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

 How I met Trollbeads!

I have always loved jewellery. I am a Leo and like to express myself. With my outfits, my hair, my accessorizes. About eight years ago I started to make my own necklaces and bracelets. I sat in my living room with beads and tools all over the table. Every spare moment I had I was busy with beading and creating. I think I have an eye for color and design: people really liked my items. So I sold them to my sisters, friends, colleagues and even jewellers.

Then I became pregnant with my first son. I adored him and soon my hobby was driven to the background. I was a mother now and with my job as journalist I had no time for other things. Son number two followed quit quickly and in June 2009 I welcomed my third son to the world. In my first years as a mother things had changed in my life. I noticed that I needed a tidy house to keep overview. So all the stuff I collected in my life little by little made room for baby stuff. I didn’t mind. I only kept what was really important to me: photos, diaries, jewellery.  And the box with beads and tools was moved to the attic.

On a Saturday in july 2009 my mother took me to the jeweller to buy me a gift for becoming a mother again. We bought earrings with pearls. The salesgirl wrapped the gift and gave me a little brochure from another brand. At home I took the brochure and I turned over the leaves over and over again. What I saw where beads in sparkling colors and great designs. I was attracted to them, could not believe I did not know about this brand that was called Trollbeads. I did some research on the internet, called for my husband and said: what if I would buy one of these. And I did. One week later I was the proud owner of a silver necklace with an antique flower, dolly (retired), drop black (retired) and a flower lock.

Since that purchase I discovered more and more about Trollbeads. I read on sites and forums about the Aagaard family, retireds, unique, designers and the story behind the beads. I started visiting dealers and soon knew everything about the brand. I don’t need to say that all that research  involved buying more beads. But that was all for a good cause. After years of being a mother, a wife and a journalist I had found a new hobby that I could easy combine in my busy life. It gives me a great new way to express myself. Playing with the beads is relaxing after a long day of work and best of all: my new love doesn’t cry, doesn’t wear diapers and fits in a small box!

Anna Teresa is a journalist and lives in The Netherlands. Anna Teresa is a member of Trollbeads Gallery Forum and a good friend to many of her fellow forum members!

Think about the first collections you were consumed by. If you were lucky, as I was, it was young in life. You had someone in your family or in your group of friends who showed you a collection and you became enthralled with the idea of having something to collect. That is how it happened with me. I can still remember every collection I was ever shown and I can tell you everything I ever collected and I remember with fondness the innocence of my desire to “collect”, not so much to own but to have an interesting group of one thing, a collection. It gave me a sense of pride and it formed a thirst to hunt down whatever it was I was collecting. What better way to teach a child about themselves and about the value of what they choose to collect. The most serious collection I had was collecting stamps. I would take my allowance to the old stamp store and buy a package carefully encased in a wax paper envelope and run home to see if I was lucky enough to find one my stamp book was missing. It gave me the sense of amassing, of working to earn something and I began to understand the value of money. How many young children do you know today have this in their lives? One of the benefits of being a Trollbeads retailer is being able to see children and see their minds working as they pick out their first beads.

     We once had a 3 year old who took shopping with Nana as a very serious endeavor. Cate would get up on our step stool and do her own choosing. No matter what Nana showed her she always had her own idea. Think about the memories both child and grandmother will always have. Cate never takes the bracelet off. She is shown in this photograph with her Trollbeads bracelet.

The idea of earning the beads comes later and girls and boys around the age of 7 to 8 do understand the concept of money and will work for allowances to purchase their own beads. These collectors have their own story books with the beads they want circled and starred. There are so many benefits of having young people collect something they are fascinated with. Beyond the value of the money, they learn what they can do without to add to their collection. They learn to take care of their collection,polish it, protect it and watch it grow. Trollbeads tell a story and who enjoys stories better than anyone?  Children! Are there young children in your life that could benefit from collecting Trollbeads?

With the introduction of the Spring 2011, Trollbeads also released a limited Edition at the same time.  The Limited Edition was Agate beads, in Pink and in Turquoise.  These beads were very unlike the Crazy Lace Agate Trollbeads released in 2010 so the release was brand new and totally unexpected.  These Trollbead stones are finished with a very high polish and are very smooth and have similar outlines to the Jasper and Picasso Jasper Trollbeads.  No facets just smooth rock.  The two colors also came in 2 choices, solid and striped.  While the solid Agate Trollbeads offer you a very drenched color, the striped Agates add pattern and intrigue to your jewelry.  Once again a hard choice to make and my advice would be to choose what you like and decide where you will use them later.  Photo below and the set at the end of this post shows a solid Pink Agate and the set at the top shows the solid Turquoise set.

Collecting Trollbeads is always about choices but making decision based on what other beads you have to use it with will stifle your collection.  Think about your Trollbeads collection as a painter’s palette, one you have all the colors spread across, and start from scratch designing new creations.  Ok, now think about the beads you said no to because they just didn’t work with what you had?  Your palette would be boring and you chance at self-exploration would once again leave you once again at the boredom door.  Is this where you want to be?  No, I know you don’t because if you did you’d be collecting some other bead brand!  So go back to your local dealer or back to the website of your choice and choose the wildest of the Agate Stripes and know your collection will always lead you to exciting places where you can reinvent yourself through Trollbeads!

