Cinematic Symbolism: Rebecca Elbek

The Scandinavian designer behind Nicole Kidman’s jewels in The Undoing is breaking into the US market with her emblematic creations.

When Danish goldsmith and artist Rebecca Elbek started designing pieces for The Undoing’s leading lady, Nicole Kidman, she didn’t know what the character’s wardrobe would be like. Costume designer Signe Sejlund, who chose Elbek to create the main character’s jewels for the HBO series, only mentioned her personality — “that she was a sophisticated and spiritual individual.”

Grace Fraser, the protagonist in this gripping six-episode production set in New York’s Upper East Side, “has many interesting facets. She has such good taste. She looks like a woman who grew up surrounded by music and art,” says Elbek. “But along with this perfectionism comes this wild hair and a complex character.” Fraser also stands out from her peers through her bohemian style, the designer notes.

Sejlund and Elbek ended up bejeweling Kidman with four strong creations that caught jewelry geeks’ attention (at least, when they weren’t on the edge of their seats anticipating the next story twist).

Four fitting pieces
The Fine Scarab Ring is “a mix of mystery and protection,” Elbek says. “The construction of the ring is almost antique-looking, and with the small pavé diamond surround, it looks in many ways like a very classical ring. But then the yellow gold scarab in the middle changes everything.”

As for the Owl ring, “aside from being extremely beautiful, it has a deep connection with wisdom and intuitive knowledge,” she remarks.

The Nomad ring is a tribute to Fraser’s free and confident spirit. The designer sees it as a “bohemian yet luxurious version of a wanderer on a journey that never ends.”

The aptly named Secret Woman earrings complemented Kidman’s ring stack. “Who is she? You see her very clearly, but still she is hiding. A real beauty full of secrets,” muses Elbek.

A rising star
Symbolic jewelry is in Elbek’s brand DNA. Her star piece is the Lion ring, which she wears every day on her middle finger. “The Lion indicates you need to have courage and faith in yourself. The lion also symbolizes wilderness and the inability to control one’s natural instincts — or in other words, the inability to tame the wild side of one’s personality.”

The Undoing has opened up the US market to the Scandinavian designer, who finds American women’s style inspiring and is currently looking for agents in New York and Los Angeles who sell directly to consumers. She’s also working on a new men’s line in collaboration with an American artist.

Kidman and her real-life husband, singer Keith Urban, gifted each other Elbek’s jewels at the end of the production. With the Danish goldsmith’s star appeal on the rise, they’re sure to be joined by many more collectors who appreciate lovingly crafted and meaningful jewelry.

Main image: Rebecca Elbek. Photo: Rebecca Værksted.