AGAVANZA is inspired by the beautiful Danish island of Fanø, but the story of the company started many years ago, a long way from Denmark.
It all began in the historical city of Cordoba, Spain. In 2004 Charlotte Skov moved to Cordoba – a European mecca of silverware and jewellery – to specialize her skills and learn traditional jewellery craftsmanship. Here she met Marcos Perez, who was already working in the world of jewellery, being part of the family business; a silver manufacturing company with a more than 45-year history.
In 2009 Marcos and Charlotte opened a combination of a workshop/jewellery store in the charming Jewish Quarter right by the great Mosque. Spending their summers visiting family on the Danish island of Fanø, and – inspired by the wild and beautiful nature there – they chose AGAVANZA, the Spanish word for rosehip, as name and trademark for their jewellery company.
“The name came to us very quickly. We wanted something that reminded us of Denmark and the island of Fanø, which had been such an inspiration in many of our designs, but it should be easily pronounced in other languages as well. AGAVANZA means rosehip, one of the most common and beautiful plants on Fanø, AG is the chemical formula for Silver, and AVANZA is the Spanish verb for moving forward. The name just seemed perfect for two silversmiths embarking into the world of jewellery” – Charlotte
After four years in Cordoba, the duo thought it was time for a new adventure, and decided to move their workshop to the picturesque island of Fanø. Here the two silversmiths discovered a new material, that would soon turn out to be very important in their future designs – Amber, which can be found on the beaches of Fanø.
Both Charlotte and Marcos pride themselves in making timeless pieces using traditional jewellery techniques. The only metal used is Sterling Silver, although some collections are gold plated with 18 kt gold.
“We make a great team – even though we come from two very different cultures, it has mainly been an advantage in our work. Having lived and worked for several years in Spain and now Denmark, we have both been inspired and influenced by everything new to us. Charlotte uses very organic lines inspired by nature and I use a more minimalistic approach. Sometimes we combine our ideas in one design, and sometimes we do our separate things, as we feel that the DNA of AGAVANZA will still be visible in all the pieces”. – Marcos
