The Lord of the Rings™ is based
on the story of the One Ring, so it stands that if there is
only One Ring, there must also be only one creator, and the
original designer and maker for the ring used in the Peter
Jackson movie trilogy The Lord of the Rings™ was Jens
Hansen - Gold & Silversmith of Nelson New Zealand.
" My
father knew and loved The Lord of the Rings and was very excited
when he heard that Peter Jackson was going to film it in New
Zealand, then came a phone call asking if he would make the
One Ring and he was thrilled and honoured "
Thorkild Hansen.
The movie's Art Direction team (later nominated for an
Academy Award for their work on the set) first approached
Jens Hansen in March 1999. From here 15 prototypes were
submitted, they all boasted the same elegant simplicity
but came in a variety of weights and finishes. From this
extensive collection a decision was made and the final design
for the One Ring was selected.
Jens and his son Thorkild then had to make the One Ring
scaled for different scenes and sized to suit the various
owners of the Ring. We all know that there is only One Ring,
but for the film over forty variations were needed. From
smaller solid gold versions that perfectly fit Hobbit's
fingers, to the one seen in the prologue spinning and turning
through the air. With a diameter of a massive eight inches
this ring obviously couldn't be made of solid gold, so steel
was used, it was cut on a lathe and then plated.
We are not an authorized or official licensee
for any of the Lord of the Rings™ movie jewellery or
merchandise, and we would hate to add to any confusion regarding
the marketing or ownership rights of the One Ring. However,
since the high profile launch of the Fellowship of the Ring,
and the impending premier of the Two Towers movie release,
interest and requests from discerning individuals has been
so high, that we have decided to make faithful replicas for
those who wish to own the genuine article.
Jens at his workbench. The One Ring was one of his last
creations.
Jens Hansen
1940 - 1999
To be the original designers and
makers of the One Ring is something we are exceptionally proud
of. The One Ring available here has been created with the
same dedication, passion and craftsmanship as the original.
The elegant simplicity of the design, the weight and quality
of gold used are identical. Make NO mistake, when we hand-make
your One Ring, it is the perfect reproduction of the ring
you’ve seen onscreen in The Fellowship of the Ring™,
and will see in the two movies of the trilogy yet to come.
It is an absolute reproduction, correct in every detail, right
down to NOT including any elvish inscription – this is
because the writing that appeared in the movie was actually
added in post-production as a computer generated special effect.
To remain faithful to the original storyline and idea the
movie makers asked us not too use any engraving on the One
Ring. (Please read more in our Q & A section below.)
Accompanying your One Ring will be a Certificate
of Origin, proof that you have a genuine article from
the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. It is signed by Thorkild
Hansen, son of the late Jens Hansen - original One Ring designer
and creator.
We are the actual and original
designers, makers and creators of the 'One Ring' used in the
movie trilogy that was made here in New Zealand i.e. we made
the actual One Ring you saw in the movies. However, we are
not an official or authorised licensee of The Lord of the
Rings™ merchandise as we have not applied for or purchased
rights to make an authorised or official ‘replica’.
Q. What about the other rings from
various manufacturers that carry this official approval and
have a New Line certificate of authenticity.
Yes, anyone who has successfully applied to buy the rights
from New Line Productions, Inc. may label their ring as the
officially approved one. Different manufacturers in different
countries are doing this right now ‘officially’
but the rings vary significantly between manufacturer in weight,
dimensions and design and do not have the same look, feel
and weight as the One Ring actually used in the movies. Please read the independent report on One Ring replicas at www.lunchip.com for more information.
Q. Did Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith make any of the other jewellery for the Lord of the Rings films?
Yes, we also made designed and made, Vilya, the Ring of Elrond. We have not made any replica’s of this ring but have received a few requests so far and will consider it for the future. Please email us if you are interested.
New Zealander Jasmine Wilson designed the majority of the important pieces for the films. But please note that she doesn’t make replica’s of her original designs. Please visit the following links for further information about Jasmine’s work.
Q. Are the inscriptions on the ring
cut by laser? Or just cast a mould? Does the inscription span
the whole circumference of the ring?
This is the real thing, there is no Elvish engraving on the real One Ring. In the official replicas we have seen the inscriptions are
moulded or cast and span the circumference of the ring. In
the Tolkien books the inscription only appears on the One
Ring in a few special circumstances. So to be as faithful
a reproduction of the One Ring as possible the movie makers
asked us not to use any engraving on the ring but rather,
as you are probably aware, added the Elvish writing in post-production
as a computer generated special effect just for those few
scenes in which the Elvish was to be revealed.
