and that is wearable both every day and for more festive occasions. To this end, she works with exclusive materials of the highest quality, such as diamonds, gold, sterling silver, and other precious stones.
“For me, each stone has a different personality, and sometimes I find diamonds can be charming and intriguing—but, of course, I am bit of a nerd about this!” Celine laughs. “I want my pieces to have a modern feel, but they should be able to last for generations. That means there can’t be any shortcuts when it comes to quality, of course—but I also want customers to be able to recognise a Gulset piece when they see it.”
In fact, many of the pieces that Gulset make are created based on special wishes or specifications from the customers, and Celine spends a lot of time discussing ideas to ensure every customer finds a design that is special. One way that Celine makes this happen is, if customers have inherited an old piece of jewellery, to re-use the gold to create a new piece.
“It is a really good way to keep a link to the past, while at the same time having an elegant and modern piece of jewellery,” Celine explains.
In this way, the process to design a piece of jewellery can be intimate and emotional—feelings that, for Celine, are essential to jewellery itself.
“Jewellery evokes emotions in many people, especially when it relates to special events like weddings or christenings. It’s interesting because I get an insight into people’s lives when I work with them,” she says. “Customers need to be able to trust me to guide them to the perfect design. In some cases, such as when men buy engagement rings, there’s a big risk—but I love that sense of responsibility.”
Ultimately, what does the future look like?
“There is always a dream to expand and make the brand even bigger,” Celine says. “Yet, any expansion must ensure that the craftmanship and quality can continue.”
