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Monday, February 28, 2011

Other themed beads have been made with specific ideas in mind.

From Trollbeads to Troll beads to giant sized California Trollbead,Since the company’s relatively small beginnings in 1976, Trollbeads have taken on many different forms, made from a variety of different materials such as gold, Murano glass and semi precious and precious stone as well as the original material the first beads were crafted from –silver.
The unique interchangeability and quirkiness of Troll beads has since led them to experience something of a revival, mainly due to the popular trend for personalised items of clothing and jewellery which began during the late 1990s. Since incorporating the removable locking mechanism into the bracelet during the eighties, the bracelet has become a kind of modern day charm bracelet, allowing the wearer to interchange beads to her (Or his, as the designs are also worn by men) heart’s desire.
Of course, the spectrum of different colours means that the bracelets can be either beautifully co-ordinated with the wearer’s outfit or mixed together for a pick and mix sweetshop effect of lovely, kooky randomness. The charm of the Trollbead has been recognized by many as a major selling point –not only are they purely decorative, but they also tell a story, too. The original designer, Søren Nielsen, cites “Trolls, stories, mythology and other cultures” as his main inspirations, but the versatility of the simple gold or silver Trollbead can lend itself to a plethora of other images as well pertaining to all kinds of subjects, interests and passions.
It is this aspect that makes Troll beads so highly personal to the wearer. If she or he is interested in science, there is a planetary themed bead. If the wearer is passionate about horticulture, there is a bouquet of floral Trollbeads out there to choose from. And should the wearer take an interest in mythology originating from the company’s native country of the Netherlands, you can be assured there are a variety of beads which will fit the bill perfectly for the wearer!
Other themed beads have been made with specific ideas in mind. In the last few months, the company has toured the world, designing themed beads related to each country. So German beads featured famous images including buildings and cars manufactured in Germany, while the Italian collection featured a Trollbead designed in the country’s flag colours of green, white and red. The Netherlands collection featured of course, a tiny windmill and a sunflower bead –a nod of recognition to another home-grown talent, Vincent Van Gogh.
It is suggested that each bead on a Trollbeads bracelet tells a story about the wearer –and this is true –by building up a collection of themed beads, one can almost see a timeline of the wearer’s life marked out not only by interests and hobbies, but also landmark occasions such as Troll beads relating to graduations, birthdays, new births, even special beads known only to the wearer, making each bracelet as individual and personal as a tattoo.

Soon customers realised the cult potential of Troll beads.

From Trollbeads to Troll beads to giant sized California Trollbead,Taking the world of jewellery making by storm, Trollbeads emerged in 1976 in a small jewellers shop in Copenhagen, and have since become one of the most covetable, collectable and ubiquitously worn items of jewellery ever to be made. The first Trollbead was designed by silversmith Søren Nielsen, which consisted of a small silver bead with six faces, each with a different expression. Because of the “troll-like” features of the face (Trolls frequently also appear in Danish Folklore), the beads became known as Troll beads. The beads have since become immensely popular due in part to their versatility (The beads can be interchanged on the bracelet they are strung onto), but Nielsen was quick to discover just how many possibilities Trollbeads had to offer: “Their intention was to tell a story and facilitate communication between people. More than 30 years have passed since I began and new Trollbeads keep coming. Trolls, stories, mythology and other cultures are often my inspiration." The Nielsen-Aagaard family still work closely together to produce Troll beads even to this day –Lise Aagaard, Søren Nielsen’s sister, is in charge of shipping and distribution. In 1987, it was Lise who opened a sister store in Lyngby, and who later began shipping the beads to buyers the world over. The following year, Aagaard introduced the use of Murano glass into the making of the beads, which were originally made by glass blown in an 800 degree flame.
The eighties also saw a change in the design of the bracelet which would revolutionise jewellery making as a whole –the introduction of a removable lock, like many aspects of the company, was a seemingly minor alteration in design which produced huge changes for the company. Soon customers realised the cult potential of Troll beads –they were no longer quirky, funny little pieces of jewellery made in the Netherlands –they were changing the way people wore jewellery forever. In addition, a stopper or spacer Trollbead could be placed between beads on the bracelet to stop larger beads from falling off and to add a neater effect to bracelets containing one or two beads.
Since the company’s inception in the seventies, beads have been made in a variety of different materials. Apart from the silver and Murano glass versions, there have also been beads made from gold, precious and semi precious stones. The silver and gold versions continue to be highly popular, largely due to their potential to be formed into an endless variety of different shapes, colours and sizes. In a similar sense to traditional charm bracelets then, a Trollbead could be given to the wearer signifying a special occasion such as an anniversary, a birthday, or a bead could be given denoting a particular passion or hobby the wearer might have.
Over the past three decades, the company has spearheaded new concepts in design and jewellery making, demonstrating again and again how tiny design ideas really can blossom into something extraordinary –not unlike the first bead created, back in 1976.

Trollbeads quickly became the ideal gift to give to loved ones.

From Trollbeads to Troll beads to giant sized California Trollbead,In 1976, a young silversmith, Søren Nielsen, crafted the first ever silver Trollbead. “The Mask”, so called because it had six different faces all with different expressions, was the starting point for a family legacy for Nielsen (Every family member later took on a role in the business, including Nielsen’s sister, Lise Aagaard, who later became in charge of distribution and export.) Originally only sold in their father’s small Copenhagen –based jewelers, the tiny silver beads became incredibly popular quickly, and it was not long before beads of all different shapes sizes and designs were being requested by customers.
The Nielsen-Aagard family responded to these requests over the next three decades, producing Troll beads made from all kinds of materials, including precious and semi-precious stones, gold and Murano glass. The main construct of the bracelet, which was originally made from leather, was made available in both gold and silver.
As well as being purely decorative, it was soon discovered that Troll beads could tell a story, too. As well as folklore characters such as the trolls which gave the beads their unique name, beads could be made in the style of charms found on a charm bracelet, alluding to everything from science to music, to art and everything in between.
Because of this, and because of their highly versatile nature (The bracelets later incorporated a locking mechanism, meaning beads could be added, taken away and interchanged) Trollbeads quickly became the ideal gift to give to loved ones, particularly for their collectable qualities, meaning that the wearer could collect an almost limitless number of Trollbeads, switching them and removing them as they chose.
After a brief hiatus out of the limelight, Trollbeads became more popular than ever before towards the late nineteen nineties as the trend for personalization took off. With bracelets being seen on celebrities everywhere from Emma Watson, to Jennifer Love Hewitt to Jessica Simpson, the humble Trollbead was garnering not only the public attention but that of the stars, too.
The unique design of a Trollbead lends itself to all kinds of fashions, tastes and designs, is compatible with a spectrum of differently coloured outfit and can be personalised according to the wearer’s interests and hobbies. As well as being highly collectable and covetable, the beads have also a timeless quality about them to match even traditional charm bracelets.
With this in mind, the longevity of the company comes as no surprise –and it’s still going strong, even to this day. Trollbeads have almost certainly earned their place in history as one of the most groundbreaking inventions in jewellery making ever to be designed, from “The Mask” made by a Danish silversmith, to an empire of sorts which eventually took the world by storm with their tiny, charming beads.