Stefan Väkevä (Stephen Wäkevä)

Finnish jeweller, silversmith. Hallmark: S•W in a circle or S.W. Born in the Finnish municipality of Säkkijärvi (now Kondratievo in Leningrad Region) near the town of Vyborg on the Gulf of Finland (1833). Moved to St Petersburg (1843), where he attended the Evangelical Lutheran Church of St Mary at 8 Bolshaya Konyushennnaya Street, which wrote his surname in the German manner of Wäkevä. Apprentice (1847) and master of the guild of silversmiths (1856). Opened a workshop at 41 Fifth Nativity (now Soviet) Street (1856), where he employed his sons Konstantin and Alexander after they qualified as silversmiths (early 1890s). Elected a deputy for the inspection of commercial and industrial establishments (1898). Made silverware and tableware for Carl Fabergé (from late 1870s). Died in St Petersburg (1910), where his workshop was inherited by his son Alexander (1910–17). Contributed to exhibitions, including Fabergén aika at the Museum Centre Vapriikki in Tampere (2006).