The 'Real Ring'

Gandalf visits the Jens Hansen workshop

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen - The Ringmaker) — Mon, 21 May 2012 04:00:00 +0000

A tale by Halfdan Hansen

When we heard that Sir Ian was coming to Nelson to do a show at the Theatre Royal, we thought it would be the perfect opportunity to invite him to the workshop. Some of the Fellowship have visited us before, and have their own copies of the ring we designed and made for Lord of the Rings – but Sir Ian didn’t. So we devised a plan to tempt Gandalf with a little golden gift!

Sir Ian came to visit on Saturday afternoon. I told him the story of how my father, Jens Hansen, designed and made the ring for the movies after being approached by Peter Jackson. We showed him some of the prototype rings, the big ‘stunt ring,’ and one of the limited edition 'Sauron sized' rings.

Then we offered him his own ring. He whispered: “Don’t make me, Frodo!” but held out his hands immediately. We had to size the ring, which is made of 9carat gold, especially for him – and he asked to watch it being made.

Our Master Jeweller Ben Clark got to work, customising the ring for Ian.

Ian even took up the hammer himself!

He was thrilled with the finished ring. He put it on as he left the workshop, saying that he would show it to everyone and when they asked “Is that… (the real movie ring)?” he’d be able to say “Yes, yes it is!”

On Sunday afternoon, Ben and I went to see Ian on stage at the Theatre Royal. During the first half of his show, he shared his experience of Middle Earth and being part of the Lord of the Rings. He had his ring on and kept playing with it, it looked gorgeous in the stage lights. Then he asked Ben to stand up so he could publicly thank him, and Jens Hansen! We were very honoured. The second half of the show was a performance based on Shakespeare, and then Sir Ian spent a few minutes with us afterwards.

All in all, a fantastic weekend to be part of the Jens Hansen legacy.

Happy 100th Birthday Tom!

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen - The Ringmaker) — Tue, 08 May 2012 22:44:00 +0000

Dr. Tom Harrison, who worked with Jens in the Jens Hansen workshop for a decade in the 1970s and 80s, has just celebrated his 100th birthday! He received the Queen's Telegram, and his daughter Mary's family gave him a Jens Hansen silver fern brooch.

Tom with his telegram.

Tom was an army surgeon during World War Two, and a psychiatrist at Queen Mary Hospital in Hanmer, New Zealand.

After his retirement, he came to work at the workshop with Jens, before moving to Perth to be closer to his children and grandchildren.

Happy birthday, Tom.

Read more about Tom's time in the workshop in the Jeweller's Mark.

The LOVEliest Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen - The Ringmaker) — Mon, 07 May 2012 01:33:00 +0000

We had a great time at the Nelson Wedding Show yesterday. Of course the most exciting thing was announcing the winners of the Ultimate Love Story – Shannon and Lisa!

Love Stories - Winners from nakedeyedv on Vimeo.

In an unfortunate turn of events, the couple were unable to be at the Show, as during their honeymoon on safari in Africa this month, Lisa fell seriously ill. She has been hospitalised in South Africa, unable to eat for 18 days. She is now recuperating, but not quite up the flight home just yet.

However, Lisa’s parents Cindy and Russell Holden were at the Show. Cindy let out a whoop of joy when her daughter and her husband were named the winners.

Cindy told the crowd at the wedding show that the couple had been chosen as finalists the week Shannon and Lisa were getting married, and at the time Lisa didn’t have any earrings to wear for her wedding day. She rushed into the Jens Hansen studio just before the wedding and used her finalist’s prize to choose diamond earrings for her big day.

After the announcement yesterday, Cindy and Russell said they were even happier for her daughter and Shannon because they had had such a bad time in Africa, so the win was really exciting.

Cindy was desperate to ring Lisa and Shannon in South Africa to tell them they had won but it was in the middle of the night, so they had to wait patiently for a few hours. Then they managed to get through to them last night in Johannesburg and gave them the great news, “they were over the moon, really buzzing”.

We can’t wait to see them when they get back to New Zealand – hopefully later this week.

A big thanks to the other finalists who shared their love stories with us. Jim and Raewyn came to say Hi at the show, which was lovely for me, as Jim was actually a teacher at Nelson Intermediate School when my brother and I attended. Raewyn was wearing the diamond pendant she bought with her finalist’s voucher, and she showed me the silver Jens Hansen ring Jim gave her on their 25th wedding anniversary. They’re now coming up to their 40th!

We also need to congratulate Rainer Gohl, who won the voter’s prize of $600 to spend in the studio, and the Nelson Wedding Show Door Prize winner Cindy Windleborn. She receives a Jens Hansen sterling silver Moebius bangle – a classic piece designed by Jens himself in the 1970’s.

A big hello to those of you we met at the Show. We had a cool spot next to Willow florists, who provided the winner’s bouquet for Love Stories – and the flowers in my lapel pin below.

And finally, congratulations to everyone getting married this year. We had a lot of interest in men’s wedding bands on the stand, so I’m sure I’ll see some of you in the studio soon!

Diamond Jubilee - High Tea at Melrose House

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen - The Ringmaker) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 01:39:00 +0000

Last week we attended High Tea at Nelson’s historic home Melrose House. They’re celebrating their Diamond Jubilee as part of the city’s Heritage Festival. We gave away tickets to the Tea to some lucky winners at the Nelson Women’s Expo, and then joined them for a morning of sweet treats – and of course lots of discussions about diamonds!

Our winner Raenis Stocker, and her friends Lyn Linklater and Shireen Kilpatrick, enjoyed a traditional High Tea in the Melrose House café, complete with original antique china and silverware.

Halfdan and Amanda shared a few pro tips on taking care of your most precious jewelery – how to tell the worth of your diamonds, and when to bring gold in for professional cleaning (once every six months!)

After Tea, Raenis, Lyn and Shireen, who are currently living in Blenheim, stopped by the Selwyn Place workshop for a tour. We were very pleased to host them!

Embellished Jens Hansen cuff

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 01:37:00 +0000

Our silversmith waved his magic over this stylish Jens Hansen sterling silver cuff for a customer, who wanted three gold lines added to symbolise his three children.

New Jens Hansen Designs for the New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 03:55:00 +0000

9ct gold disc bracelet.

Sterling silver ring set with star ruby.
$490- NZD Buy now: www.jenshansen.com/shop.asp?productid=537

Sterling silver circle hoops with 24ct gold leaf and clear resin.
$449- NZD
Buy now: www.jenshansen.com/shop.asp?productid=531

Sterling silver ring set with olive green cubic zirconia.
$349- NZD
Buy now: www.jenshansen.com/shop.asp?productid=532

18ct white gold semi tension set ring, with ceylon sapphire.
$6,990- NZD
Buy now: www.jenshansen.com/shop.asp?productid=543

22ct yellow gold earrings set with opals.
$3490- NZD

Sterling silver hammered link bracelet.
$1099- NZD

Add captionGreen resin and sterling silver ring.
$309- NZD

Oval 24ct gold leaf and sterling silver ring.
$369- NZD

Sterling silver ring set with Amethyst.
$349- NZD

Thank you for your entries!

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 22:45:00 +0000

Thanks and good luck to everyone who entered the Jens Hansen Love Stories competition - we received some truly beautiful stories, so the judges now have quite a challenge ahead of them...who will the nine finalists be?! Stay tuned, we will keep you posted!

Hurry - last few days to share your love story and WIN!

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:14:00 +0000

The judges of Nelson's Love Stories competition are looking forward to judging the region's most romantic love story at the end of this week.

So far more than 20 stories have been submitted, and the three judges - local diamond expert Halfdan Hansen from Jens Hansen, Jenny Walton from the Nelson Wedding Show, and My Wedding Magazine Editor Gayle Dickson - need to choose the top nine romantic stories. The judges will first independently choose their top nine stories, and then after cross referencing their choices, they will decide on the final top 9 stories.

Hurry - last few days to share your love story and win diamonds! Entries close on January 14, and you could be in to win amazing prizes including one of nine $600 Jens Hansen diamond vouchers, an additional $1000 Jens Hansen diamond voucher for the ultimate love story, and gorgeous flowers from Willow Floral Design.

The nine love story finalists will be notified at the end of January, and announced on Valentine's Day 2012. The most romantic Nelson love story will be decided by the public and announced at the Nelson Wedding Show on May 6, 2012.

Enter your love story today at http://www.jenshansen.com/news/lovestories.aspx

The Suadade Pendant

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:24:00 +0000

Here is our latest design from the Jens Hansen workshop - the Saudade Pendant.

This stunning 18ct gold pendant was designed and hand crafted with the Portugese word 'Saudade' in mind. Saudade is described as 'the love that remains' after someone is gone.

$2390- NZD

NOTE: The black cocoon chain is sold separately for $349- NZD

The perfect gift for Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 23:08:00 +0000

BE QUICK! If you live in NZ or Australia you still have time to select the perfect gift, hand crafted by one of our Jens Hansen silversmiths, and sent to you just in time for Christmas!

Beautiful earrings, pendants and cufflinks, make gift buying easy, because they don't need to be re-sized, can be worn immediately, and will be treasured for a lifetime and beyond.

Browse the Gift Ideas page on our website for more info:
http://www.jenshansen.com/collections/giftideas.aspx

The following are the Christmas shipping deadlines for your region:
Australia: December 14
The Rest of the World: December 9
New Zealand: December 20

Smokey Quartz - from rock to pendant

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:26:00 +0000

We decided to transform this piece of beautiful smokey quartz into a stylish acorn-shaped pendant. The finished product is pictured below on a sterling silver chain.

This item is available now for $649-NZD. The chain is sold seperately for $169-NZD.

For more details please go to our website www.jenshansen.com/shop/viewItem.asp?idProduct=526

Latest Jens Hansen Design - By Heath Neilson

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 22:05:00 +0000

This is our latest one-of-a-kind, hand crafted ring, designed by Jens Hansen jeweller Heath Neilson. This sterling sliver ring is set with a 20x9mm retangular quartz. RRP $990- NZD.

Copy and past this link to your browser for more information www.jenshansen.com/shop/viewItem.asp?idProduct=525

Art in Windows Shop & Win Entrant Thrilled at First Jens Hansen Jewellery

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 21:24:00 +0000

Photo: The Nelson Mail
Halfdan Hansen and Lyn Moore at the Jens Hansen workshop

Lyn Moore from Mahana is thrilled at winning her first ever Jens Hansen jewellery, won after she entered her details in the Art in Windows Shop & Win Draw.

The annual Art in Windows promotion ran from 17th September through to 29th October giving local businesses an opportunity to celebrate Nelson’s vibrant arts culture. Art in Windows is a joint initiative between Arts Council Nelson and Uniquely Nelson.

Lyn Moore won $500 towards Jens Hansen jewellery in the draw, and she chose a gold leaf resin pendant and matching earrings.

Lyn says she moved to Mahana last year but still comes to Nelson at least twice or three times a week to see friends, go to the gym or shop.

“Even though I now live out of central Nelson, I still love to shop here,” she says. “I had entered Shop & Win at a few shops around Nelson, then one day I felt like I was getting the flu so I also popped into Unichem Nelson City Pharmacy on Trafalgar St, and while I was there I put my name in the draw, and it was this entry that won me the Jens Hansen prize.

“I have been into Jens Hansen before, but never had the opportunity to buy for myself, so winning this is just amazing,” she says. “The jewellery is very beautiful.”

Halfdan Hansen from Jens Hansen jewellers has been the $500 sponsor of the Art in Windows customer draw for four years.

“We love to support Art in Windows, as it is a great opportunity for artists to be seen by a larger audience in a different way,” Halfdan says. “I love the pieces Lyn has chosen for herself – the gold resin jewellery is simple and contemporary, and it really suits her. She looks great.”

Uniquely Nelson Manager Cathy Madigan says Art in Windows has again been successful for Nelson retail.

“Art in Windows is good fun for retailers as well as their customers as it is a really interactive promotion,” Cathy says. “We had thousands of people enter the draw, so the competition is clearly liked by Nelsonians. Thanks to Jens Hansen for supporting Art in Windows for another year, and congratulations to Lyn for shopping, winning and choosing such lovely jewellery.”

Hello!magazine.com article

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:52:00 +0000

Check out this fantastic article from Hello!magazine.com

In the land of the hobbits

The beautiful and varied landscapes of New Zealand provided the setting for Peter Jackson's 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, one of the most successful film ventures of all time. From the peaceful Shire to the fires of Mordor, locations were found for the magical world of Middle-earth where hobbits, elves, dwarves and wizards live...read more

"Dane famed as father of modern NZ jewellery"

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 18:26:00 +0000

The Nelson Mail - October 15, 2011

Check out this fantastic article in the Nelson Mail!

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 08:25:00 +0000

"Vintage gift comes tied in a bow - Dudley Benson gathers new fans – or "friends" – wherever he goes, but yesterday was the first time any of them had given him a bow tie"...read more

Look Sterling in Silver this October

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 21:42:00 +0000

For thousands of years, silver has been used to make ornaments, utensils, money, and jewellery.

Jewellery is traditionally made from sterling silver, an alloy of 92.5% silver with 7.5% copper, which is why it is stamped with the numerals '925'. Fine silver is 99.9% pure and is stamped with a half moon symbol.
Sterling silver is harder than the pure variety, so it is perfect for everyday wear. To keep your silver jewellery clean we recommend you simply wear it as often as possible.

This month's feature pieces are hand crafted from sterling silver, and are available now at our workshop, or the latest designs page on our website.

Stunning vintage Jens Hansen bracelet in sterling silver.

Sterling silver drop earrings.

Sterling silver and mabe pearl ring.

Sterling silver dress ring.

Vintage salt & pepper shakers

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Sun, 25 Sep 2011 22:08:00 +0000

Had a great coffee at RED Gallery last week, where our vintage salt & pepper shakers are on display. They were hand made by Jens in 1972 and given to a Nelson couple as a wedding present. The owners traded them back with us, and we recently had the opportunity to acquire them for our permanent collection. Do you think we should start making these again? Would love to hear your feedback...

Anniversary of The Hobbit book

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 08:42:00 +0000

The Hobbit book was published on this day (September 21st) in 1937! Legend has it Tolkien gave the manuscript to friends, and it fell in the hands of publisher Stanley Unwin, whose 10-year old son read it. Of course he loved it, so it was published..and, the literary classic was born!

Celebrating the silver fern

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 23:28:00 +0000

Jens Hansen Silver Fern Brooch $399 NZD

The Rugby World Cup 2011 has kicked off in New Zealand, and Nelson is buzzing with excitement as we get ready to host several games!

The iconic silver fern has long been recognised as a symbol of New Zealand. Wearing the Jens Hansen silver fern brooch (pictured top, opposite) is a stylish and understated way of showing our support for Aotearoa, and the All Blacks during the World Cup.

The transformation of an antique spoon...

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 23:11:00 +0000

A customer asked us to transform this Victorian solid sterling silver serving spoon into a ring, with the original hallmarks on the outside. The spoon has been in the Nelson woman's family since the 1890's, and the completed ring was given to a daughter.

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 23:50:00 +0000

Recently a lovely lady came into our Nelson workshop and showed us this brooch which she was given as a bridesmaid over 40 years ago! It is an original Jens Hansen design and she still receives compliments when she wears it - a truly timeless and elegant piece which has stood the test of time.

Some of you may recognise this brooch, and know of our cufflinks based on the same design, from our 40th Anniversary Collection. To see more from the collection click here.

Original cufflink design commemorates Jens Hansen’s birthday

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 23:49:00 +0000

One of Jens Hansen’s earliest designs has been officially added to the 40^th Anniversary Collection, to commemorate the July birthday anniversary of the late jeweller.

The 40^th Anniversary Collection was released in 2008 to mark the Nelson jeweller's 40 years of Scandinavian-inspired design. The latest addition to the Collection is a pair of classic silver cufflinks, inspired by the simple geometric form that is also evident in other designs from the same Collection, such as the sterling silver wave bracelet.

As with all the Collection’s pieces, the cufflinks will be made-to-order for customers, using Jens’ original jewellery-making techniques. The cufflinks will also come with a replica of the original workshop production card, and will bear a special edition hallmark, authenticating them as a 40th anniversary collectable.

Halfdan Hansen, Jens’ son and manager of the Nelson Jens Hansen workshop, says the cufflinks are one of Jens’ earliest known designs and were popular in the 1960’s and 1970’s.

