Trollbeads information that can inspire your creativity with your own Trollbeads collection. Share your thoughts, be involved and please leave comments!

It seems that there are many collectors who have decided that the Pink Prism in the Breast Cancer Awareness set is new. Even after I explain the discussions I've had with Trollbeads explaining the history of the bead, I have been told I am wrong. I have heard that some collectors feel I am misleading people. For the honest people of Trollbeads and for me this is disappointing. How did this feeling of superiority develop with collectors and how did they come to distrust the truth? This irks me more when this is a fund raising event for Breast Cancer Awareness. When you consider the history Trollbeads has had with all of their humanitarian efforts worldwide, it's shameful.

Last year Trollbeads asked me for an opinion on what they should do with a box of old Pink Prisms uncovered when they were moving their offices. As you know Trollbeads does not get involved in the retired bead market however were sensitive enough to know by just releasing 2000 OLD Pink Prisms into the marketplace would hurt the value of this bead in the secondary market. Imagine Trollbeads collectors doubting the provenance of this bead when it was released in this manner to protect the value of their collections...

Knowing it needed to be in a limited edition format Trollbeads United States decided to use it in the Breast Cancer Awareness set. It would be win-win situation.  Newer collectors could have the old Prism and money would go to what I consider to be one the most important causes. There were also a number that went to Australia, as you all know, because the company likes to offer special beads to different countries.

After explaining the history to one collestor I was told that I was wrong that these were lighter and stamped so they were new. Having been a part of this decision process for little awhile I was obviously insulted and realized to what extent the damage by the ones feeling this way had gone. When I was confronted with this train of thought I knew I had to go to the source to ask Lise and Peter Aagaard to share with you what the story is. I explained that many collectors had decided, all on their own, to tell each other these Pink Prisms were not old. I am so disturbed that this uninformed way of thinking would hurt the Breast Cancer Awareness fund raising effort I am posting the personal response to my email from Peter Aagaard.

"Pink Prism is the real deal and from one of the original shipments. It is a type of glass which varies a lot (and why it was retired) – that is probably why it is different from other Pink Prism that they have seen. We found the beads unstamped when we moved – that is why the stamp is new – but the glass is old and I believe from one of the first shipments. Glass comes out different in different batches so one can be more translucent than another and also have variation in colors. The specific glass is not produced anymore so I can guarantee you that the beads are not new!"

 From left to right:Carole, Soren, Kim Murray (our star event helper) Louise,Penni and Peter Aagaard.

Our brick and mortar store, Rogers Gallery (as opposed to TrollbeadsGallery.com) hosted our second event with a genuine Trollbeads designer and who also happens to be one of my very favorite designers, Soren Nielsen. Yes, he is as kind and gentle as he appears in his pictures.

The event itself was wonderful in the sense that the people who attended were not as much excited about the product this time but more by meeting the artist who helped create Trollbeads and to them that was the whole purpose for attending.  I feel as though I have succeeded in expressing the very essence of the spirit behind the company and this spirit is all about the artists and about the art they create.  Everyone was so excited to meet Soren and to see him work with his wax and flame that they stood in layers trying to see every step and technique.

After a while at “the bench”  Soren graciously invited the more adventuresome souls to try their hand at the wax and helped them get a feel for the technique and each one created something they could take home and have made into a bead.  Before Soren left late that afternoon he created a charm by using a pod he found in front of the gallery.  We have two special Stewartia trees and each year their blossums develop into beautiful pods and as much as I have appreciated the pods each year I never would have thought to make anything of them.  Imagine seeing the world from Soren's eyes, he must go throught life imagining everything as a bead. I am now anxious to have it made into a silver charm I can have dangle from my bracelet.

How did I feel? Wow, how do I even begin to explain how if felt for me to have Soren under my roof and in my gallery?  How can I put it into words?  Let alone Soren, but to have his brother in law, Peter Aagaard at the same time was just as exciting. You have to understand I have been absolutely fascinated by this incredible family for years now and before they came to distribute the line in the U.S. themselves earlier this year, I never thought the time would come where I would actually have them in my gallery with me. First Isobel and now Soren and Peter. I was nervous and excited at the same time.

With each incounter with the family and with the designers I come to learn more about the creative process and about the company itself.

Soren and Peter, we all give you our thanks for the very enjoyable day.