Master goldsmith Margareth Sandström has been part of LiU’s history since 1975. 24 years old at the time, she was given the prestigious assignment to create LiU’s Vice-Chancellor’s chain for the inauguration of the university.
Margareth Sandström 1975 and 2025Photographer: Charlotte Perhammar och Arne Gustafsson (Corren)
In 1975, Linköping University College became a university, and a vice-chancellor should have a vice-chancellor’s chain. Gunnar Wenngren, a LiU official, produced sketches that included LiU’s seal, the coat of arms of the city of Linköping (the lion) and the national symbol (three crowns).
In April that same year, the 24-year-old newly qualified goldsmith Margareth Sandström was commissioned to design and manufacture the Vice-Chancellor’s chain based on the sketches. It would have to be finished a couple of months later. Fortunately, Margareth’s German boyfriend Peter de Wit was also training to become a goldsmith, and together they completed the chain. Margareth’s father, master goldsmith Sven Roland Sandström, also helped.Margareth Sandström Photographer: Charlotte Perhammar
“I was delighted to have been entrusted with this! We worked day and night. Such a commission has a knock-on effect; suddenly you are noticed and get more commissions. But it was an impossible task to complete on your own in such a short time, so I gratefully accepted help,” Sandström says when visiting LiU in the spring of 2025 to inspect the chains in view of the Academic Ceremony and the 50th anniversary celebration.
Three out of five chains
In comparison with the old universities such as Uppsala and Lund, with their golden vice-chancellor’s chains from the late 1800s, LiU’s Vice-Chancellor’s chain really stands out as a completely new model. It is technical and robust, and its symbols are unique. A sign of renewal. The 866.3 gramme silver chain was donated by Linköping Municipality to the university and received by the then Vice-Chancellor, Hans Meijer, in connection with the university’s inauguration on 28 May 1975.
As vice-chancellor, you wear the chain mostly in connection with academic ceremonies, not only at LiU, but also when you in this role visit another university. The same goes for the deans and their dean’s chains. Margareth has created three of Liu's five chains.
Wearable art
In 1975, she and her boyfriend Peter lived in Gamla Linköping where they also had their workshop and shop. Many tourists found their way into the shop in the summer, but it was difficult to make ends meet, although a scholarship helped.
Before ending up in Gamla Linköping, she studied at the Swedish Jewellers' and Goldsmiths’ Association’s school in Strålsnäs. After that, she went to Germany to study at the leading centre for jewellery technicians in Europe.
“It was an artistic further education course in jewellery design at Fachhochschule für Gestaltung in Pforzheim, and there Peter and I met. I was a trained goldsmith before this and Peter became a master goldsmith during his time in Gamla Linköping, where his masters were my father and me. Peter was awarded a silver medal for his journeyman’s piece. That’s how it happened,” says Margareth.
Margareth Sandström Photographer: Charlotte Perhammar
In the 70s, the young artist couple commuted between Gamla Linköping and Peter’s home country, the Netherlands. Inspired by Dutch innovative jewellery art, they became pioneers in Sweden for the new international “wearable art” movement.
The couple eventually moved their studio, Sandström de Wit, to Storgatan in the centre of Linköping, where they continued to create and develop their unique artistic jewellery, or wearable art.
Peter has a special love for the cube and bold shapes with straight lines and an abstract world of shapes. Margareth has an organic design language inspired by nature, which can be seen in the two dean’s chains she has made for the Faculty of Arts and Science and the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ Dean’s chain
Bengt Sandin received the Dean’s chain during his time in office, 1997-2006, as a gift from StuFF, the Student Union for Educational Sciences and the Faculty of Arts and Sciences.
“The faculty saw the laurel wreath as its symbol and therefore the chain looks like linked laurel leaves with a large round medal at the front,” says Bengt Sandin.
At the same time, the Faculty of Arts and Sciences’ Medal of Merit was designed, as a slightly smaller copy of the one on the Dean’s chain. Only very few people have received this medal.
The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Dean’s chain
Photo of the Faculty of Medicine and Caring Sciences’ chain Photographer: Cecilia SäfströmThe Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences’ Dean’s chain was manufactured in 2007 when Mats Hammar was dean of what was then called the Faculty of Health Sciences. The chain was a gift from the Consensus, the medical students’ union..
“I asked Margreth Sandström to look at what could be done,” says Mats Hammar. “She had good knowledge of the Faculty of Health Sciences’ profile and modern approach to health, and made a cardboard sketch.”
Photo of the Faculty of Medicine and Caring Sciences’ chain Photographer: Cecilia Säfström
The chain was then made in silver and is a little different in its design compared to other dean’s chains and got a lot of attention when Mats wore it for the first time. When open, it looks like a V, but when you wear it, it looks like a whole person, which shows the faculty’s holistic view of the human being. At the back of the neck, all of Consensus’ sub-unions are represented on interlinked plates.
Honorary doctors
In 2018, Margareth and Peter received honorary doctorates at the Faculty of Arts and Sciences at LiU. They were praised for the fact that “their different design languages have coexisted with independence and confidence for over 40 years, thereby showing that different perspectives, views and starting points are a successful basis for innovation and creative thinking”, as stated in the decision on honorary doctors in 2018.
And they are truly successful. Their works are on display in museums and famous jewellery galleries worldwide, and they have participated in many special commissions and prestigious exhibitions.
But what about the chains, are they well taken care of?
“Yes, well enough. But they need to be in custom-built boxes to avoid breakages in the long run. That is where they are stored all year except for a few hours during the Academic Celebrations. Once upon a time, the Vice-Chancellor’s chain was in a custom-built box made by Kanevad. Where is that now?”
eaves with a large round medal at the front,” says Bengt Sandin.