“Jens came up with the initial design concepts for these cufflinks while he was living in Auckland, just before he moved to Nelson in the ‘60’s,” says Hansen. “At that time cufflinks were a must have item for most men, and these ones in particular were revered for their shape and form.”

“Recreating the cufflinks and introducing them to the 40^th Anniversary Collection is very exciting for us, because they are an authentic design which embodies Jens’ affinity for pure, sculptural forms.”

The classic cufflinks retail for $749. The entire 40^th Anniversary Collection is available for viewing at the Jens Hansen Selwyn Place workshop, or at www.jenshansen.com

Like us on Facebook and win amazing prizes!

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 02:43:00 +0000

Last month we ran another fantastic competition on our Facebook page, where we gave away a gorgeous bridal gift set to one of our followers.

If you are yet to do so, please like us on Facebook to ensure your entry in our future competitions, and encourage your friends to do the same.

Congratulations to Caitlin Brown from Nelson who won a gorgeous pure silver leaf pendant and matching earrings. Caitlin was married last weekend, so it was perfect timing to have received her prize just before the special day.

To see more bridal party gift ideas, like the beautiful gift set Caitlin won, check out the photos on our Facebook page or go to our website.

Caitlin Brown the winner of our June competition, looking gorgeous in her new silver leaf jewellery, pictured with Halfdan Hansen

Gorgeous diamond drop earrings

Silver button ring set with coloured gemstone

Herald Sun Article

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:06:00 +0000

Recently the Herald Sun in Melbourne published a story about Nelson, featuring Jens Hansen, on the cover of its weekly travel section - check it out!

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/ring-quest-nelson-charming/story-fn6bn9st-1226072559095

Jens Hansen presents the Sight & Story Exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Tue, 10 May 2011 04:15:00 +0000

If you are in Nelson throughout the month of May, make sure you visit the Refinery ArtSpace and check out Sight & Story - a photographic exhibition celebrating 20 years of photojournalist Maggie Gould's work capturing some of the world's famous faces and iconic places.

To celebrate NZ Music Month in May, Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith has helped bring jazz musician and photojournalist Maggie Gould's Sight & Story exhibition to Nelson.

The exhibition is a celebration of photographic art, representing 20 years of Maggie's work around the globe photographing some of the world's famous faces and iconic places. It showcases images including Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney and Eric Clapton.

The exhibition is free of charge.

Gallery hours are 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday, and Saturday 10am to 2pm.

For more information go to www.itson.co.nz

Congratulations to the winner of our diamond earrings competition

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Sun, 08 May 2011 23:56:00 +0000

Thank you to everyone who entered our competition in April.

We received a record number of entrants and enjoyed reading your inspirational comments on our Facebook page - thanks for your fantastic feedback!

A beautiful pair of diamond and gold stud earrings is going out to the lucky winner, who will be giving them to a very special someone as an anniversary present - what a lovely surprise that will be!

We'll reveal exactly who the winner is soon, but for now all we can say is that its someone in Europe...

We're planning more exciting competitions in the very near future, so stay tuned for further details.

In the meantime if you wish to view more Jens Hansen jewellery such as the pieces featured below please feel free to visit our Nelson workshop or browse our online shop.

Sterling silver heavy bracelet

Yellow gold hook earrings set with blue paua

Sterling silver ring set with mother of pearl

Win a pair of diamond earrings!

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 08:47:00 +0000

Win a pair of diamond earrings!

Recently we announced a competition to give away a pair of beautiful diamond earrings to one of our lucky Facebook followers.

Facebook has ruled that we change the competition slightly, so to ensure you are still in the draw we need you to complete one more step.

In addition to 'liking' us you also need to submit your details to us via the link which is now posted on our Facebook page.

Once your details have been entered you will receive an email from us confirming your entry.

The competition runs until the end of April, so you have until then to make sure you are entered, and to share the news with your friends.

If you would like to find out more information about diamonds please read the FAQs on our website.

Aquamarine - the soothing gemstone

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 02:21:00 +0000

Born in March? Or have a wedding anniversary coming up?

Aquamarine is the March birthstone, and is most well known for its soothing properties, traditionally being worn to help encourage a long and happy marriage.

Ancient legend also refers to aquamarine as being the treasure of mermaids, and sailors claimed that it helped to keep them safe while at sea.

Aquamarine belongs to the beryl family of gemstones and is closely related to emerald. Iron gives the stone its beautiful colour, which ranges from the palest hint of blue to a strong sky blue.

Aquamarine is also a hard stone so its a great choice if you're looking for an everyday piece.

Jens Hansen silver condiment dish auctioned for charity

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Sun, 13 Mar 2011 06:05:00 +0000

A pure silver condiment dish made by Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith was one of the items auctioned at The Suter Art Gallery's annual dinner and charity auction, to raise money for the Nelson gallery and victims of the Christchurch earthquake.

The silver dish was hand made at our Jens Hansen workshop in Nelson from a pure silver ingot using a hammer and anvil.

The dish sold for $800 at the annual degustation dinner, and overall the night was a huge success, raising $23,000 for the Suter Art Gallery and nearly $7,000 for the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal.

Classic clinker launch takes top award

noreply@blogger.com (Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith) — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:13:00 +0000

Classic clinker launch takes top award

The Nelson Mail, March 7, 2011
By TRACY NEAL

EFFORTS REWARDED: Doug Johnson won the Jens Hansen Award for the best vessel overall at the New Zealand Antique and Classic Boat Show at Lake Rotoiti with his boat Else.

Photo - COLIN SMITH

Neither earthquakes nor stormy weather could deter Christchurch motorhome builder Doug Johnson from making the trip north for a spot of boating on Lake Rotoiti in his classic boat Else.

The effort was worth it, because Mr Johnson is now the proud holder of the Jens Hansen Award, given to the top boat at the weekend's New Zealand Antique and Classic Boat Show.

Else is a Norwegian double-ender that was brought to New Zealand in 1927 by Mr Johnson's uncle on a whaling ship. It has been in his family for more than 50 years.

"I was very surprised I won, especially when I saw the competition," said Mr Johnson, a fifth-generation Stewart Islander who moved to Christchurch three years ago.

He acquired Else from another family member several years ago and restored it at his Hornby home, which he said was not badly affected by the earthquake.

Else is made of Norwegian pine with copper fastenings and was used mainly as a transport vessel supporting the Stewart Island whaling industry. The revamp included a new cabin Mr Johnson built out of Fijian kauri.

"Boats to me are like a living thing, and so much work goes into them," Mr Johnson said of his addiction to Else.

Judges Mick Fone and John Harris said picking the worthiest boat was very difficult.

"Else had a good story, and the album that Doug made of the restoration showed the effort that had gone into a very thorough job," Mr Fone said.

John and Rosie Herd's V6 runabout Typhoon, modelled on a mid-1950s design, was the only Nelson boat to win an award at this year's show, which was dominated by Christchurch, Wellington and Marlborough boats.

Typhoon was Mr Herd's first attempt at building a powerboat from plans he bought from the United States. The Wakefield explosives and dangerous goods inspector is better known at the classic boat show for his wooden canoes and kayaks. He said building the mahogany planked vessel with its hand-brushed hull was a good outlet for satisfying his love of woodwork.

"I've been to this show a few times and thought I'd really like one of those boats, and knew that the only way I was going to get one was to build one," Mr Herd said.

Typhoon was launched just before Christmas and has already been used for several family trips on Lake Rotoiti.

Classic boat show organiser Pete Rainey said numbers were down this year, which was to be expected given the circumstances. The show was a popular event among Cantabrians, and while there were fewer numbers from the region this year, he was thrilled that several still made the effort to come.

Results:

Best new boat: Typhoon, mid-1950s runabout design by Glen L Marine, USA. Built by John Herd, of Wakefield.

Best classic row boat: Swiftsure I, 9.74m replica Jackson Family whaleboat, built by Ron Perano, Blenheim.

Best jet boat: CWF Hamilton award, original, unrestored Hamilton Jet 30, built in 1958 by Darby Martin to a design by George Davison. Owned by Kim Chapman-Taylor, Christchurch.

Best non-powered craft: Johnson Family Trophy, Silver Tern, 7.2m clinker Faering sailing boat, built in 2006 to Ian Oughtred's Arctic Tern design, by Peter Sewell, Auckland.

Best powered craft: Mathieson Jeffcott Trophy, The Gull, built in 1956 and owned by Nevil and Rosemary Paterson, of Marlborough.

Best themed display: Eventiac Award, Flirt, replica Royal Mail steamship built by Lionel Jefcoate, of Havelock, and launched on Saturday morning. Owner Robert Hamlett, of Wellington, had his entire crew thematically attired in navy and white stripes.

- Nelson Mail, March 7, 2011

Weta offers official Jens Hansen “One Ring to rule them all” at Comic-Con

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 02:52:00 +0000

Weta offers “One Ring to rule them all” at Comic-Con

Have a spare US$2,455? If so, Weta will hook you up with the most authentic ONE ring ever made, from the “Lord of the Rings” trilogy. Weta will debut this ring at Comic-Con: International.
From Weta: The ONE Ring is handcrafted by the skilled team at the Jens Hansen jewellery workshop in Nelson, New Zealand (Middle-earth). Jens Hansen was famed by many as the father of modern New Zealand jewelry and was well known for pushing the boundaries of what could be done with rings. This reputation as a brilliant ringmaker was one of the main reasons he was approached to make the ONE Ring for the movies.

Today Halfdan Hansen continues his father’s legacy, working in the very same Nelson workshop, crafting the highest quality jewellery.

The ONE Ring is made to order in 18 carat gold.

It can be ordered as an exact movie replica without inscriptions, or with the elvish inscriptions on both the interior and exterior of the ring, as designed by the original Weta artists.

While this Ring is made by the Jens Hansen team it is only available direct from Weta at http://www.wetanz.com/the-one-ring

Gold Price Forces Movie Ring Price Increase

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 00:33:00 +0000

The Movie Ring is a very heavy gold ring. In the face of ever rising world gold prices we have held the price of the Ring steady for the last 18 months but it has now become unavoidable and we have had to increase the price of the Movie Ring by about 20%

Madeleine Albright Publishes Book on Brooches

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 20:14:00 +0000

Heres a really interesting web press release about Madeleine Albright who has published a book on brooch pins.

Madeleine Albright has published a new book titled Read My Pins: Stories from a Diplomat's Jewel Box (Harper Collins, $40), which tracks how the country's first female secretary of state used brooches as symbols of her message to international counterparts.

Albright told Women's Wear Daily in an interview that she got the idea to use her pins during international negotiations after being dubbed an "unparalleled serpent" in a propagandistic Iraqi government poem in 1994. Albright wanted to send a subversive message of strength when meeting Iraqi officials, including Saddam Hussein. So during their meeting, she donned a gold pin depicting a snake coiled around a branch and a small diamond hanging from its mouth. The Iraqi officials and the press corps picked up on the message, and Albright realized she was onto something.

Albright took a liking to accessorizing with brooches when she discovered they could liven up her required regulation suits. Her collection of 300 pins, which is depicted in her book, includes everything from a button from John F. Kennedy's 1960 presidential campaign to more serious jewelry pieces, such as a gold and pink tourmaline Verdura brooch and a Cartier piece with moonstones, chalcedony, aquamarines and diamonds. Some of Albright's most politically notable pins include a gold dove pin given to her by Leah Rabin, wife of slain Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin; an enameled blue bird with diamonds that she began to wear with wings downward in 1996 when Fidel Castro's air force shot down four Cuban-American pilots in international air space off the Florida coast; and her "Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil, See No Evil" trio of pins used to chide Russian President Vladimir Putin for his failure to acknowledge human rights violations committed by the Russian military in the violence-plagued region of Chechnya.

Albright says her favorite brooch is a painted clay heart that her daughter Katie made as a child. "I wear it every Valentine's Day," she told WWD. "People say, 'Where did you get that?' and Katie, who's 40, says, 'You have got to tell people I made that when I was five.'"

The exhibit "Read My Pins: The Madeline Albright Collection" will be on view through Jan. 31, 2010, at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York City. The collection will then go on tour and appear at selected venues across the country.

Top dollar for local silver

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 08:13:00 +0000

Here is an article from The New Zealand Herald about recent auction of some works by NZ silversmith Peter Woods who trained under Jens Hansen.

Don Milne saleroom: Top dollar for local silver
4:00AM Saturday Sep 05, 2009
By Don Milne
New Zealand silversmiths are generally known for their jewellery; Peter Woods is the notable exception.

Born in Eltham in 1952, and trained under the noted Danish-born, long New Zealand-resident silver guru Jens Hansen, he is one of the few New Zealanders to specialise in what experts call hollow-ware - trays, coffee and tea pots, tableware and so on.

His stylish, elegant, beautifully finished work has brought a number of commissions, including the 1990 Auckland Commonwealth Games baton (now in the Auckland War Memorial Museum collection).

His works seldom come on the auction market. So the small but notable collection offered by Cordy's last month attracted much attention and commensurately high prices.

Top of the list was a suite of table silver comprising tray, coffee pot and teapot with characteristic puriri handles, sugar and cream. The set was illustrated in Helen Schamroth's 1998 book 100 New Zealand Craft Artists; Cordy's estimate was $3500.

So there were gasps when, with spirited bidding, it climbed to $16,500 ($18,820 with premium and GST). There were more gasps when the next four Woods lots - trays and tureens - went for a total of $29,250 ($33,363), against total estimates of $6900.

Read full Herald article here

Great video of Visit to Workshop Featuring Jeweller Ben Clark

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:37:00 +0000

World Traveller is a 20min show broadcast every Saturday night on the Shanghai Documentary Channel. In Feb-Mar 2009 they visited the Nelson region of New Zealand and saw us at our studio workshop.

Someone has posted a brief clip of the show on YouTube showing the guys in the studio hard at work, with a good session with jeweller Ben Clark as he makes a Movie Ring.

Jens Winter-Glasgow Top Nordic Jeweller 2008

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:30:00 +0000

We recently posted about Jens Hansen's nephew Jens Winter-Glasgow. Winter-Glasgow started his jewellery training at our Nelson, New Zealand workshop, completed his formal apprenticeship with world renowned Danish jewelers Georg Jensen, and graduated 2nd in the whole of Denmark in 2008.

As a result he was chosen to represent Denmark at the Nordic Jewllery Award championships in August 2008. At the Championships two representatives each from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark competed to make a set piece. Jens' workmanship was judged best and he won the competition and took home a check for 50,000 Danish Kroner.

Jens Hansen's Nephew & Namesake Meets Queen of Denmark

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 02:30:00 +0000

We are very proud to report on the recent progress of Nelson born jeweller Jens Winter-Glasgow. Named after his uncle Jens Hansen, Winter-Glasgow started his jewellery career in our workshop. After a few years he left Nelson to retrace his heritage in the ancestral homeland of Denmark. There he was fortunate enough to win a place as an apprentice with the world famous jewelry firm of Georg Jensen at their artisans workshop in the town of Kolding.

Runner Up Goldsmith Apprentice of The Year Denmark 2008

On 14th May 2008 Jens Winter-Glasgow graduated at a ceremony at the Town hall in Copenhagen.

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It was attended by HM the Queen of Denmark, HRH the prince consort and the Major of Copenhagen, as well as a large number of guests.

The ceremony is held once every year for all newly finished tradesmen who achieved good grades.
People who achieve 12(the highest grade achievable) get a silver medal, gold medals don't exist, and people who achieve 10(the second highest grade) get bronze.

Shaking Hands With The Queen of Denmark

The Medal

The tradesmen graduating in 2008 were from 24 different trades, everything from hairdressers to bookbinders. Of the 133 people that received medals, only 4 where goldsmiths. The goldsmiths all received bronze medals, no jeweller has actually received silver medal yet by the way.

The medal says "When seriousness and truth combine/join with diligence the goal is reached"

The english translation of the papers that accompanied the medal said:
"The Copenhagen Association of artisans notifies that the journeyman, Jens Erling Winter-Glasgow, has obtained the certificate of apprenticeship of his trade.
The judging committee of the branch has found his work exceedingly well affected. Upon the proposition of the committee, which has been recommended by the competent organisation of masters in Copenhagen, the association of artisans, wishing to reward the young journeyman's diligence and skill, to acknowledge his good behaviour during his apprenticeship and to encourage him to continual progress, has granted him its bronze medal.

Channel AsiaNews visits Jens Hansen store

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 02:18:00 +0000

In November last year host Timothy Go and the Channel NewsAsia travel team visited Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith to see the home of The World's Most Famous Ring.

