About Us

Nelson's Most Established & Only International Recognised Artisan Jewellery Workshop

• Lifetime Workmanship Guarantee

• Generations of Delighted Customers

• Jens Hansen Workshop Brochure 

• Meet the Makers of The World's Most Famous Ring

Since 1960

Jens Hansen's hand-forged designs are easily recognized and crafted to last for generations.

All the jewellery is handcrafted, original, precious and crafted 'to be worn'. This simple philosophy rewards us with creative pieces that we can all embrace, afford and love, and was also why New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson asked Jens Hansen to design and make the Movie Ring* for his film versions of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings™ and The Hobbit™ books.  

Danish-born Jens (pronounced ‘Yens’) moved to Auckland, New Zealand in 1952, where he completed a traditional jewellers apprenticeship. In 1960 he held his first solo exhibition at New Vision gallery. His journeyman years included time in Copenhagen, with Royal Danish Court Jewellers, A. Michelsen. In 1968, Jens settled in Nelson with his wife Gurli and Halfdan, his first son. For more history, see towards the end of this page.

Lifetime guarantee:

All pieces made today by our in-house team of internationally experienced jewellers carry the Jens Hansen signature hallmark, which is your lifetime guarantee of workmanship.

The Maker's Mark:

Recreations of Jens’ original ready-to-wear designs also carry his own personal maker’s mark; a version of the Chi-Rho. Long used as an omen of good luck, as it was similar to the pagan word for gold, it was used in the first centuries by believers to mark possessions, and later became the emblem of the imperial standard of Roman Emperor Constantine.

The World's Most Famous Ring:

"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 - he was thrilled and honoured." - Thorkild Hansen

We all know there is only one The One Ring in the famous books, but Jens and his son, goldsmith Thorkild Hansen, made more than 40 variations of the Movie Ring* for the films. These were scaled for different scenes and sized to suit its various owners - from smaller solid gold versions that perfectly fit Hobbit's fingers, to the 8-inch ring seen in The Lord of the Rings' prologue spinning and turning through the air.

The Jens Hansen Replica Ring's available here have been created with the same dedication, passion and craftsmanship as the original seen onscreen in The Lord of the Ring and The Hobbit trilogies.

Jewellers at Work Today

Our Nelson studio workshop is host to a number of jewellery makers and jewellery experts, who are committed to creating and selling unique, custom, quality jewellery, and continuing the Jens Hansen legacy.

Team Members

Aiden Smith

Aiden is our benchhand and as our jewelers apprentice is well on his way to achieving his full trade certification.

Amanda Wearing

Amanda is our all-knowing store and personnel manager. She can answer questions about any of the Jens Hansen collections, including the Movie Rings*.  Click here to read more about Amanda.

Claire Day

Claire handles second tier online questions and sales enquiries. She's a product specialist with many years of experience who can answer all your questions on any Jens Hansen piece.

Halfdan Hansen

Halfdan is Jens Hansen's elder son, and has been director of the store for the last five years. He is committed to continuing his father's legacy, particularly when it comes to the Movie Ring* that his father Jens and brother Thorkild worked on for the Peter Jackson movies.

Lee-Anne Weenink

Lee-Anne is our front line online sales and internet support specialist. As first contact for many visitors to our store she is both a great brand ambassador for Jens Hansen and passionate promotor of our beautiful Nelson region.

Natasha Wearing

Natasha is our office administrator extraordinaire working tirelessly behind the scenes to keep everything running smoothly.

Simon Colegate

Simon joined the team in 2016, after moving from South Africa to New Zealand. He is an experienced Jeweller and Diamond Setter, and is trade certified by the Mining Qualifications Authority of South Africa.

Ray Mitchell

Ray is a very experienced independent jeweller who consults to our team and first began collaborating with Jens Hansen in 1989. Ray says that the jewellery Jens created, including the Movie Ring*, was "opulent, attention grabbing, generous, demanding and very precious."

Rebecca Charleton

Rebecca is in charge of our international shipping and internet order fulfilment. She makes sure we get your order right and shipped as quickly as possible anywhere in the world.

Tanya Rowe

There to greet you with a big big smile as you walk through the studio door, Tanya has been one of our diamond and jewellery sales people since September 2013.