To maintain this accuracy the Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith
replica ring has no inscriptions or engraving other than the
Jens Hansen jeweler’s hallmark and signature which appear
on the inside band of the ring. These are the guarantee that
your One Ring came from the original source and are not normally
seen, of course, when the ring is worn on a finger.
Q. Why would anyone want to buy a
band of gold with nothing inscribed on it?
We would answer that what
you may wish to use this opportunity to join the select group
of discerning individuals worldwide who have come to us directly
to obtain an exact replica of the One Ring as we made it for
the original movie. It is the only faithful replica; made
by the original designers and makers to the exact proportions
and pattern as the original used in the movie trilogy.
In fact, many of our clients have told us they prefer the
plain finish of our ring precisely because it is exactly how
we made it for the movie and because of what they feel is
its understated elegance. They know they have the 'real thing'.
By the way many are secretly also happy at the fact that our
ring contains about twice the weight of gold for the same
price as the authorized & licensed merchandise inscribed
ring replicas we have seen.
Q. I would like to buy a Jens Hansen
Gold & Silversmith One Ring replica. Can you supply it
engraved or inscribed for me?
As you’ll understand
by now, to keep them as faithful as possible to the movie,
we don’t engrave any of our handcrafted One Ring replicas.
Please don’t ask as we’d hate to have to refuse you. However, if you really wanted to have your Jens Hansen real
One Ring replica inscribed you should ensure it is done exactly
the way you want it to be done by an expert qualified engraver
or jeweler in your home town. We would recommend that you
obtain the inscription text in a digital format either off
the web or by having it scanned and scaled from one of the
books. (Alternatively, I can share with you the story of a
client from Switzerland whom we recently worked with. He was
in just this predicament. He wanted the ‘real thing’
as used in the movie, but also wanted the inscription. In
the end he decided to get both a Jens Hansen – Gold &
Silversmith replica and an ‘official’ moulded and
inscribed commercial ring as he felt this was the best of
both worlds).
Q. What size One Ring was used in
the movie when we saw it worn on the neckchain?
This was a size 11 ring in
18 carat yellow gold.
It weighs approximately 19 grams (more than 1/2 oz.) and measures about 7mm tall
(just over 1/4 inch) when laid on its side. The gold in the One Ring came from
the
leading
New Zealand precious metals supplier.
Q. I’ve heard that 14 carat gold is harder than 18 carat, but does not have such a rich golden color. What are the differences between the various gold types?
14 carat is very hard but paler than 18 carat. It also, of course, contains less gold than 18 carat, and is more likely to give allergy or corrosion problems depending on the wearer’s skin. That said the color difference is not ‘dramatic’ and many people are very happy with our 14 carat One Ring. You will find some excellent articles at http://www.18carat.co.uk/information.html which may help you make up your mind abput which type of gold to have your One Ring made in.
Q. How long after I make my order can I expect to receive my real One Ring?
After we receive your order it normally it takes a day or so to make your One Ring and then we send by priority insured international courier which can take as little as 4 days to reach you and maximum 10 days.
We use the New Zealand Post Office International Express courier service. They are a DHL partner, and this is also an insured service which protects you in case your package was not to safely arrive.
Q. Could I be liable for any Customs duties and taxes in my country when I receive my One Ring?
We have not yet had any reports about excessive duty being charged anywhere but, of course, we can’t tell you exactly what the rules in your country may be. If you are worried about this please contact your local DHL or government Customs office and ask them.
The real One Ring is made at its original home in the Jens Hansen – Gold and Silversmith workshop in Nelson, New Zealand. We actually charge your credit card the equivalent price in New Zealand dollars and your credit card company converts this back to your own currency. Please visit www.xe.com for a currency converter.
Q. I don’t have a credit card, do you accept any other forms of payment?
Yes – When you are ready to buy please indicate on your order if you would like to use WesternUnion, PayPal, or a Bank Draft or Wire Transfer. We will then email you back the details you need to complete payment.
Q. What if I am not completely satisfied with my One Ring?
While we have never had a One Ring returned yet, if for some reason you were not completely satisfied then we would gladly refund the purchase price of the ring – less our shipping and handling costs – as soon as you had safely returned the ring to us. To guarantee safe return we would strongly recommend using an insured courier service such as DHL, Fedex etc.:
1) Please contact us by email to explain the problem. If necessary we will then issue you a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number.
2) The procedure is to the send the One Ring back to us by some form of courier e.g. DHL. Please make sure the package is insured in case of any loss and please label the Customs declaration “Returned Faulty Merchandise” and enclose a copy of the original invoice you got from us if you still have it.
3) Provided you have the RMA number we will then refund the cost of your purchase less our original shipping cost.
™The Lord of the Rings and Related
Marks are Trademarks of The Saul Zaentz Company d/b/a Tolkien
Enterprises under license to New Line Productions, Inc.