Someone has posted a brief clip of the show on YouTube showing the guys in the studio hard at work.

An artist's life among the elements

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:02:00 +0000

Here's a great article about Thorkild just published in our local newspaper here in Nelson. Original Post

By MIC DOVER - The Nelson Mail Last updated 12:36 18/07/2009

Thorkild Hansen was born in Nelson in 1969 into the artistic environment of his father Jens Hansen, a renowned silversmith most famous as the man who forged "The One Ring" for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.

Even as a boy, Thorkild took to the world of silversmithing with enthusiasm. "I can remember playing in the workshop at the age of 10," he says. "By the time I left school at 16, I already had the basic skills of jewellery-making."

Not that he was planning on settling into the trade just yet.

In 1987, after a two-year spell in the family business workshop, he followed another of the Hansen genetic strands this time the hospitality and culinary interests of his mother, Gurli Hansen.

Thorkild found himself working as a kitchen hand to Brian Samuels at The Figpeckers restaurant in Nelson, gradually learning to translate his foodie upbringing into usable cooking skills in a commercial kitchen.

After a period of travelling around New Zealand, doing farm work, in his early 20s he turned back to metalwork and became a student of Peter Woods, himself a former apprentice of Jens Hansen.

The work mainly involved domesticware such as cutlery but Thorkild also found himself creating ecclesiastical items, including some large forms involving blacksmithing.

By 1991, he was back at his father's workshop, updating his skills and doing some goldsmithing for the first time. He was now living in Cable Bay and inevitably bumped into woodworker David Haig whose studio overlooks the bay.

"David told me to search out the books of master woodworker James Krenov, which I did. I ended up making a cupboard which I gave to my father for his 51st birthday."

This brush with the world of wood was to have a major effect on Thorkild's life 15 years later, but in the meantime his OE beckoned, taking him abroad for two years. Returning to New Zealand in 1993, he settled on the West Coast, setting up a silversmith's studio in tiny Ngakawau, north of Granity.

Work was plentiful, with his father outsourcing work to him because of the demand for Jens Hansen's services. Then came news of the death of a figure who had played a large part in Thorkild's life, Teddy Homes the partner of his mother after his parents had divorced in 1980, and a jewellery technician at Nelson's Polytechnic.

Thorkild split his time between the Jensen workshop and taking on Teddy's part-time job a move that led once again to crossed paths with woodworkers, with both David Haig and John Shaw teaching woodworking at the college at this time.

"I was exposed to a woodworking studio again and I loved the atmosphere."

In 1997, Thorkild left the polytechnic as he entered yet another period of major change in his life. He took on the management of the Jens Hansen business, much to the delight of his father, who was freed up for the first time in years to work on his own projects.

Thorkild's new managerial responsibility coincided with the exciting period of the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings commission and the workshop found itself on the global map of jewellery-making. "Then right in the middle of it all, my dad died. He never even got to see the movie." Jens died in August 1999, from inoperable pancreatic cancer.

Despite Jens' death, the Hansen workshop in Nelson's Trafalgar Square continued (it is now managed by Thorkild's brother, Halfdan). Thorkild also continued with his silversmithing, including the new trophy for the Super 14 rugby tournament, unveiled in 2006, but then came the earth-shattering news that a mystery illness of the previous six months was diagnosed as cancer.

"I was 37 then," says Thorkild, "and they gave me six to 18 months, max, to live. That was 3 1/2 years ago." The cancer took the form of a tumour in his pelvis and was eventually diagnosed as mesothelioma cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

"We used to use asbestos-based shields in the workshop, it could've been those," he says. "But more likely it was the day I removed the smelting hearth in the workshop that had a lot of asbestos in its construction. My dad had heard about the dangers of exposure to it so I waded in like a typical bulletproof teenager, no mask or anything and got rid of it all. I probably inhaled the particles then they have a 25-year gestation period before they become cancerous."

His cancer is not straightforward but seems to be in remission. "I had seven months of chemotherapy what was it like? Just don't go there! It was an experience that made me question the value of everything. I had a new job to stay alive. You wake up feeling like death warmed up and you have to force yourself to get up, get on with it I feel I have a responsibility to stay alive."

He is having a break from the chemotherapy to see what happens.

"Basically there's a three monthly check-up and we all get a bit jittery as that appointment approaches. But I feel really free to do my own stuff now. Halfdan has taken on the business and I'm freed up to leave the world of metal and go back to woodworking again. On top of that, I'm eating well, not getting stressed and I feel healthier."

Thorkild created a woodworking studio at home and went back to where he left off after making that cupboard for his father all those years ago.

Then his wife, Miriam, heard about John Shaw and David Haig's new venture out at Wakapuaka the Centre for Fine Woodworking, set up as a charitable educational trust with the principal aim of offering high-quality tuition in fine woodworking. She suggested Thorkild sign up for a course, which he did, in 2007.

"I did the beginner's course then the dovetailing course," he says. "I loved the atmosphere so much I did a third course in the same year. The school prides itself on its small class sizes I don't think you can put a price on that low student to instructor ratio. And they also welcome absolute beginners as well as more experienced woodworkers."

The school's curriculum is based on three single terms or modules where attendance at any one gives a thorough grounding in a major area of fine woodworking. It runs weekend and short courses covering various topics such as routers, planemaking, even dinghy building. So Thorkild has successfully moved from silver to wood. But how does working with timber compare with silver?

"The hand skills are similar the marking and measuring and the toolmanship. Being an artist as well has meant I've built a good relationship with John Shaw. But wood is a new challenge the material is so much more unforgiving than silver there are no second chances with wood. Silver you can melt down and start again, but timber can easily become firewood. So I've learned to be more respectful of the material and also of the woodworkers the lack of credit that cabinetmakers get compared with jewellery artists is amazing.

"With woodworking, you have to accept it takes a certain amount of time, enjoy the process, the gratification is far more in the process than the finished article, I think.

"I've learned so much from John Shaw in such a short space of time. He has calmness, a sense of humility and seems to get his gratification from helping us learn. It's not the pay cheque or the public approval that motivates him he's a lot like my father."

Where to from here?

"In 2008 I was working in my home woodworking studio but not with the same momentum that CFW provided. Miriam noticed this and suggested I do another course she was right. I found myself making another cupboard and this time exhibiting it to wide approval in the CFW end of year show at the Refinery last December."

After that, Thorkild decided he could not bear to leave CFW's fun, creative environment, so he approached the trust that runs the school and offered to be their unpaid "artist-in-residence". They readily accepted the offer. (He is now an unpaid "associate tutor".)

"Students come to me for help and I also can find myself mediating between the students and John. I can honestly say that CFW, as well as Miriam, has been the saviour of my emotional wellbeing. It's not about woodworking really; it's about the process and the shared learning experiences with like-minded, motivated, friendly people. Whatever your problems in life, this kind of experience has got to make things better for you."

SILVER AND WOOD

The Centre for Fine Woodworking is based at Wakapuaka, near Nelson.

See cfw.co.nz.Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmiths has been operating at Trafalgar Square in Nelson since 1968.

Key Jens Hansen works are included in the permanent collection at the national museum, Te Papa, in Wellington.

Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos.

Malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, a protective lining that covers most of the body's internal organs.

Despite treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy or sometimes surgery, the disease carries a poor prognosis. Research into screening tests for the early detection of mesothelioma is ongoing.

Jens Hansen Jewellery Comes to Auckland

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:20:00 +0000

Halfdan Hansen

Thu, 16 Jul 2009 1:14p.m.

In the 1950s Jens Hansen brought a style of jewellery design from his native Denmark to Auckland and wowed the fashionistas.

He later moved to Nelson and most recently found new fame when he was commissioned to make the rings for the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Since his death in 1999 his sons have been running the business and for the first time in 40 years Halfdan has bought Jens Hansen jewellery back to the city where it all began.

Halfdan Hansen showed New Zealand Television TV3 Sunrise show some fine examples of his father's designs.

Watch Video

Jens Hansen 40th Anniversary Collection Released

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 17:59:00 +0000

TV3 Nightline News

Four decades ago Danish gold and silversmith Jens Hansen set up a Nelson workshop.

Now nine years after his death his sons are continuing the legacy.

"I'd like to think he'd be proud that we're keeping it going," says Halfdan Hansen. "We've got apprentices working for us now so we're keeping it alive for the future."

To celebrate the 40th anniversary a collection of designs - which have not been made or sold since Jens Hansen originally designed them - has been re-launched.

Watch video or read rest of news story here TV3 Nightline News Story

JENS HANSEN TO SPONSOR EXCELLENCE AWARD FOR NMIT ARTS STUDENT

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 23:04:00 +0000

The Motueka-Golden Bay News November 13, 2008

Renowned local jewellers Jens Hansen Gold
& Silversmith will sponsor an 'Award of
Excellence' for the top NMIT arts student
this year. The award winner for 2008 will
be announced at the opening of the NMIT
student art exhibition at the Suter Art Gallery
on November 14.

For the past 40 years Jens Hansen has been
synonymous with Nelson's creative industry
and NMIT. Creatively Jens was regarded as a
genius. He was an acclaimed painter, sculptor,
and gold and silversmith, bringing. a unique
style of artistry to Nelson's creative core.

Over the past four decades, Jens Hansen has
become recognised the world over for classically
designed jewellery with true spirit and timeless
style, with works celebrated in the Museum of
New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa's permanent
collection and in literature showcasing New
Zealand art and design. As with all that is
excellent, his designs continue to endure over
the years and defy fashion, as seen in the
recently released 40th Anniversary Collection
of legacy jewellery pieces.

Jens Hansen was eternally passionate about
his craft and was keen to ensure its survival,
both as a hobby for some and as a commercial
reality for others. He ran summer art and
metal work classes at NMIT for many years in
the 1970s and 1980s, and with fellow jeweller
Gavin Hitchings helped to establish NMIT's
jewellery classes which remain popular today.

NMIT head of school for arts and media Suzie
Peacock said the institute was honoured that
Jens Hansen was sponsoring the excellence
award.

"We've had along association with the Hansen
family and Jens Hansen is seen as an icon of
quality design in Nelson. It's a brand that
stands for good design, beautiful handcrafting
and the Nelson region. We are very proud to
have their company sponsoring this award."

Nelson's world of sustainable arts

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 02:28:00 +0000

Here's an excerpt and photo of a nice article about Nelson which featured in today's Dominion Post newspaper. Please click the link to read the full story.

Nelson's world of sustainable arts

The once-wacky art scene in the sun-drenched South Island town of Nelson is not only alive and well, it's getting stronger

ELLEN BROOK - The Dominion Post | Tuesday, 11 November 2008

ROBERT KITCHIN/The Dominion Post

HOME AND AWAY: Nelson artist Anna Leary and Phillip Thomas in a Wellington Airport artists' studio, built to show off Nelson Arts. The Ring in the foreground is a full size replica of the big Jens Hansen One Ring used in the Lord of the Ring's movies.

Nelson has its fingers in a lot of pies. It wants to be the sustainable city, the solar city, the heritage city and the arts city, says the mayor.

The area is becoming known for its woodworking, as well as ceramics and jewellery, including the studio of Jens Hansen jewellers, which helped put Nelson on the map as the place where a certain gold ring that featured in a certain movie was made.

Yes, I know you thought it was forged in the mines of Mordor, but it was actually in a little workshop just by the cathedral.

.....

please click link to read the full story

Original Treasures Revisited

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:29:00 +0000

Our local Nelson paper did a great article today on the launch of the 40th Anniversary Collection.

Please check it out at http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelsonmail/4750994a19257.html

Photo with a poster of Jens in the background shows Halfdan with one of the rings from the collection, and its original workshop production card.

The Sitting Room Sells Out

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 09:34:00 +0000

Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith was very proud to be co-sponsor of 'The Sitting Room' at the Nelson Arts Festival for the 3rd year running.

The show was a sellout and more than 450 people had a fantastic time dancing to the eclectic musical picks of award winner music journalist Grant Smithies.

Check out these Two Different Reviews From The Nelson mail
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelsonmail/4746807a27875.html
http://www.stuff.co.nz/nelsonmail/blogs/artofnelson/2008/10/26/just-the-music/

See photos from the night at our sponsorship partner's blog
http://netmaestro.co.nz/blog/mid/103/full/blog/28/the-sitting-room--sellout.aspx

The Sitting Room

With Grant Smithies

Sunday Star Times music writer Grant Smithies has been collecting rare and unusual dance records from around the world for over 20 years, and he selects the absolute pearlers, just for you. Don’t come along expecting to hear familiar office party anthems or just one musical style. The Sitting Room is diverse and surprising - samba and bossa nova classics from Brazil, hi-life music from Nigeria, Puerto Rican boogaloo, dancehall reggae from Jamaica, calypso from Trinidad, plus a scorching selection of soul, funk, disco and house music. The Sitting Room has sold out for the last two years, so get your tickets early.

Venue:	Granary Festival Cafe, Founders Heritage Park, 87 Atawhai Drive
Dates:	Sat 25 Oct 9pm

Jens Hansen 40th Anniversary Collection Released

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:00:00 +0000

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Jens Hansen 40th Anniversary Collection Released

The Jens Hansen 40th Anniversary Collection is being released today, to mark the Nelson jeweller's 40 years of Scandinavian-inspired design.

The anniversary collection is made up of classic experimental Jens pieces with the constant undercurrent of Danish architectural simplicity. They are outstanding designs that have both endured the decades, and defy fashion.

Each collection piece will be made-to-order using Jens' original goldsmithing techniques. Each piece will also come with a replica of its original workshop production card, and will bear a special edition hallmark, authenticating it as a 40th anniversary collectable.

The exclusive collection is available for viewing at our Selwyn Place workshop in Nelson, or on our website. 40th Anniversary Collection

Anniversary Background

Jens Hansen, his wife Gurli and son Halfdan moved from Auckland to Nelson in August 1968 and opened their first workshop in November the same year. Son Thorkild was born the following year.

Word of Jens' unique style soon spread. He was gregarious and outspoken and people loved his edgy, experimental work. As his works' popularity increased, both locally and nationally, the workshop was moved to Hardy St, where Jens started to take on apprentices in the traditional goldsmith manner. The jewellers had moved to the current Selwyn Place/Trafalgar Square workshop in Nelson by 1971.

Over the past four decades, Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith has become recognised the world over for classically designed jewellery with true spirit and timeless style, with works celebrated in the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa's permanent collection and in literature showcasing New Zealand art and design.

Jens' legacy includes his reputation as one of the founders of New Zealand contemporary jewelley design and his celebrity as the designer of the Lord of the Rings One Ring. He received a Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council travel grant to work at the Goldsmiths High School, Copenhagen in 1975, was the founding member of Details - the Jewellers, Bone and Stone Carvers of New Zealand, and helped establish Nelson Polytechnic jewellery classes. He passed away in 1999 leaving Thorkild Hansen as the Chief Jeweller.

Today, under the management of Jens' son Halfdan Hansen, Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith continues to offer a beautiful range of diamonds and gems set in contemporary and classic gold, silver and platinum rings, necklaces, brooches, cufflinks, earrings and bracelets.

Klustre 2008

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 01:18:00 +0000

Juliette Fox, designer for Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith, is one of 15 contemporary jewellers showing at this year's Klustre exhibition.

Showcasing new work from the Nelson region's contemporary jewellers, the exhibition runs from October 22nd to November 18th 2008 at the Reflections Art Gallery at the World of WearableArt & Classic Cars in Nelson.

It's Leap Day - will you marry me?

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 23:11:00 +0000

We were recently honored to help a local woman to take advantage of the fact it is Leap Day to propose to the man of her dreams.

Would he say yes or would he run for the hills?

New Zealand's Television 3 Campbell Live show was there to witness the romance and drama of leap day.

A woman has to look her best on the day she is going to seize the day and ask the man of her dreams to marry her.

So she is decided to propose to Dean on national television - which is very love struck and very bold.

Hannah was organised, and asked Jens Hansen to make a fitting wedding band to propose with.

Hannah's been with Dean for eight years, but he has been too slow to propose.

So she is reaching back to Irish folklore which says a woman can propose on a Leap Day February 29.

It is living breathing romantic proof that every so often a woman needs to take a leap of faith.

Clayton & Christine's engagement trip to Jens Hansen in Nelson

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 22:39:00 +0000

Clayton and Christine who got engaged in our store a few weeks back have posted a youtube video capturing some of this emotional event. Enjoy.