Tanya has an event management, sales and marketing background and worked at the World of Wearable Art Awards Show in Nelson before joining Jens Hansen. In line with Jens Hansen’s professional development, Tanya has completed a Diamond Council of America course & the Gemmological Association of Australia Practical and Advanced Diamond Grading courses to increase her knowledge of diamonds and the jewellery business.

Tanya loves the big Jens Hansen pieces, her favourites are the Legacy Pendants because of their bold, unique and sculputural design.

A keen paddleboarder and swimmer Tanya is always looking forward to getting out onto the water and enjoying the Nelson lifestyle. 

 

Zane Colegate

Zane joined the team in 2012, after moving from South Africa to New Zealand with his wife. He is an experienced Jeweller, CAD Designer and Diamond Setter, and is trade certified by the Mining Qualifications Authority of South Africa. He was awarded an Honourable Mention in the Professional Category of the 2011 PlatAfrica awards.

 

More about Jens Hansen and Nelson

The Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmith Workshop was borne from the passion of creativity and experimentation. The first Nelson workshop, set up in 1968, was in the front room of the family home at 8 Alton Street. This quickly became a centre for the local arts community, where Jens' talent, energy, enthusiasm, and outspoken personality drew people in from all over the world. From here Jens trained, worked with and influenced many of New Zealand's leading contemporary jewellers.

Jens had an unusually broad training in gold and silversmithing in both New Zealand and Europe. From these traditional practices he combined design elements from other disciplines such as sculpture, architecture and art. He found new ways of working outside traditional structures.

Even after Jens’ death in 1999, his passion, pioneering outlook and creativity continues to infiltrate the vibrant Nelson arts scene. The workshop’s influence still resonates in New Zealand’s creative industries, as Jens Hansen’s spirit and teaching live on through the workshop’s current craftsmen.

Honesty, originality, creativity, quality and the ability to converse with the creator continue to set Jens Hansen - The Ringmaker above all others. In this day and age it's pleasing to know that these traits are still honoured and deeply engrained in every piece created in our workshop.

You can read more about Jens at The Prow - Nelson's Local History (Link opens in new window) 
 
BONUS: Want to know what the Jens Hansen team thinks are the best things to do in Nelson? Click here to learn what you might be missing.

Jens Hansen 14 July 1940 - 10 August 1999

1940	Born Gram, Denmark.
1952	Came to New Zealand from Odense, Denmark.
1955	Traditional apprenticeship at Sweeney's Jewellers Auckland & painting classes with Garth Tapper.
1960	Solo exhibition of silverware at New Vision Gallery Auckland.
1962	Left New Zealand to study in Europe.
1962-1965	Worked at Michelsen's, the Court Jewellers, & Borups in Copenhagen. Studied at School of Applied Arts & Industrial design, Copenhagen.
1964	Participated in exhibition at Guild Hall, Copenhagen.
1965	Returned to New Zealand. Worked at A. Kohn Jeweller, Auckland & attended sculpture workshop with Jim Allen.
1966	Started own business in Glen Eden, then in Titirangi, Auckland.
1968	Moved to Nelson & opened Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith at 8 Alton Street.
1970	Moved workshop to Hardy Street.
1970s-1980s	Ran summer school classes in sculpture and painting.
1973	Moved workshop to 320 Trafalgar Square.
1975-1976	Received Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council grant to work at Goldsmiths High School, Copenhagen. Studied painting, Copenhagen.
1977	Returned to New Zealand.
1980s	With Gavin Hitchings established jewellery classes at Nelson Polytechnic.
1980s	Advisor to Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council of New Zealand.
1983	Founding member Details, the Jewellers, Bone & Stone Carvers of New Zealand.
1990, 1995	Artist in Residence, Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin.
1968-1998	Exhibited in over 30 solo exhibitions. Participated in a large number of group exhibitions in New Zealand, Australia & Europe.
1999	Commissioned to make the 'One Ring' for The Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. Sons Thorkild and Halfdan continue the legacy of Jens Hansen Contemporary Gold & Silversmith.
2004	The Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa selects key Jens Hansen jewellery works for the Permanent Collection.
2008	40th Anniversary Collection Released
2011	Made The One Ring for The Hobbit movies