Dark Lord's Ring #89 Auctioned for Charity

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 21:52:00 +0000

Last month I had the pleasure of attending a charity fund raising dinner for Nelson's Suter Art Gallery. The banquet was hosted on September 22, 2007 by his excellency, Anand Satyanand, Governor General of New Zealand at his official residence, Government House, in the capital Wellington.

Artists from the Nelson region donated works and we were please to offer #89 in the Limited Edition of 100 Dark Lord Ring replicas. Originally made as Sauron's ring in the movie the ring measures almost 2 inches in diameter, and is made of close to 3 oz. of solid 925 Sterling Silver and is richly plated in 18ct Yellow Gold. Individually stamped with our Jens Hansen hallmarks and edition number #89, the Ring had its own Matching Numbered Certificate of Authenticity, and the numbered rimu presentation box was autographed by Academy Award winning Art Director Dan Hennah

The auction went very well and Ring #89 sold for $1700-. Overall the auction raised around $50,000 for the Suter Gallery.

PS: The set menu prepared by the Governor General's personal chef was delicious - see below..

Nelson trip leads down the aisle

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 08:53:00 +0000

Article from Nelson Mail newspaper, Nelson, October 15th, 2007

Christine Speed thought a trip to Nelson would be just another weekend away - until her boyfriend led her over a carpet of rose petals and into a jeweller's shop.

Clayton Edge's surprise proposal to his girlfriend of four years was as carefully orchestrated as her response was spontaneous.

He said he wanted to show Miss Speed that he would go to the ends of the earth for her, and had picked Nelson as the spot where he would ask her to marry him.

Mr Edge arranged for a florist to fill the Jens Hansen jewellery shop with roses, and liaised with staff to close the shop to other shoppers so the proposal could be private.

Before he had a chance to drop down on one knee, Miss Speed gave him the smile and the hug which signalled the answer he had nervously been hoping for.

"I had been walking around town for half an hour with butterflies in my stomach," he said.

Miss Speed said the couple, from Christchurch, were looking for somewhere to get a coffee, and she could not understand why her boyfriend seemed to be leading her away from town.

She had no idea the proposal was coming, although she said Mr Edge was good at romantic surprises. On Valentine's Day, he arranged for a barbershop quartet to surprise her at work.

The couple discussed designs for a ring with Jens Hansen staff, and returned home Sunday.

images/nelson_mail_oct_15_07_333588.jpg

BlogRush - the New way of telling people about your Blog

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 17 Sep 2007 20:28:00 +0000

BlogRush is a free service that was created to help bloggers solve their #1 need:
More Readers For Their Blog.

By adding the BlogRush Widget to a blog, a blogger can get instant distribution for their latest blog post titles across a network of related blogs.

BlogRush users earn "syndication credits" (the right to have their blog post titles shown inside a widget on another related blog) based on their own traffic (loads of the widget) as well as the traffic of other users they refer to BlogRush. Users can automatically refer others to BlogRush via special links on the widget, as well as through the promotion of a special referral URL they are given.

BlogRush is a "Cooperative Syndication Network" that rewards its users for their contributions to the network -- from the impressions they provide of the BlogRush Widget to the referral of other users through 10 'generations' of activity and the impressions of the widget that they provide. BlogRush was designed to be incredibly viral and to provide its users with tremendous distribution leverage to receive exposure for their blog content (onto related content blogs) that they could never achieve on their own; at least without a massive advertising budget.

BlogRush is the brainchild of Internet entrepreneur, John Reese. Mr. Reese is the founder and CEO of Income.com, a soon to be launched social network and media company for entrepreneurs. BlogRush is the first Web property of the Income.com Network, a network of sites and services to help entrepreneurs and business owners succeed. Income.com is based in Orlando, Florida.

Click here to make your own free BlogRush account

Ring Masters Special Gift to Pippa's Baby

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:32:00 +0000

Birthday bash: Thu Aug 16 - Nelson
Breakfast came to you on Thursday from the Nelson Yacht Club - the oldest yacht club in the country, celebrating its 150th birthday this year.

Presenter Pippa interviewed Halfdan Hansen of Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith - Creators of the World's Most Famous Ring - the One Ring for the Lord of the Rings movies. Pippa recently had a baby and Halfdan had a surprise gift for them.

Nice shot of the Ring and a Ring Bearer

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 23:49:00 +0000

We were fortunate to have a visit from professional photographer Ralph Talmont recently. Here's a snap he took of Halfdan holding the master prototype One Ring and a 6" scale prop replica.

image copyright Ralph Talmont

Air New Zealand Cup 2007 Season Begins

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 23:27:00 +0000

The Air New Zealand Cup 2007 Season has just begun. Jens Hansen is proud to have created the Sterling Silver trophy for the competition.

Steven Bates poses with the Air New Zealand Cup after Waikato beat Wellington 37-31 Photo:NZPA/Wayne Drought

Brides dazzle at second big day

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 03:42:00 +0000

BEST BRIDES: Second placed Simone Jarmai-Gill, left, winner Kelly Win, third placed Katie Harrhy, and fourth placed Zoe Allen after Saturday evening's event in the Rutherford Hotel.

Photo & Story copyright Nelson Mail, July 16th, 2007

Three months after her big day, new Nelson bride Kelly Win slipped on her
wedding dress again - but this time for charity.

On Saturday Mrs Win beat 17 other Nelson-region brides to became First National
Real Estate Bride of the Year at a Nelson Hospice fundraising event in Nelson's
Rutherford Hotel.

"I was quite surprised," she said, after having her name read out as winner following the day-long event.

She said she hadn't been overly nervous on her wedding day but there had
been a few nerves getting up on stage.

Organiser Heather Harley said Mrs Win won a prize package valued at about
$1000, which was made up by retailers around Nelson.

It was too early to say how much money was raised through ticket sales but
about 200 people crowded the event.

Most of the audience were family members of the brides and there were a surprising
number of men present, she said.

This was the second year she had run the show but she was undecided if it
would be an annual event.

Second place went to Richmond's Simone Jarmai-Gill, Nelson's Katie Harrhy
was third, and Nelson's Zoe Allen was fourth. They all won prize packs.

Halfdan interviewed on SBS Australia Danish Radio

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 02 May 2007 00:01:00 +0000

We were recently visited by the Danish language correspondent for Australian SBS Radio. Here is the link to the interview she recorded with us.

arts & culture

HALFDAN HANSEN from New Zealand: 28.4.2007

In the town of Nelson on the south island of New Zealand, Vibeke Sybrandt found Halfdan Hansen, son of the goldsmith Jens Hansen, who made the famous ring for the film LORD OF THE RINGS

Play MP3 | Play Real

How much does a One Ring weigh?

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 13 Mar 2007 02:23:00 +0000

Short video I shot in our workshop - shows two Newline Cinema authorized movie merchandise One Rings (one from South Africa and one from Australia) compared to the original Jens Hansen Movie Ring. As they say a picture paints a 1000 words!

Blogged by a Happy Customer

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 02 Mar 2007 01:41:00 +0000

Just received a note to check out a great blog by a delighted Movie Ring customer who recently added a custom version of our 'ring for Viggo' to their growing Jens Hansen collection

Click here to read the full posting

Want to see where we are in the world?

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 01:27:00 +0000

Click here to view Jens Hansen workshop on Google Maps

or

Click here to view Jens Hansen workshop on Google Earth

Birthplace of the Movie Ring for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy

For over thirty years at 320 Trafalgar Square, Nelson, NEW ZEALAND
www.jenshansen.com

The Ring We Might Have Made for Cate

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 21:48:00 +0000

It is a statement of record that for the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movie trilogy we made we made the One Ring in all its appearances and Vilya, ring of Elrond.

However, it is also true that we did not make any of the other rings and jewelery in the movie. For copyright reasons therefore we have no right to sell a replica of Nenya, the Ring of Water, worn by Galadriel, the Queen of the Elves. The role of Galadriel was played in the movie trilogy by actress Cate Blanchett.

I am pleased to announce that we have just finished working on a custom order for a client based on the description of the ring worn by Cate's character as given in the Lord of the Rings books.

Created in 14ct white gold and with a 1 1/4 carat cubic zirconium our client was delighted and had this to say:

"I just got the ring today and was completely blown away! It is exactly what I was looking for and it fits like a glove ^^ You did a fantastic job and I really appreciate it!

Thanks again and I will be sure to advertise my beautiful ring as the work of top notch jewelers ^_^ cheers!"

If you are interested in more information about "Cate's" ring or would like to commission your own then please email me now at cate@jenshansen.com

Handcrafted silver baby's rattle based on famous mathematical theory

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 03:42:00 +0000

Triumphing where many could not, Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith has handcrafted the famous Klein bottle mathematical theory into a silver baby rattle.

Since 1968, Jens Hansen has impressed its New Zealand and international customers with its leading edge Scandinavian designs. The bespoke jewellers are famed for creating the One Ring for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy, and for handcrafting the Super 14 trophy and Air New Zealand Cup this year.

Wellington couple Lolo and Stephen Pike searched the world for someone to make a silver Klein bottle baby rattle for renowned US physicist Brian Greene's newborn son, as Stephen Pike explains.

"Brian Greene did a very kind and noble thing by speaking and participating in our interdisciplinary conference in 1999 in North Carolina" says Pike, "He was warm and wonderful and we gave all the speakers a glass Klein bottle as a gift.

"We kept in close contact after we met, while Brian's fame as a string theorist grew significantly each year," he says. "I am not a physicist and I am not sure that even if I were I could understand the complex mathematical models Brian is playing with.

"We have a great deal of respect for Brian, as much for his kindness as for his brilliance, and we wanted to do something nice for him. So, when we heard of his son's birth, we thought a silver Klein bottle baby rattle would be a perfect gift, and should be no problem to construct," he explains. "We were very naive and have learned much since."

Stephen Pike explains the long and convoluted journey to Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith in Nelson, who made the complicated baby's rattle.

"Our search for someone to make the rattle started with the gentleman who made glass Klein bottles in Berkeley California, but he said a silver version was beyond his skills and he could not recommend anyone who could do the work," says Pike.

"Our search then took us to Ireland and some Celtic style silver workers who thought it over but then sent us on to someone in Scotland who didn't have any idea how to proceed.

"An artist friend in Massachusetts referred us to two people, one who does complex three dimensional mathematical models and prints them on a three dimensional printer but he couldn't work it out in silver, and a silver worker who declined to take on the project," he continues.

"Then we tried some silver workers in Virginia and North Carolina who declined after thinking it through, as did a woman in Seattle and a woman in Colorado, all of whom concluded it was beyond their skills.

"Some months later, having almost given up, we were in Nelson at Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith, famous for the Lord of the Rings One Ring, and we spoke with Halfdan Hansen.

Hansen said that like the other silversmiths he wasn't optimistic that Jens Hansen could complete the project - at first.

"It was certainly one of the most unusual projects we'd been asked to do, but we thought it a fantastic opportunity," says Hansen. "I was touched by the story and believed the challenge of translating the Klein bottle into silver was important to solve for Lolo and Stephen, who had made incredible efforts to find someone to make this special gift."

To make the rattle, the Jens Hansen silversmiths started by using the latest technology to create a 3D computer model of the shape. Typically a wax model maker would be used to 'print' an object in 3D and then the ancient LostWax casting process would be used to make it in silver. However, because the Klein bottle is strictly speaking a 4D object that doubles back on itself, it could not be printed in one piece, so it had to be broken into three separate sections - the bottle body, the curved neck and the neck extension that doubles back inside the bottle body. Each individual piece was then wax printed, cast in silver and joined together. After polishing it was hand engraved with the child's name and date of birth.

"We thoroughly enjoyed the involved process of making the Klein bottle rattle for the Greene family, but we knew it wouldn't be complete unless it actually rattled," says Hansen. "To make the sound, we poured small silver granules in the bottle base, and inserted a tiny perforated plate across the opening, to stop the granules falling out," Hansen says. "It worked really well. So, not only does it look lovely, it makes a sweet rattle sound."

"Brian Greene received the Klein bottle rattle at the end of November, and thinks it is exquisite.

"I am thrilled with the heroic efforts undertaken to make our son this beautiful work," says Greene. "It was incredibly thoughtful of Lolo and Stephen to attempt to translate the Klein bottle into a cherished keepsake for our son.

"I thank my good friends for searching and finding Jens Hansen," he says. "The rattle is just beautiful, and incredibly similar to the Klein bottle. We look forward to traveling to New Zealand in the not so distant future so we can thank everyone involved in person".

About Brian Greene:

Brian Greene (born February 9, 1963), is a physicist and one of the best-known string theorists.

Since 1996 he has been a professor at Columbia University. Born in New York City, Greene was a prodigy in mathematics. His skill in mathematics was such that by the time he was twelve years old, he was being privately tutored in mathematics by a Columbia University professor because he had surpassed the high-school math level. His father, Alan, was a one-time vaudeville performer and high school dropout who later worked as a voice coach and composer.

In 1980, Brian Greene entered Harvard to major in physics, and with his bachelor's degree, Greene went to Oxford University in England, as a Rhodes Scholar.

He is a prolific writer, with his book The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory (1999), a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in nonfiction, and winner of The Aventis Prizes for Science Books in 2000.

Brian Greene also dabbles in acting; he helped John Lithgow with scientific dialogue for the television series 3rd Rock from the Sun, and he had a cameo role in the film Frequency.

About the Klein bottle:

The Klein bottle was first described in 1882 by the German mathematician Felix Klein.

In mathematics, the Klein bottle is a certain non-orientable surface, i.e., a surface (a two-dimensional topological space) with no distinction between the "inside" and "outside" surfaces.

Picture a bottle with a hole in the bottom. Now extend the neck. Curve the neck back on itself, insert it through the side of the bottle without touching the surface (an act which is impossible in three-dimensional space), and extend the neck down inside the bottle until it joins the hole in the bottom. A true Klein bottle in four dimensions does not intersect itself where it crosses the side.

For Media Enquiries Contact:
Halfdan Hansen
03 548 0640
021 299 3380
www.jenshansen.com

The Dominion Post Jan 4th 2007
http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominionpost/3917517a6479.html

The Press Jan 4th 2007
http://www.stuff.co.nz/3917611a19719.html

Space Station Repaired Above Home of One Ring

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 29 Dec 2006 09:26:00 +0000

Earlier this month two astronauts carried out a spacewalk to complete repairs on the International Space Station. They just happened to be passing by New Zealand at the time and the city of Nelson, home of Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith and birthplace of the Movie Ring, can clearly be seen. My sincerest apologies to NASA for superimposing the Ring but it can't be made out from space without a little help :-)

Air New Zealand Cup launched

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 23:32:00 +0000

Click for Video Clip

New Zealand's new domestic rugby showpiece - the Air New Zealand Cup - was officially launched in grand style on Thursday.

A new trophy was unveiled, along with the launch of a comprehensive new advertising campaign and New Zealand rugby's biggest ever press conference.

The launch was held at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium - home this year to the Counties Manukau Steelers. In launching the new competition, New Zealand Rugby Union Deputy Chief Executive Steve Tew told the audience this year would be a very special season of provincial rugby.

"It is a new chapter in the long and colourful history of provincial rugby in New Zealand," said Tew.

"Over the next 13 weeks, we will see well over 300 of New Zealand's best players from the 14 Air New Zealand Cup provinces carry the honour of their provinces out onto the rugby field," he said.

In a New Zealand first, the biggest ever rugby press conference, held at the launch, brought together players and coaches from each of the Air New Zealand Cup provinces - Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Canterbury, Counties Manukau, Hawke's Bay, Manawatu, North Harbour, Northland, Otago, Southland, Taranaki, Tasman, Waikato and Wellington.

The competition's new sterling silver trophy, the Air New Zealand Cup, made by famed Lord of the Rings 'One Ring' designers, Jens Hansen of Nelson, was also unveiled at the launch. The trophy is modelled on the Air New Zealand Cup logo.

The Air New Zealand Cup competition kicks off on Friday 28 July when Hawke's Bay, making their return to the top-flight domestic competition, hosts Canterbury in Napier.

The first weekend also sees the other three new teams - Counties Manukau, Manawatu and Tasman - in action at home. The final will be played on 21 October.

Click for Video Clip
Source: ONE Sport

Stunning New Air New Zealand Cup Unveiled

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 13 Jul 2006 23:22:00 +0000

2:24 PM, 13 Jul 2006

New Zealand rugby has its newest trophy and the new symbol of provincial rugby supremacy - the Air New Zealand Cup.

The stunning new trophy was unveiled by New Zealand Rugby Union Deputy Chief Executive Steve Tew and Air New Zealand Chief Executive Rob Fyfe at the official launch of the Air New Zealand Cup competition in Auckland today.

Handcrafted from 2.7 kilograms of sterling silver and sitting on a basalt base, the Air New Zealand Cup is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional rugby trophy and is based on the Air New Zealand Cup logo which represents a winged ball in flight.

The trophy is the second rugby trophy made this year by leading New Zealand gold and silversmith workshop Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith, from Nelson. The workshop, which made the famous 'One Ring' for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy, also made the Rebel Sport Super 14 trophy.

Mr Fyfe said the new trophy was a testament to local workmanship.

"Once again, Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith has done an outstanding job in crafting a trophy that any captain would be proud to raise above his head. The artful incorporation of 'wings' into the trophy's handles serves a practical purpose, while figuratively highlighting the winning team's 'flight' and Air New Zealand's sponsorship of the competition," he said.

Mr Tew said the new trophy could proudly stand alongside New Zealand's other coveted trophies and will be fiercely contested by the 14 Provincial Unions in the inaugural year of the Air New Zealand Cup.

"We have a brand new competition and now a striking new Cup to go with it, with the shape suggesting the pace, movement and physical nature of the provincial game. It will be a fantastic addition to the trophy cabinet of one of the 14 Air New Zealand Cup teams," he said.

Jens Hansen silversmith Thorkild Hansen said they had spent three months working on the Cup and had worked in close partnership with the NZRU and Wellington design company DNA Designed Communications who developed the Air New Zealand Cup logo as well as the Cup's shape and detailing.

"Designing a Cup for hand forging rather than casting is not a simple task. So the team in Wellington worked closely with us to make sure the design was do-able using our traditional processes. We thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of taking the concept through to completion," Mr Hansen said.

The Air New Zealand Cup will go on public display for the first time at the opening match of the Air New Zealand Cup competition, when Hawke's Bay hosts Canterbury in Napier on Friday 28 July.

The Air New Zealand Cup - key facts

Standing 45cm tall and weighing 3.9 kilograms, the Air New Zealand Cup was hand forged from 2.7 kilograms of sterling silver by master silversmith Thorkild Hansen. The inside of the cup is gilded with gold. Waihi stone carver Jeff Beckwith handcrafted the polished stone base from black basalt quarried from the Bombay Hills.

ENDS

Ring kings give rugby trophy a try

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 11 Jul 2006 00:08:00 +0000

Sunday-Star Times Newspaper
09 July 2006

By TIM HUNTER
PRECIOUS PIECE: Halfdan Hansen's company, which is building on the fame of making rings for Lord of the Rings, is now working on the new NPC trophy.
EVAN BARNES/Sunday Star-Times

It will hold three litres of liquid and have wings that double as handles - such are the specifications of the new NPC rugby trophy to be unveiled this week.

The winning team in the Air New Zealand Cup will no doubt take full advantage of those features - a more functional design than the Super 14 trophy won by the Crusaders in May.

Both pieces of silverware are the product of Nelson gold and silversmith Jens Hansen, maker of the famous gold ring featured in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The firm is now owned by the late Jens Hansen's sons, Thorkild and Halfdan.

Thorkild is the craftsman, Halfdan the businessman - an electrical engineer who returned from a career overseas with oil industry giant Schlumberger to run the commercial side of the business.

The commission for the Air NZ Cup began a year ago and late last week the silver chalice was still undergoing the finishing touches. It's a big project for Jens Hansen, but the money is not the motivation.

"These trophies for the rugby union, they are well into five figures but they are very labour intensive. It's more for the prestige."

The Hansens know the value of a good reputation.

Their father was a long-time friend of jeweller Michael Hill and sold some products through the retail chain. "The guys here worked really hard producing volume," Halfdan said, "but the margins were low".

Greater rewards were in producing hand-crafted quality products, sold through the family shop in Nelson.

And then there was the commission for Lord of the Rings, bringing such fame that a Google search for Jens Hansen brings them up as number one, despite the name being the Danish equivalent of John Smith.

"I don't know that we want to become the people known as the trophy makers or the movie prop people," Halfdan said. "But why fight it? We made the world's most famous ring. It gives instant credibility."

Along with the movie came a lively market in replica rings, particularly from overseas. "The peak would have been a year or two ago," Halfdan said. "It would be fair to say our turnover tripled or quadrupled and it's all gone to the bottom line, which has allowed us to invest in equipment and advertising."

The worry was that business would sag as the Rings frenzy died away, but the high plateau has been maintained with special commissions and higher priced items.

Now the brothers are thinking about how to expand without compromising the craftsman ethic. Halfdan sees scope for a bigger shop in Nelson, or a second shop in another location within two years. "We'd like to be in Queenstown," he said.

A Proud Moment

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 19 May 2006 11:11:00 +0000

Here is a great photograph which appeared in the National Business Review magazine. It was taken by Trevor Coppock, a freelancer photographer, in Auckland, New Zealand on the day I made my recent Breakfast TV appearance to showcase some just commissioned trophies from the Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith workshop. Trevor was fantastic and had an amazing story to share - as a child growing up in Oxford, England he was a next door neighbour of The Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien. It was only when he was much older that he realised how famous the 'gentleman from next door' was!

Halfdan Hansen with Rebel Sport Super 14, and
Telecom Virtual Rugby Trophies and a replica of
a 6" diameter ring we made for Peter Jackson's
Lord of the Rings movies.
Photo Copyright, Trevor Coppock - tcpixonline.com

Jens Hansen created trophy in Rugby News

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 10 May 2006 23:43:00 +0000

Click black screen to activate, then right-click and select Play to start video

10/05/2006
XtraMSN

Former All Black and Telecom Virtual Rugby Ambassador Grant Fox talks about the trophy created by Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith for the Telecom Virtual Rugby competition. Clip can be viewed in its original context here:

http://xtramsn.co.nz/sport/0,,12021-5756821-300,00.html

Halfdan Hansen showcases the new Super 14 Championship Trophy on NZ National Television

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Sat, 22 Apr 2006 09:19:00 +0000

21/04/2006
Auckland, New Zealand

Jens Hansen business manager Halfdan Hansen was invited to appear on the premier Breakfast Television show in New Zealand to showcase the new Super 14 Rubgy Trophy. Other Jens Hansen commissions such as the One Ring and the TelecomVirtualRugby trophy are also featured in this 6 minute clip which can be viewed here.

Trophy for virtual rugby winner

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 22:33:00 +0000

April 22nd, 2006
By Daniel Nielsen,

MAIL PHOTO / PATRICK HAMILTON 130680

REAL PRIZE: Jeweller Halfdan Hansen with the trophy created in his Nelson shop for the Telecom Virtual Super 14 rugby competition.

Virtual rugby has become so popular in New Zealand that the best player will get a $10,000 trophy made in Nelson.

More than 143,000 people are playing Telecom's online Virtual Super 14 game, in which rugby fans compete by picking winners and point margins of Super 14 rugby games.

Telecom asked Nelson's Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith to make a smaller version of the real Super 14 trophy, which has been crafted by the local business.

Telecom sponsorship manager Peter Parussini said the trophy was made because of the popularity and prestige associated with the virtual competition.
"We heard that last year's competition winner was being asked for his autograph wherever he went. Given
that there's a trophy for the team which wins the Super 14, we thought it only appropriate that New Zealand's cleverest rugby fan be awarded a trophy for their efforts."

In its first year, 2002, 37,000 played Virtual Super 12 (now Super 14). The next year, 75,000 people participated and in 2004, 105,000 played. Last year 137,000 people took part.

Thirty percent of virtual rugby players are Hurricanes fans and after 10 rounds, two Hurricanes fans - "Forsyth" and "Hutt Demons" - are tied for the competition lead with 392 points each.

Crusaders fans make up 21 percent, Blues fans 19 percent, Chiefs fans 12 percent and Highlanders fans 11 percent.

More than 35,000 players (26 percent) are based outside New Zealand's major cities and towns, while 10 percent of players live overseas.

As well as winning the trophy, the winner receives a car.

Jens Hansen business manager Halfdan Hansen was amazed by the popularity of virtual rugby. It had been a "special thrill" to design the actual Super 14 trophy, but being asked to make a trophy competed for by more than 140,000 people was "something else", he said.

The $10,000 trophy is silver-plated, cast in sculptor's bronze and has a rugby ball shaped like a computer mouse in the logo. It stands 33cm tall and weighs 2.1kg. The actual Super 14 trophy is 49cm tall and weighs 2.7kg.
dnielsen@nelsonmail.co.nz

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 21 Apr 2006 03:11:00 +0000

Virtual Tipsters Chase Gleaming Prize

View larger image

The Telecom Virtual Rugby trophy

©Telecom

21/04/2006

XtraMSN

The teams competing in the Rebel Sport Super 14 aren't the only ones with their eyes on a glittering new trophy. Now the same silversmith that created the One Ring for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy has handcrafted a trophy for the winner of the country's biggest online rugby picking competition - Telecom Virtual Rugby.

More than 143,000 rugby fans are playing Telecom Virtual Rugby's Super 14 competition and Telecom Head of Sponsorship Peter Parussini says Telecom decided to commission the trophy after learning how much prestige last year's winner of the Virtual NPC competition attracted.

"We heard that last year's competition winner was being asked for his autograph wherever he went and, given that there's a trophy for the team which wins the Super 14, we thought it only appropriate that New Zealand's cleverest rugby fan be awarded a trophy for their efforts.

"The trophy is a slightly smaller version of that commissioned by the New Zealand Rugby Union to award to the winning team in the Rebel Sport Super 14 competition. It is valued at $10,000, which makes it a significant prize - especially as it is something that the Virtual Rugby winner can keep forever," he said.

Both trophies were handcrafted by Nelson-based jeweller and silversmith, Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold and Silversmith.

"This has got to be the most coveted trophy in the country for rugby fans," says Halfdan Hansen. "Designing and creating the Rebel Sport Super 14 trophy was a special thrill, and then to be asked to produce a trophy that would be avidly contested by more than 140,000 people - that was something else."

Halfway through the competition, statistics on those playing virtual rugby make interesting reading. Parussini said a Hurricanes fan is perhaps the most likely to win the trophy with Canes supporters comprising 30% of virtual rugby players.

Two Hurricanes fans ("forsyth" and "Hutt Demons") are tied for the lead in Telecom Virtual Rugby after round 10 of the competition with a total of 392 points.

Crusaders fans make up 21% of virtual rugby players, Blues fans 19%, Chiefs fans 12% and the Highlanders 11%.

Auckland has the greatest number of virtual rugby players with about 28,600 players (22% of total players), followed by 15,730 (11%) for both Wellington and Christchurch. More than 35,000 players (26%) are based outside New Zealand's major cities and towns, while a further 10% of players are based overseas.

As well as winning the Telecom Virtual Rugby trophy, the winner will also receive a Ford vehicle previously driven by the captain of their favourite NZ Rebel Sport Super 14 team.

Trophy facts:

The Telecom Virtual Rugby trophy is cast in solid sculptor's bronze and richly plated in sterling silver (92.5 percent pure silver) and was made by Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith from Nelson, New Zealand. The trophy stands 33 centimetres high and weighs 2.1 kilograms. It is valued at $10000.

The actual Rebel Sport Super 14 trophy stands 49 centimetres high and weighs 2.7 kilograms.

About Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith, Nelson:

Regarded as a leading bespoke jeweller and silversmith in New Zealand, Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith's 35 year old heritage remains forever contemporary. Based on traditional Scandinavian design, Jens Hansen's jewellery and trophies are lovingly sculptured into unique, timeless pieces. (for more info see www.jenshansen.com)

Big order rings the changes

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 01:55:00 +0000

05 April 2006
BY DANIEL NIELSEN

HANDFUL: Halfdan Hansen with four platinum rings and a 24 carat gold replica of Sauron's ring, from Lord of the Rings.
MARION VAN DIJK / Nelson Mail

Halfdan Hansen's first reaction to an American's request for a platinum ring for each finger of one hand was, "Is this guy for real?"

His second thought was "How big is this guy?"

Mr Hansen, manager of Nelson's Jens Hansen jewellers, said the order came from an American he could not identify but described as a friend of Liv Tyler, who played elf princess Arwen in The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

The man, whom Mr Hansen said was not a big fan of the movies, had bought a platinum thumb-ring two years ago and liked it so much he wanted four more, one for each finger. "He said he just loved the shape and curve of the ring," Mr Hansen said.

"He's a very big man as you can see," Mr Hansen said, with the rings dangling loosely on his fingers as he showed them off. The man also ordered a replica of the One Ring, which featured in The Lord of the Rings. Only 100 of those rings were made, all in 18-carat gold-plated silver.

However Mr Hansen said the American buyer had insisted his be made in 24-carat gold.

Mr Hansen said it was the shop's biggest ever non-diamond sale to an individual.

The 24-carat gold ring weighed 140g with a 50mm outside diameter and was so soft it would dent if it was dropped. He said the order was the most unusual he'd ever had.

New Zealand Dollar falls to 22 month low

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 29 Mar 2006 22:07:00 +0000

The New Zealand dollar has declined dramtically in value over the last few months. Today it hit a 22 month low of 60.5 cents US. This time last year 1 $NZ = 0.71 $US.

For our international customers this roughly translates into a 15% saving on any jewellery purchased from our online store - New Zealand's loss = Your gain !

Jens Hansen Cup goes to 'Whio'

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 23 Mar 2006 10:00:00 +0000

The Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith team in Nelson would like to warmly congratulate Clevedon's Peter Sewell for Whio, which won the Jens Hansen Cup at the Seresin Estate NZ Antique and Classic Boat Show earlier this month. The show, held this year at the South Island's Lake Rotoiti, attracted 170 craft from around the country, but Whio came out on top, clearly demonstrating the Jens Hansen Cup's values of quality and design.

We look forward to Peter's, and Whio's, next visit to Nelson, and invite other like-minded classic boat lovers to view the beautiful craft from the website: http://www.steamlaunch.co.nz/Whio.html (she's beautiful).

We love our rings!

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 02:15:00 +0000

Hi,

I wanted to let you know how much we love our rings! They are simply exquisite, and definitely worth every penny. It was very exciting to be able to visit the store and hold the rings that were actually used in the filming! I'm sending a few photos from our wedding that took place on Forsyth Island on February 11th.

Cheers,
Jessica K.

An appreciation .....

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 02:06:00 +0000

A Postcard from 'Home'

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 01:18:00 +0000

Actually a postcard from our anscentral home of Denmark. Every year we are visited here in Nelson by travellers from all over the globe. Our Danish visitors get a real kick out of seeing a Danish-named store.

This card is from Jeanne who had us remodel an inherited diamond ring into a fresh new design.

Swift Trip for Jens Hansen Clients

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 21 Feb 2006 01:43:00 +0000

Students take a swift trip up aisle

20 February 2006

BY KATHERINE HOBY

A month ago, Julian Hung used to ring Claire Chiang every night to practise his English.

Now, he is able to whisper "I love you" in person - to his new wife.

The couple, from Taiwan, were in Nelson to study English at Richmond Hills English Language School, when they became romantically involved just over a month ago.

They married on Sunday at Bishopdale Chapel in front of Nelson friends, teachers and homestay families.

"I was ringing her every night and I said it was just to practise English, but that was not the whole truth of it," Mr Hung laughed.

"Then my teacher told me he liked me," Ms Chiang added.

"But I was just here to study very hard but every day he was talking to me and texting me. It was nice."

The pair plan to return to Taiwan in June to sit exams and celebrate with family and friends there.

Mr Hung never expected to meet his future wife when he came to Nelson.

"I was really just going for a holiday and to study English," he said.

The couple say they are a classic case of opposites attract with Mr Hung serious and Ms Chiang creative.

They say Nelson was the place they were meant to meet.

Mr Hung said his passion for the Lord of the Rings movies meant he was thrilled to be able to buy wedding rings from Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith, the jeweller who made the movies' "one ring".

"We have our names - Claire and Julian - on the inside," he said.

"And now it's the one ring for me, the one I'll never take off."

Link to pdf version

The meaning of handwriting in the digital age.

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 14 Feb 2006 03:26:00 +0000

The other day I received this lovely thank you note from some lovely customers in California. It made me stop and think about the irony of how much of our own communication is digital email etc. when at the same time we are working hard here in our workshop handmaking all our jewellery.

Handcrafted jewelry and handwritten thank you's - both precious.

Nelson jeweller tackles trophy

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 20:55:00 +0000

Nelson Mail newspaper post about the new Super 14 Rugby trophy we have just finished.

********************************************

Nelson jeweller tackles trophy

07 February 2006

By Simon Bloomberg

UP FOR GRABS: Thorkild Hansen with the new
Super 14 trophy created by the team at
Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmiths in Nelson.
MARTIN DE RUYTER/Nelson Mail/

A Nelson jeweller keeps making things that attract powerful forces.

First Thorkild Hansen and his late father Jens of Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith crafted the rings for the blockbuster movie trilogy The Lord of the Rings. Now Mr Hansen has just finished making a trophy for the inaugural Super 14 rugby competition starting on Friday.

And like the evil wizard Sauron in The Lord of the Rings, the players in the Super 14 desperately want to get their hands on Mr Hansen's creation. The sterling silver trophy symbolises rugby supremacy in the southern hemisphere and will be contested by five teams from New Zealand and South Africa and four from Australia.

Mr Hansen said he was commissioned to make the trophy by the joint South African, New Zealand and Australian rugby board last November. About 200 hours of hammering, cutting, soldering and polishing later, the 49cm, 2.5kg trophy was last week sent to rugby headquarters in Wellington.

Photographs of the work in progress will be posted on their website, jenshansen.com, Mr Hansen said.

"It was a cool thing to be able to do," he said. "We are such a small place and we've shown that Nelson has the goods - we are proud of that."

Although Mr Hansen would not reveal how much the trophy cost to make, he said there was "more labour in it than metal." It was a real team effort with his brother Halfdan and staff Ben Clark and Heath Neilson all helping out, he said.

New Zealand Rugby Union sponsorship and marketing manager Fraser Holland said this morning that they were delighted with the trophy.

"It's just awesome - we're thrilled," Mr Holland said. "The visual affect and the quality of the craft is fantastic.

"It will really stand out in the trophy cabinet. It's very modern and that's what this competition is all about."

Mr Holland declined to say how much the trophy cost, although it would be insured "for a significant sum".

Mum's the word for Nelson newlyweds

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 01:23:00 +0000

Here's a lovely story that just featured in our Nelson newspaper. We just had to share it with you as we can proudly report that the young couple chose us for their wedding bands.

*************************************
Mum's the word for Nelson newlyweds
06 February 2006
By BETH CATLEY

BRIDE GROOMED: Best man Simon Moodie, left, and marriage celebrant and mother of the bride Rossi King-Turner share a joke as bride and groom Henry Dillon and Petra Evans wipe away tears during their wedding at the Boathouse on Saturday.
MARTIN DE RUYTER/Nelson Mail

Marriage celebrant Rossi King-Turner was nervous she might return to her old habit of crying at weddings when she performed her daughter's ceremony.

"I used to bawl at weddings but since being a celebrant I don't, but I'm told I might today," she said half an hour before the ceremony.

But she needn't have worried, as it was her daughter Petra Evans and groom Henry Dillon who succumbed to tears during the ceremony at Wakefield Quay's Boathouse on Saturday.

Mrs King-Turner had been a celebrant for 10 years, and said she was no more nervous performing her youngest daughter's wedding than any other, but was expecting it to be more challenging.

"I'm certainly a lot busier than usual because I have been down here, and back and forth."

Her only fashion concession to her mother-of-the-bride status was a hat, which she had never worn to a wedding before, she said.

Marrying off her daughter was a "relief", she joked.

"I can joke and say it's lovely to see the back of her ... because her gown is beautiful down the back."

The ceremony itself was full of surprises with the family dog taking pride of place next to one of the bridesmaids as she walked down the aisle.

Mrs King-Turner's older daughter Pipi-Ayesha - a trained aerialist - entertained guests with a display later in the evening, dropping petals from on high.

Jens Hansen Handcrafts Sterling Silver Super 14 Trophy

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 01:08:00 +0000

MEDIA RELEASE

Wednesday February 8, 2006

Jens Hansen Handcrafts Sterling Silver Super 14 Trophy

Nelson's celebrated jeweller and silversmith, Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith, has proudly designed and handcrafted the new Rebel Sport Super 14 Trophy, unveiled in Wellington this week.

Since 1968, Jens Hansen has impressed its New Zealand and international customers with its leading edge Scandinavian designs. The bespoke jewellers are also famed for creating the Ring for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings film trilogy (www.jenshansen.com).

Chief Jeweller Thorkild Hansen worked continuously over two months to handcraft the stunning half metre tall Super 14 trophy out of 2.5 kg of solid sterling silver.

"We were thrilled that a New Zealand design team was involved in the creation of the new trophy," says Hansen. "We aimed to create a quality trophy of simple beauty that represented the high standard of the Super 14 competition."

Hansen notes that it was a challenging but rewarding project, with many technical obstacles to be overcome.

"The dynamic twist in the trophy's base gives the work a sense of motion without compromising its appearance of strength," says Hansen. "Achieving the smooth lines and perfect meeting joints in the base was especially challenging, but we are very pleased with the end result."

The globe was created from two flat circles of silver, individually and gradually hammered by hand until each was raised into an exact hemisphere. The two pieces were then joined and polished until they formed a perfectly round globe. It features raised map pieces representing New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. The work's detail includes the miniature rugby ball's laces, which appears with the Super 14 emblazoned comet flare encircling the globe.

The Super 14 lettering was pierced and cut by hand and black resin used to create the lettering with maximum impact.

For Media Enquiries Contact:

Halfdan Hansen

03 548 0640

021 299 3380

www.jenshansen.com

Summer Weddings in New Zealand

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 09 Feb 2006 00:40:00 +0000

It's summer here in Nelson and the wedding season is in full swing.

One of the nicest parts of our job as jewellers is receiving cards and photos like these :-)

***********************************

Note the matching 9ct white gold and sapphire rings made in the style of the Vilya ring we made for Elrond in the Lord of the Rings movies.

Gold & Platinum Prices Continue to Rise Worldwide

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 09 Jan 2006 03:13:00 +0000

In the last few months Gold & Platinum prices have continued their worldwide increase and are now at record levels for recent times. This has lead to much higher costs for our raw materials and we announce today that we are regretably having to pass these costs on. As a result the price on our Gold and Platinum Movie Ring replicas have increased.

Latest Unsolicited Customer Testimonial - I just had to share it

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 22 Nov 2005 01:18:00 +0000

"Hi Halfdan,

I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for my rings. Viggo's ring never looked so good. I much prefer it to the official one. The pictures on your site really do not do this one justice. It really should be added to your online store if legalities with the license permit. If not, then it may remain the best kept secret item a LOTR fan can attain in terms of jewelry. The tweaks I suggested came out great by the way. I received compliments already on it from a few on it's understated elegance. Nice job!

The One ring itself is beautiful. I mean, wow! I never had seen it in person, but I have a few friends that recommended your site to me and told me it was worth it. They were right. It looks great with the chain. It's almost a crime not getting the chain to go along with it. It really is a great piece of jewelry on itself that is often overlooked.

I was without power due to hurricane Wilma affecting South Florida. Receiving my rings brought a smile to my face last week in the aftermath of the storm. It was quite dramatic opening my package in the dark with my flashlight. I almost felt like Gollum inside the cave looking at the ring in the dark. :-)

Nice doing business with you. First class service all the way.

Best regards,

Jose

Ft Lauderdale, FL USA"

The Jens Hansen 'Viggo' ring - 18ct yellow & white gold with Biron Emerald

'Viggo', the Chain and the Movie Ring in 18ct Yellow Gold

A Nice Photo from Sweden

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 02:41:00 +0000

We were delighted to receive this photo from a couple who had visited our store in Nelson and ordered their wedding rings for their special day back home in Sweden.

They graciously allowed me to share this image with you.

The rings are made in alternating yellow and white gold - Style JW293 - detail below

Police Catch Jens Hansen Burglars

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 14 Nov 2005 04:27:00 +0000

Recently we were disappointed to have to report to you on the break in of our store front window in the early hours of a Saturday morning.

Although only a few small silver items were taken, it was of course very inconvenient and disheartening.

I'm happy to report today that the officers of Nelson's finest have successfully recovered the items and made an arrest.

The suspect was apprehended and identified due to matching fingerprints he left at our 'job' and another recent burglary.

Jens Hansen wins Business Innovation Award

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 21:16:00 +0000

Nelson, NEW ZEALAND, Friday 4th November 2005
Jens Hansen - Gold & Silversmith Ltd was proud to accept the 2005 Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology

FUJI XEROX

Innovation Award

This year was the first time we have ever entered the Nelson Business Awards and we were delighted to be receive this award. In their words, the judges selected us for the Innovation award because "Jens Hansen - Contemporary Gold & Silversmith saw an opportunity to be part of Lord of the Rings by taking the inniative in sending Peter Jackson a ring and the rest as they say is history: However it didn't stop there; the business leveraged off the opportunity and the exposure New Zealand gained with Lord Of the Ring fans worldwide seeking out the makers of the ring."

As well as getting to keep this great trophy, FujiXerox have kindly given us one of their new Docuprinter laser printers for our office.

The One Ring takes out Best Costume at RingCon.de

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 28 Oct 2005 04:13:00 +0000

The photo below was taken at RingCon in Germany earlier this month. The young lady won the best Costume prize for her fantastic One Ring body costume and is photographed here with a JensHansen 18ct yellow gold Movie Ring (in regular Frodo size) on our silver chain.

Danish Movie Ring Wedding for the man with the day job in Greenland

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Sat, 24 Sep 2005 07:45:00 +0000

Just had to share this heart warming email I just received from Ken in Denmark. (reproduced with his permission).

**********************************

Hello Halfdan
"something happen in the state of

Denmark

"

I want to thank u again for the most beautiful job u have done with the 2 wedding rings.
On the 09-17-2005 I married my former Fiancee, now wife Christina by a surprise.

My sister and I had a done a mayor job to make it happen. Everything was in place Christina's wedding dress, dinner, church etc etc.

In the morning all the invited guests arrived, and made a surprise wake up call and when the guest had entered the flat, I proposed, and lucky me C...... said Yes to marry me.

At 16:00 same day we arrived to the church, to give our Yes to each other. So I am the most excited person in the world. And then party party party.

And u don't believe it my wife Is 6 month pregnant with twins....
And I live and work in Greenland ..........not good.
But thanks again.

Kind Regards
Ken J - Greenland

Jens Hansen Designer chosen for national exhibition

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 08 Sep 2005 22:54:00 +0000

Although many of you will know him as our chief jewelery designer, Thorkild Hansen is also a passionate silversmith and creator of larger format works such as this hand-raised copper vessel. Thorkild and a select group of regional artists have been chosen to represent the arts of Nelson at a special exhibition in Wellington the capital of New Zealand.

Thorkild Hansen hard at work preparing for the FINE exhibition.

fine: contemporary nelson art and design, an exhibition showcasing the breadth and excellence of Nelson's creative sector, will be staged during the 2005 Montana World of WearableArt Awards in Wellington's Shed 11.

The exhibition will run from 24 September to 2 October and will feature 28 Nelson artists and designers working with photography, furniture, painting, ceramics, glass art, jewellery and sculpture.

fine will present works by well established Nelson artists such as Austin Davies, Jane Evans, Ola Hoglund, and Craig Potton alongside furniture designers such as David Haig and Mike Hindmarsh and younger artists Daniel Allen, Kay van Dyk, Thorkild Hansen, and Issac Ibbotson.

Click link below to see full press release about the fine exhibition.

Pippin gets his own Movie Ring

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 31 Aug 2005 23:39:00 +0000

It was Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd's birthday last weekend. Boyd played the hobbit Pippin in the Peter Jackson film trilogy and was a guest at the Fellowship Festival at the Wembley Arena in England. To celebrate the occasion Jens Hansen were delighted to create a genuine Movie Ring replica just for Mr Boyd. While we couldn't be there in person ourselves, we were twice honored because celebrated Tolkien artist Alan Lee presented the Ring on our behalf at a special evening feast held on the Sunday of the Festival.

Halfdan & Thorkild Hansen

'World's Most Famous Ring' at Fellowship Festival 2005

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 11:28:00 +0000

We are glad to announce that we will be sharing a stand with Red Carpet Tours at the Fellowship Festival August 27-29th August 2005 at the Wembley Arena, United Kingdom. Susi from Red Carpet Tours will be there with her own genuine Jens Hansen Movie Ring in pride of place. She will be taking orders for anyone who has dreamed of an authentic reproduction created for them by the same craftsmen who made the Ring for Peter Jackson. As a special offer, any gold ring orders made at the Show will receive a Sterling Silver Movie Ring necklace with our compliments.

Rgds Halfdan
Halfdan Hansen
Jens Hansen - Gold & Silversmith
www.jenshansen.com
Makers of the 'World's Most Famous Ring'

Ring Hunting Burglar's Take Little; Leave Fingerprints

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 22 Aug 2005 10:55:00 +0000

We are annoyed to share that we were hit by burglar's in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Possibly they were on their own quest for the Ring but thankfully the forces of good prevailed.

After much effort to remove a wire grill our cunning convicts struggled to break a hole through a laminated glass window and fled with a handful of silver jewellery. They left a few good fingerprints as a calling card and thankfully all the damage was repaired in a few hours.

What would you like to say to Peter Jackson?

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 16 Jun 2005 23:18:00 +0000

Today I got an interesting email from two dedicated Lord of the Rings fans who are undertaking a project of appreciation towards the film trilogy. If you would like to find out how you can contribute please read their short letter below.
***********************************************

Dear friends,

We are two dedicated fans of the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, who are
compiling a book of letters of appreciation for the films created by
director Peter Jackson and all involved. The book is a specially made, plain paged, leather bound hardcover. We plan to fill the book with original contributions from all willing participants, in whatever style or medium of your choice; e-mails, hand written letters, poems, drawings (i.e. sketches and cartoons) photographs etc. The subject of your letters can be as varied and unique as you like but no offensive or irrelevant material will be accepted. We are travelling to New Zealand this December (2005) / January (2006) to pass the book on, hopefully, to the man himself. If a meeting with PJ is not possible, than we will pass the book on to him through his associates.

This is your chance to show your true 'fanship' towards the Lord of the Rings films!
To forward your contributions see the addresses below.

Thank you for your time.

Email address
letters_to_pj@hotmail.com

Snail Mail Address
LETTERS TO PJ
33 Cormiston Rd
Riverside
TAS
Australia 7250

The Ring We Might Have Made for Viggo

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 04:40:00 +0000

It is a statement of record that for the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings movie trilogy we made we made the One Ring in all its appearances and Vilya, ring of Elrond.

However, it is also true that we did not make any of the other rings and jewellery in the movie. For copyright reason's therefore we are not allowed to use the name of the ring worn by the character played by actor Viggo Mortensen. What I can tell you, however, is that we have just finished working on a custom order for a client based on the description of the ring worn by Viggo's character as given in the book.

Here it is. It was made in 9ct white gold with 9ct yellow gold flowers and the stones are real emeralds.

Click for higher resolution photo.

If you are interested in more information about this ring please email me directly at viggo@jenshansen.com

Nine Year Old 'Rings' Fan writes us from Australia

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 04 Apr 2005 03:42:00 +0000

Thorkild & I were delighted to receive this short note from perhaps our youngest client so far!

Halfdan Hansen
Jens Hansen - Gold & Silversmith

**************
Dear Thorkild,

Hello, my name is Lachlan Power and I am 9 years old.

Thank you for my 'One Ring' it is beautiful.

I got it from my Ma (grandmother) as a present when she went on a holiday to New Zealand.

My dad is really jealous and wishes that he had the ring instead of me.

Thank you for making the ring for me as I am a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

It is one of my favourite presents that I have ever received.

My Ma said that I needed to write to you once I have received the ring so I have asked my mum to send this email.

Thank you again for my ring.

From Lachlan in Australia.

Casting Coup For Kiwi Actors in the theatrical version of THE HOBBIT

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 15 Mar 2005 23:02:00 +0000

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 10 February 2005

TICKETS ON SALE MONDAY 14TH FEBRUARY

WELLINGTON
WESTPAC ST JAMES THEATRE
From SATURDAY APRIL 16
Ticketek (04) 384 3840

AUCKLAND
THE CIVIC THEATRE
From SATURDAY APRIL 30
Ticketek (09) 307 5000

" Casting Coup For Kiwi Actors in the theatrical version of THE HOBBIT"

New Zealand producer and CEO of the lead producer, Australian based International Concert Attractions LTD, Lester McGrath today announced casting of the principal roles for the theatrical production of The Hobbit, which will have its world premier at the Westpac St James Theatre Wellington on April 16.

Mr. McGrath said " This is an extraordinary production for all the family and we are delighted to have been able to secure the services of three of New Zealand’s finest actors to play the lead roles of Bilbo Gandalf and the Narrator" "We auditioned in both Australia and New Zealand and as a Kiwi I am proud to say that our New Zealand actors won out against their Australian counterparts in a fierce battle for these hotly contested principal roles"

The roles will be played by:

BILBO BAGGINS – Ross Anderson (cv attached)

GANDALF THE GREY – Stuart Devenie (cv attached)

THE NARRATOR - Veteran Actor George Henare O.B.E. (cv attached)

Written and Directed by Christine Anketell, the theatrical production of The Hobbit brings to life J.R.R Tolkien’s masterpiece, which is the prelude to the Lord of the Rings trilogy. With stunning sets and costumes and extraordinary puppets, Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo Baggins and Thorin Oakenshield together with the Narrator, will take the audience on an enthralling theatrical journey from a Hobbit hole in Bag End, through The Misty Mountains, Rivendell, Mirkwood, Lake Town and deep into the lair of Smaug, the Dragon of Lonely Mountain.

New Zealand audiences will be the first to encounter 40 different characters including Wizards, Hobbits, Dwarves, Trolls, Elves, Goblins and Wargs and enter the world of Tolkien’s imagination on stage in what promises to be an unforgettable theatrical journey.

The World Premiere Opening Performance will be held on Saturday 16 April at The Westpac St James Theatre, Wellington followed by a strictly limited season at The Civic Theatre, Auckland at the end of April.

TICKETS GO ON SALE - MONDAY 14TH FEBRUARY!
www.ticketek.co.nz

Publicity and Media Enquiries
Nick Smart Marketing - Lynn Smart
Phone: +64 9 378 6100
Fax: +64 9 360 0341
Mobile: 027 4738 230
email: nick.smart@xtra.co.nz

www.thehobbit.com.au or www.icaaustralia.com

South Korean Breakfast TV visits Nelson

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 03 Feb 2005 03:33:00 +0000

Late last year we were visited by a very enthusiastic crew from South Korean Breakfast TV show Morning Wide. The crew just sent us the video clip of the show that recently aired on TV there.

The interviewer discusses the creation of the Movie Ring with Thorkild and they even get Thorkild & I to shout out a phrase in Korean about the Ring - very 'Lost in Translation'!

Please click the link below to view the story.

This video will open in a new web browser window and is only suitable for Broadband connections.

Morning Wide Show
WellBeing Tour, Copyright South Korean TV 2005
Broadband

'Lord of the Bling' chooses Jens Hansen

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 17 Jan 2005 04:04:00 +0000

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

Nelson, New Zealand - January 17, 2005 -
Jens Hansen, Contemporary Jeweller, is proud to confirm its participation as ring makers to the 'Lord of the Bling'.

The Lord of the Bling trilogy is the first full-length parody of Peter Jackson's 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, with each of the three instalments coming to around 2 hours in length (with the exception of the third film which will be nearly 3 hours long). Jens Hansen will create replicas of its designs for The One Ring and Vilya, Ring of Power as originally featured in the original Peter Jackson movies. Written, directed and produced by Kyle Pedley, and the key project of the UK's Trinity Road Productions, a voluntary film making group based near Birmingham, England, (not very far at all from where Professor Tolkien himself lived) the new film nevertheless spans internationally in regards to its crew.

The trilogy itself is still in its pre-production stages, with production hoping to begin in Summer 2005. being filmed in numerous locations throughout England.

Already the pre-production work (which included rough versions of the films to test out the gags, humour, script etc), has received a lot of attention, including newspaper articles, letters from Wingnut Films, and even an invite to the London premier of the Return of the King.

If you would like more information about the project, sign up to the yahoo group for the project at

www.yahoogroups.com/groups/thelordoftheblingtrilogy

Or for information about the project and even about getting involved with the films contact Kyle Pedley, Writer, Director, Producer and Star of the trilogy at Kyle2k395855630@aol.com

Since 1968 the Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith workshop in Nelson, New Zealand has been making jewellery of uncompromising beauty. Rings, bracelets, pendants, brooches and silverware that offer pure lines and sculptural elegance have become the trademarks of the Jens Hansen workshop.

All the jewellery is handmade, original, precious and crafted 'to be worn', including unique new and classic designs of wedding rings from Jens Hansen. This simple philosophy rewards us with creative pieces that we all can embrace, afford and love. This simple philosophy was also the reason Peter Jackson asked Jens Hansen to design and make the ring depicted on screen as The One Ring for his film version of J. R. R. Tolkien's famous The Lord of the Rings books.

Contact

Halfdan Hansen, Jens Hansen - Gold & Silversmith

+64 3 548 0640 ph +64 3 548 0582 fx

info@jenshansen.com www.jenshansen.com

# # #

Jens Hansen in Official Making of LOTR Book

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 03:41:00 +0000

In his official "The Making of the Movie Trilogy" book Lord of the Rings 'movie biographer' Brian Sibley devotes a colorful double-page spread to the story of Jens Hansen and his creation of the One Ring for Peter Jackson.

We can't, for copyright reasons, reproduce any of the text or pictures for you here, but are glad to announce that Amazon are selling this magnficent book online. Please click Link to visit their listing.

Rings exhibition equivalent of Holy Grail for fans

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 27 Dec 2004 03:29:00 +0000

New Zealand Herald newspaper story

Rings exhibition equivalent of Holy Grail for fans

A model featuring a cave troll from the Lord of The Rings exhibition at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney. Picture / Reuters

23.12.04

SYDNEY - Replicas, rubber and the sacred ring itself - for Tolkien fans this exhibition may well be the Holy Grail.

Boasting more than 650 exhibits, including a five metre replica of a cave troll, Galadriel's gossamer gown and all three Rings of Power, the Lord of the Rings Motion Picture Trilogy Exhibition is a sight to behold.
.
.
.
.

The exhibition's centrepiece -- the ring itself -- has a tale all of its own.

Forty actual rings were made for filming, and none bore an elfish inscription - that was added post-production.

It also was one of the last commissions of New Zealand jeweller Jens Hansen before he died.
Copyright New Zealand Herald/AAP 27-Dec-2004

Please click the link for the full article at the New Zealand Herald website.

Ring Reproductions compared in New Book

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 03:03:00 +0000

In a new book, The Essential J.R.R. Tolkien Sourcebook: A Fan's Guide to Middle-earth and Beyond, authors George Beahm & Colleen Doran have put together a veritable plethora of information that will interest and entertain all fans of Tolkien's works and the Peter Jackson movie trilogy.

With George's permission we reproduce here the book's take on the Jens Hansen Movie Ring, excerpted directly from the chapter on Ring Replicas.

"

The Hansen Ring

Among the replicas, if there is one ring that rules them all, it is the Hansen ring:

Gandalf held it up. It looked to be made of pure and solid gold.

"Can you see any markings on it'?" he asked.

"No," said Frodo. "There are none. It is quite plain, and it never shows a scratch or sign of wear."

And so, too, is the Hansen ring. Unlike the other rings with the Elvish script-in the movie, the Hansen ring was visually enhanced by special effects-this one is quite plain, and as manufactured and presented in its wooden box, it shows neither a scratch or sign of wear.

Though some will undoubtedly prefer the more gaudy replica rings with the inscription emblazoned around their bands, I think most Tolkien purists would appreciate the beauty of the Hansen ring, which is a lovely piece of jewelry, its literary significance notwithstanding.

Please click link for the book listing on Amazon.com

Top Museum Acquires Jens Hansen Works

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 02 Dec 2004 02:29:00 +0000

The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa has recently acquired two classic Jens Hansen works in silver to add to their permanent collecton and to feature in their current exhibition - Out on the Street: New Zealand in the 1970s Tutū te pūehu.

The works are a smokey quartz and silver ring and a silver and garnet pendant. These are actual pieces made in the 1970's which had been retained in our own studio collection.

Click link to visit the Te Papa exhibition website.

See Jens Hansen One Ring Story on Television News

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 29 Oct 2004 07:33:00 +0000

Ever since the release of the first Lord of the Rings movie we have been
privileged to have had our 'role' in the films reported on television by the
international news media. Please click the links below to
view the stories.

These videos will open in a new web browser window. Please
click either Modem or Broadband depending on your connection.

TV1 News
Television One New Zealand, Copyright TV1 2001
Modem Broadband

Documentary New Zealand - The Real Middle Earth
Television One New Zealand, Copyright TV1 2004
Modem Broadband

A Queen's Tour [of New Zealand]
Television 3 New Zealand, Copyright TV3 2004
Modem Broadband

Today Show - Lord of the Rings Travel
Channel 9 Australia, Copyright CH9 2004
Modem Broadband

German Pop Idol Star 'Gracia' visits New Zealand
TV RTL, in German & English, Copyright RTL 2004
Modem Broadband

New Zealand TV3 visits our Workshop

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 25 Oct 2004 20:34:00 +0000

Television 3 Anchorman John Campbell has hosting a television series on our screens lately here in New Zealand. Called, The Queen's Tour, it retraces the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II's first visit to NZ in the early 1950s.

As part of their show about Nelson city they visited our store and spoke briefly with Thorkild.

To view the video clip please click here and select from the Jens Hansen online news video collection.

Chris Hennah Wears Jens Hansen in Photoshoot

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 21 Oct 2004 21:24:00 +0000

We were pleased to receive the photos below of Chris Hennah, Art Department Manager for the Lord of the Rings movie crew, wearing a classic Jens Hansen New Zealand Greenstone Pendant. Partner of Art Director and Oscar Winner Dan Hennah, Chris is a great fan of our work.

Click Here for Bigger Picture Click Here for Bigger Picture

All Photographs Copyright New Line Cinema, The Lord of the Rings Fan Club Official Movie Magazine, Issue No.15, June-July 2004

New Jens Hansen Ring modeled at WOW

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 13 Oct 2004 07:20:00 +0000

The 2004 World of Wearable Art show in Nelson last month was the perfect place for opera singer Jack Bourke to model his latest costume acquisition; a new ring from Jens Hansen. The silver ring matched his outfit perfectly with three bright yellow princess cut CZ gems. The stones were dazzling under the lights of the catwalk as Jack performed during a crowd pleasing set piece in the highly choreographed annual event show.

Jack Bourke is a young New Zealand tenor making a name for himself in opera and orotorio with "a glorious mellow voice which [is] an absolute delight to the ear." A New Zealand-born Tongan tenor, Jack graduated from Auckland University in 1999.

He has been described as assured, purposeful, powerful, "the cornerstone of the performance".

Click the link to read more about Jack Bourke

Humbled by our customers once more

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 23 Sep 2004 09:28:00 +0000

With our customer's prior permission, it is my great pleasure to share his feedback about our recent reproduction of the Jens Hansen model of VilyaTM.

Dear Halfdan,

I have just received 'Vilya' and wanted to thank you immediately for such a superb piece.

The ring lives up to every one of my expectations and in fact far exceeds them, the black and the gold body perfectly setting off the rich blue of the dazzling sapphire.

Perhaps just as important as what one sees of the ring is the comfort when wearing it, this ring will not leave my finger. I can feel the weight of it but it is a comfortable feeling.

As you know I originally bought a copy of 'Vilya' from another company, which is currently sitting in a cupboard somewhere, uncomfortable to wear, poorly constructed and lacking the finer qualities of the original design. With true replicas now available from your studio hopefully 'Vilya' will soon be known as a superb piece of design, excellently finished.

Please thank Thorkild for all his work, I look forward to seeing (and buying) more Jens Hansen Studio pieces in the future.

Yours sincerely,

Al H.
England

At Long Last - The 'other' Jens Hansen Movie Ring

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 22 Sep 2004 08:47:00 +0000

The Jens Hansen team are proud to announce the creation of the first completely accurate replica of the ring originally created by us and depicted in the LOTR movie trilogy as Vilya. In the Tolkien books Vilya is the name of the Elven Ring of Power worn by Elrond (Hugo Weaving).

The original ring for the movie was created by Thorkild Hansen at the request of Peter Jackson's Art Direction team.

The ring was made for a client in the UK and is solid 18ct yellow gold and set with a beautiful bright blue ceylon sapphire.

Click Link to find out more

Aspiring Artist Submits Portrait of Jens Hansen

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Sat, 11 Sep 2004 08:48:00 +0000

After reading all about Jens Hansen and his work, Josh of California was inspired enough put pen to paper and sketch this quick portrait.

We thank this young artist and wish him all the best in his creative future.

Face to face with the One Ring in Boston

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Sun, 29 Aug 2004 03:18:00 +0000

For those of you close to Boston there is still time to catch the smash hit exhibition of the summer:

The Lord of the Rings
Motion picture Trilogy
The Exhibition

One of the highlights of the show is the exhibit Face to Face with the One Ring. We don't want to give anything away to those who haven't seen it yet, but we can say how proud that the ring on display is properly credited to Jens Hansen.

Those of you with an eye for detail will note that we only used a 9ct gold ring for the display rather than the 18ct gold Ring used for the movies - that's show biz for you folks :-)

Click the Link to visit the official exhibition site

Danish Press Coverage

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 27 Aug 2004 03:40:00 +0000

For those of you who read Danish, top Danish daily newspaper Ekstra Bladet just wrote a nice article about us at http://www.ekstrabladet.dk/VisArtikel.iasp?PageID=260283

Please click Link below for pdf version.

Photos from the Article

Thorkild through the big ring.

Halfdan & Thorkild

There's just something special about Platinum!

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 18 Aug 2004 05:10:00 +0000

What is it about platinum?

Maybe it's the more than 3000 degf melting point or perhaps it's the extreme hardness and difficulty to work....Naah It is just so beautiful and expensive - that's it!

A ring is born

5th Anniversary of Jens' passing

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 09 Aug 2004 22:15:00 +0000

Today is the 5th Anniversary of Jens Hansen's untimely death after a short battle with cancer. He passed away on August 10, 1999 aged 59. Thorkild & I miss him greatly and wish he was here today - not just for ourselves and the rest of the family but for him to see the legacy he has left.

"To live in the hearts of those you love is not to die" - Badly Drawn Boy

Archive Photo 1
Archive Photo 2
Archive Photo 3

The Jeweller's Mark: The Jens Hansen Workshop Story

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 21 Jul 2004 01:41:00 +0000

In 2000, just a year after our father's death, the Bishop Suter Art Gallery in Nelson, New Zealand, held a major retrospective exhibition of Jens Hansen's work.

The exhibition not only displayed a comprehensive collection of Jens' work, but it also told the stories of the many jewellers and artists who had worked and trained in Jens' workshop over the years.

A very nice catalogue was made for the exhibition and can be downloaded here Exhibition Catalogue The Jeweller's Mark (500kB)

The First Shrek 2 Ring is Born!

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 19 Jul 2004 22:34:00 +0000

In homage to the opening sequence in the smash hit animated feature Shrek 2, this size 10 3/4 9ct gold Jens Hansen Movie Ring has been engraved 'I Love You' then inlaid with pure 24 carat gold leaf, and sealed with a clear hi-tech ceramic layer. Please contact us if you are interested in owning your own :-)

Read more in the previous story SHREK 2 parodies The One Ring and The Lord of the Rings

See BBC News Video Clip about Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Sat, 10 Jul 2004 21:12:00 +0000

On July 1st BBC World News ran a small news item on our workshop in Nelson including an interview with Thorkild.

The clip went for 3 minutes 39 seconds, which is a pretty good run on BBC World news! It shows Thorkild & I, the business and workshop and also the background story as to how our father, Jens, came to be selected to create "The One Ring".

A helpful fan has kindly sent me a video clip file (about 3Mb) which can be downloaded here. {Please note this is obviously copyright BBC and if I cannot get official permission to host this file I may well have to pull it shortly - you have been warned.}

You will need the Divx player from www.divx.com which can be downloaded here.

Original Prototype Movie Ring Bracelet Charm

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 01 Jul 2004 02:18:00 +0000

The Jens Hansen Team are proud to share this photo of the first bracelet charm in the style of the original prototype Movie Ring.

The charm measures about 3/8" in diameter and we are now accepting orders online here.

Charm beside Original Movie Prototype Ring

Jens Hansen studio & workshop on BBC World News - today!

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 30 Jun 2004 10:49:00 +0000

We have just been told by the BBC that they are running a short news clip featuring our workshop in Nelson including an interview with Thorkild Hansen. It is being shown on BBC World at 05:00 July 2nd London Time and 21:00 July 1st Los Angeles Time (with possible repeats on the hour the next two hours after that). I am going to try to get a video clip and permission to view or link to it from them too but this might not be possible.

Jens Hansen Painting Up for Auction

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 28 Jun 2004 01:59:00 +0000

This Jens Hansen abstract landscape painting is being offered in Watson's of Christchurch, NZ Latest Fine Arts Auction.

Catalogue Listing
Jens Hansen
Untitled
Acrylic on paper
530 x 710
Signed lower right
Jens Hansen was born in Denmark, the descendant of a long line of blacksmiths and stonemasons. He came to New Zealand with his family at the age of twelve and made his home here. He has long been regarded as one of New Zealand's foremost silversmiths; his first exhibition was in 1960.

Please click Link to visit the Watsons Auctions catalogue page.

Lost 'The One Ring' Big Chain Photo Recovered

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 25 Jun 2004 01:53:00 +0000

It was the photograph we thought we had lost, but yesterday we rediscovered it....

The team at Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith is proud to bring you this pic of the Big Chain as it was being created in our studio.

Used for those scenes where the One Ring and Chain needed to be shot closeup, the Big Chain was made in sterling silver and scaled in proportion to the massive 6 inch diameter gold plated steel One Ring also created in our workshop.

The Lost Big Chain Photo

Chain is held by Alexis Gundry (L) and Ben Holmes (R)

Click Link for HiRes version of this photo.

SHREK 2 parodies The One Ring and The Lord of the Rings

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 23 Jun 2004 03:26:00 +0000

Shrek 2, the new movie from NZ Director Andrew Adamson, is a delightful romp of a film which gleefully spoofs many pop culture icons. In the opening scenes Shrek has a gold ring made for wife Fiona where it goes up in the air and falls on her finger and then magically reveals the inscription 'I Love You'.

We should have been able to predict it I guess, but within days of the movies release we have already had requests for a Jens Hansen version of the I Love You ring. Since they appear to have copied our ring shape design I trust the good folks of Shrek won't mind us engraving those 3 simple words on our ring....?!

The 'I Love You' ring as shown in the Official
web-released First 5 Minutes Shrek 2 trailer

'Ring' Around To Morris Graves Museum, Eureka, CA, USA.

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 10 Jun 2004 01:55:00 +0000

A limited edition Jens Hansen movie Ring replica will be on display in July and August in the Morris Graves Museum of Art, thanks to an agreement between the city of Eureka, CA and the Humboldt Arts Council.

Click Link for full story.

Don't just take our word for it!

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 01 Jun 2004 03:17:00 +0000

We have been completely humbled by our customers unsolicited feedback and testimonials to date.

Don't just take our word for it - see what our customers have to say...

"I was expecting something pretty special but I was still amazed at how beautiful, and as promised, how faithful a reproduction of the real thing it was. I'm so proud to own it, and to wear it every day. I would tell any fan of the Lord of the Rings films to buy one, its the ultimate "must have"., Rod W., UK.

"It is absolutely AMAZING!!!!!!

We were hoping it'd be nice, but this is beyond all expectations. It is so beautifully shaped and finished, and unbelievably HEAVY. I just cannot adequately express how happy we are with the ring. Everything is even better than you described.", Cole & Casey, Texas, USA.

Click Link to view the complete pdf file - 108 customers, 21 pages, 250kb.

'One Ring' May Be Headed For Museum

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 28 May 2004 23:33:00 +0000

The full-size limited edition Jens Hansen replica of Sauron's Ring is being given the VIP treatment in Eureka, CA.

"The city of Eureka is in the process of working out plans with the Humboldt Arts Council for it to borrow the 'One Ring,' which was given to the city in March.

The ring was given to Eureka Mayor Peter La Vallee by Nelson, New Zealand Mayor Paul Matheson during his delegation's visit to the city to sign the Eureka-Nelson sister-city agreement. "

see Link for full story... or Click here for article archive in .pdf

Victoria University of New Zealand Academic Excellence Medal

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 28 May 2004 04:02:00 +0000

The team at Jens Hansen are proud to share this photo of our latest commission.

Five medals were produced for Victoria University in Wellington. The medal was executed in sterling silver and finish heavy plated in 18ct gold. The design is reminiscent of a roman coin and each medal is engraved on the back with the name of the recipient of the University's Academic Excellence Award for 2004.

Design Concept, Project Management and Packaging: Airplane Studios - Wellington, NZ.

Medal Moulding: Julie Vine, Nelson, NZ.

Medal Creation & Finishing: Jens Hansen - Gold & Silversmith, Nelson, NZ.

Photograph copyright Airplane Studios

Click the link for HiRes photo (630kB).

Film Ring Replica Goes to US City

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 01 Apr 2004 04:31:00 +0000

Film Ring Replica Goes to US City

Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith, Creators & Designers of the One Ring for the LOTR movies are pleased to announce the gifting of one of the first of a limited edition set of replicas to an American city.

A group led by Paul Matheson, Mayor of Nelson, New Zealand visited the city of Eureka in California on the weekend to formalise a sister city arrangement between the two cities. As part of the exchanging of gifts Mayor Matheson presented #2 of a limited edition of 100 replicas of Sauron's gauntlet ring. The ring is measures almost 2 inches in diameter, and is made of close to 3 oz. of sterling silver & richly plated in 18ct gold.

The Nelson region in the South Island of New Zealand was home to sets for the filming of Chetwood Forest, Rivendell and the Dimrill Dale exit from the Mines of Moria.

Read more:
Eureka, CA, USA Newspaper Report
Nelson, NZ Newspaper report

More Pictures
sauron_1.jpg
sauron_3.jpg
sauron_4.jpg

Oscar Winner Wears the 'real One Ring'

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 01 Mar 2004 05:14:00 +0000

2004 Oscar Winners
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Grant Major (Art Direction); Dan Hennah and Alan Lee (Set Decoration)

Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith is proud to congratulate Dan Hennah and his colleagues in their Oscar success.

Dan wore a unique 'One Ring' lapel pin handcrafted in solid 18ct gold by the team at Jens Hansen.

Dan Hennah giving post award interview

photograph copyright Heather M. Stanfield

Closeup photo of One Ring Lapel Pin

Click Link for hi-res photo of Dan.

Rings jeweller recognised

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 26 Feb 2004 22:41:00 +0000

"Rings jeweller recognised

27 February 2004
By KAREN CLARK, Nelson Mail

As accolades continue to roll in for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, the Nelson company which created the ring for it is receiving accolades of its own.

Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith has just been nominated for an Imperial Mark, an international recognition of excellence.
Only a limited number of organisations can hold the prestigious mark at any one time. "

See link for full archived story.

Photo copyright MARTIN DE RUYTER/Nelson Mail

Norwegian LOTR Site Interview

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 09 Dec 2003 02:18:00 +0000

Norwegian LOTR fan site Alqualonde published this interview with us:

Alqualondë » Interviews » Halfdan Hansen

Interview with Halfdan Hansen
Interview published December 9th, 2003
Halfdan Hansen is the son of Jens Hansen. Jens Hansen made all the different versions of the One Ring, for the LOTR movies. Sadly, Jens is dead, but we are lucky enough to get an interview with Haldfan, his son. Here it is!

1. In the behind-the-scenes book for The Two Towers written by Brian Sibley, your brother Thorkild said that at the first Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith did was to make 15 different prototypes for the Ring, all having the same simplicity, but being different in size and weight. Could you describe how some of the other rings looked, compared to the final outcome.

...Please visit Link to read the full interview

A treat for our German Readers

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Thu, 04 Dec 2003 08:28:00 +0000

We were honored to have a visit today from Cirdan aka the Editor-in-Chief of the largest German LOTR fan website www.herr-der-ringe-film.de

He was on tour in the 'real Middle Earth' and stopped by to introduce himself. He took a few photos and posted an account of his visit on his own personal blog.

If you would like to read his full post in German please click the Link below.

German TV on quest for ring venues

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 31 Oct 2003 10:36:00 +0000

A thrill-seeking German pop star wearing elf ears made a quick visit to Nelson this week. After a day in Queenstown bungy jumping and swinging across canyons on Wednesday, Gracia Bauer spent Thursday in Nelson filming a travel show based on the Lord of the Rings.

Gracia was one of the top 5 finalists in 'Deutschland sucht den Superstar' (Germany's Search for a Superstar)' the German television version of American Idol.

Gracia poses with the Jens Hansen One Ring statue for the local Nelson newspaper.

The One Ring Sculpture in NZ

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 12 Sep 2003 23:57:00 +0000

Lord of the Rings Movies Information TheOneRing.net News Archives: "The One Ring Sculpture in NZ
9/13/03, 1:41 pm EST - Xoanon

The One Ring Sculpture

The One Ring Sculpture
Jens and Thorkild Hansen wrote to us with details on the creation of a One Ring sculpture on permanent display at the World of Wearable Arts Complex in Nelson, New Zealand. The 2kg, 6 inch in diameter scale replica of the One Ring was turned from steel, hand polished and richly plated with 5 microns of 18ct gold. The approx. 1ft square cube weighs 42kg and was hewn from an 8 tonne greenstone boulder that had been heli-lifted from Awaroa Point in South Westland. The ring sits atop a massive pounamu river cobble which came from the headwaters of the Arahua river. [See Link for More]"

Second Prototype Ring Makes over US$4500- at Auction

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Fri, 12 Sep 2003 03:23:00 +0000

For those who have been following it, this is to confirm that the second Jens Hansen One Ring prototype ring made US$4583- at auction.

Second Jens Hansen One Ring Prototype Goes under Hammer

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Mon, 01 Sep 2003 01:10:00 +0000

You may remember back in April 2003 seeing us posting a news item about the auction by Sotheby's of one of the unique prototype rings that my father Jens Hansen had created during the One Ring design process.

That ring actually sold for US$5750- and my brother & I have been persuaded to release one more of prototypes to auction.

Jens Hansen, designer and creator of the 'One Ring', worked closely with Dan Hennah, Academy Award nominated Supervising Art Director, in the quest to design the perfect ring. This prototype was handmade by Jens Hansen and is only one of seven known remaining silver prototypes. Each prototype has a different shape and represented the evolution of the design process as the movie makers and my father searched for the perfect design to be used for filming. This ring is especially significant as it was the first prototype ever made and thus represents the first physical expression in metal of the creative process.

This auction finishes September 13th, 2003

See the link for a Windows .wmv video which accompanies the auction listing - NB: 1Mb file

Auctioneers Description
An epic story, an epic book, an epic film--so goes the tale of the phenomenon known as "Lord of The Rings". As J.R.R. Tolkien's epic saga took the world by storm, the makers of the film realized they had a hefty task ahead of them in the quest for a successful movie interpretation of the written masterpiece. Since the entire premise of the film centers around a mystical ring, it was clear to the film's makers that a focused and concentrated effort was needed in order to find the perfect representation of "The Ring". Presented here is the very first prototype ring ever created for the film, acquired directly from Jens Hansen, the silversmith who was commissioned by New Line Cinema to create the mystical masterpiece for the film. Accompanying this prototype ring is a detailed Letter of Authenticity from the silversmith's son, Halfdan Hansen, reading in part, "My father, the late Jens Hansen, designer and creator of the 'One Ring', worked closely with Dan Hennah, Academy Award nominated Supervising Art Director, in the quest to design the perfect ring. This prototype was handmade by Jens Hansen and is only one of seven known remaining silver prototypes. Each prototype has a different shape and represented the evolution of the design process as the movie makers and my father searched for the perfect design to be used for filming. This ring is especially significant as it was the first prototype ever made and thus represents the first physical expression in metal of the creative process." Backed by a unique history and rock solid provenance, this offering represents a special opportunity to own a fabulous relic from perhaps the greatest movie in modern cinematic history. Presented in association with JulienEntertainment.com

Sotheby's sells One Ring Prototype for US$5750-

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Tue, 13 May 2003 01:59:00 +0000

Thorkild & I are pleased to announce that there was a lot of interest in the recent Sotheby's sale of one of our father's original & unique One Ring design prototypes. The ring made US$5750- at auction.

Why Auction the Prototypes?

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Sat, 10 May 2003 03:30:00 +0000

My brother, Thorkild Hansen, and I own and operate Jens Hansen - Gold & Silversmith in Nelson, New Zealand.

www.jenshansen.com and www.lordoftheringsring.com

Our late father, esteemed Danish born and New Zealand based jeweler, Jens Hansen, designed and made the One Ring gold ring used in the filming of the current Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

Although the movie makers ordered some forty One Ring's of various sizes from us for the different scenes in the movie, my brother and I were left by our father seven original silver ring design prototypes, and the two original Gold Plated Sterling Silver rings one of which was ultimately selected as the final design for the One Ring from which all subsequent One Rings we made for the movies were replicated.

We contacted Sotheby’s earlier in the year and they, through their associate EntertainmentRarities.com, listed and auctioned one of the silver prototypes as a lot in a major auction called Hollywood: Past & Present. The auction was held on eBay, the internet auction website and concluded April 11, 2003.

The sterling silver ring offered (number 5 in photo below) was an actual working item from the design process for the creation of the One Ring for the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy filmed in New Zealand. The ring was one of only 7 known remaining silver prototypes, each one different, representing the evolution of the design process. Sotheby’s estimated its value at between US$8,000-$10,000 and it actually made US$5750-.

During the design process my father was working with Supervising Art Director, Dan Hennah, who was actually nominated for the Academy Award for Set Decoration both this year and last year. Dan also recently won an Art Director's Guild of America award for his work on The Two Towers.

Why did we offer the prototype?

Since fans first discovered that Jens Hansen designed and made the One Ring for the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, there has been tremendous interest from overseas in the prototypes and the story of the creation of the ‘real One Ring’.

Another reason we have finally agreed to look at auctioning the prototypes is to help put the record straight. Just before the first movie Fellowship of the Rings came out in 2000, a German jeweller named Oliver Noll, claimed to have been the One Ring designer and attempted to auction his prototype on eBay. The auction was sponsored by a big West German radio station and the proceeds were to have gone to charity. The auction was timed to end just when the movie premiered but was withdrawn by eBay 24 hours beforehand. By the time the auction was pulled the ring had reached bids of 60,000 Euros! We later found an official explanation that was issued to explain the situation. Basically they said it was all a bit of an unfortunate misunderstanding because the ring in question was NOT the basis of the ring actually shot in the movie, but rather the basis of a replica ring that the German jeweller’s company had gone on to sell to fans upon the release of the movies. i.e. it was the prototype of a merchandise replica – which did not at all resemble the actual One Ring which was supplied by us and used in the movie.

However, the main reason we have released the rings for auction is that our father loved designing and, like all artists, enjoyed to see his works cherished by appreciative owners.

Photo

As the photo shows we had seven silver prototype One Rings and two in 18ct gold plated silver. The last gold ring on the right was the actual prototype chosen for use in the movie and is thicker and wider than the penultimate.

All other One Rings we made for the movie - whether in 18ct solid gold or gold plated sterling silver, were made to the exact proportions of the last ring shown to the right of the photo. Please have a look at www.jenshansen.com/ring.html if you haven't already for more facts about the real One Ring.

Prototype One Ring Up For Auction!

noreply@blogger.com (HHansen) — Wed, 02 Apr 2003 00:56:00 +0000

Original Jens Hansen One Ring prototype goes on sale through Sotheby's

Sotheby's have listed for auction a unique prototype of the One Ring made by Jens Hansen, during the design process for the film. Jens Hansen was a noted New Zealand jeweler, and designer of the One Ring for the trilogy. An original concept drawing by Dan Hennah, Twice-Academy Award Nominated, will be offered with the piece.

From the Sotheby’s (eBay) web listing:

The sterling silver ring and concept design sketch are actual working items from the design process for the creation of the One Ring for the "Lord of the Rings" movie trilogy filmed in New Zealand. The ring is one of only 7 known remaining silver prototypes, each one different, representing the evolution of the design process. The ring includes the original sketch drawn by Supervising Art Director and Academy Award Nominee Dan Hennah. The ring was handmade by master goldsmith Jens Hansen and comes with a certificate of authenticity. The ring is in a wooden box.