The striped Agate has a very interesting story behind its development.  Like many of the interesting varieties of stones, Agates are formed from volcanic activity.  There are nodules or cavities within volcanic rocks that have had layers of silica type materials have form in regular spaces and some are thin and others wide.  These agates when cut opposite to the grain, or transversely, shows the layers as they occurred in time and it is these layers that give our Striped Agate, its name.  Hold the striped beads up to the light and you will see the light through the bead.  (Notice the bead to the right.)

The lighter silica striations go from white to a cloudy but light clear. Sometimes called banded Agate, it is the most exciting to me as a Trollbeads dealer and collector.  When you look at these new Trollbeads remember to purchase for its beauty and then be concerned as to how you might use it.  Don’t give up the chance to own something so strikingly beautiful because you are afraid of its use.

 For interesting ideas of what to use your Agate LE Trollbeads with join us on Trollbeads Gallery Forum and see what collectors are doing!

Also join us on Facebook and continue your Trollbeads journey by learning and seeing what the rest of the world is doing with their Trollbeads! http://www.facebook.com/TrollbeadsGallery

Continuing the discussion on Trollbeads 2010 we move on to the Spring Collection.  In February 2010 Trollbeads released a beautiful collection of new bead designs.  For collectors it was a very welcomed release because it offered a series of black beads and we know how black can be both stylishly modern and pin-stripe suit conservative. Black Armadillo, Black Bubbles, Fashion Flower, Chess, and the new Zebra (not to be confused with the old retired Zebra) are staples in every collection. You can take a bracelet of black and white Trollbeads and add only one other color and it changes the look entirely. The colors that look the best with the black and white beads are red, hot pink and lime green.

The “Aventurine” bead was introduced and like many of the natural “Precious Stone” beads it comes in a variety of tones and lends itself to many applications.  See accompanying photo below.

 Don’t be afraid to use green in any design as it is in the middle of the color wheel and looks good with many complimentary and contrasting colors.  This release saw the two new tassel beads (shown in photo above) in white pearl and black spinel.  The earlier drop pearls had just been discontinued and the tassel beads have a more up to date, cleaner look.  Filling the gap for” baby” beads, the” Little Boy” and the” Little Girl” beads were introduced alongside the “Hope” bead.  Soft blue, soft pink and soft mint green pearlescent/opaque glass with one cz in each bead.  The silver “Zucchini Flower” bead is big and can be used on standard necklaces, Fantasy Necklaces and on bracelets.  I use mine on a bracelet.  The “Soccer Ball” was happily welcomed by all the soccer moms we sell to and this is one of only 3 beads with any hint toward sports so it fills void. There are other beads that deserve mention but will only name two more I use a lot.  The “Paradise Birds” and the “Carved Flowers” both have the heavier feel and width of the “Limited Edition China” (from 2009) and the “Jugend” bead.  The height and width of these beads allows them to be positioned next to glass beads and they are level with the glass so they don’t get lost.  Finishing up the release was the addition of the “Swan Lock”.  I don’t know any Trollbeads Collector who isn’t always wishing for a new lock and The “Swan Lock”  is regal and  beautiful  and has been very popular. 

As far as the versitality of your use of Trollbeads goes the Spring Collection also introduced the double stand leather bracelets.  These are youthful but can also be sophisticated depending on how you dress them up or down. The leather cord is square and just large enough to effectively hold each bead in place so there is no need to fill the bracelet. 

Offered in red, beige, brown and black leather there is such variety it ends up a challenge to come up with the best look.  A nice surprice for me was these bracelets when purchased in the larger size makes a dynamite necklace!

Ok Trollbeads we are all ready for the 2011 Spring release so bring it on!

Professional photographer Celia Pearson was visiting recently and I handed her the Trollbeads Coffee Table Book to watch her reaction.  Celia is a highly visual person and I wanted to see her reaction from a non Trollbeads collector's point of view.  While she finds Trollbeads fascinating, she isn't a jewelry person.  I always show, discuss and sell the book to Trollbeads collectors and I thought it would be fascinating to hear Celia's impressions.  She has illustrated books with her photography and I was eager to see what her reaction would be.  To understand Trollbeads could she see it from the the pages within this book?  I think she did!  LR

I was visiting Louise Rogers recently and she introduced me to the book An Icon in Jewellery Design: Trollbeads.  She’d already introduced me to Trollbeads. I think they are fascinating and beautiful - so creatively designed. I haven’t purchased any, but that’s only because I’m a person who wears very little jewelry.  When we opened this book together, Louise and I, I was immediately drawn to its strong and vibrant photographs. I am a lifelong photographer, so it was natural that I would notice the images.

All at once I understood Trollbeads better. The story of this family, and its company and designers, is compelling. Just as the beads come alive in the creative and inspired hands of the designers, the story comes alive in the book’s amazing photographs. All are flawlessly composed, and without exception the images are imbued with a sense of vitality and energy. There is life in these pages.

Trollbeads, too, seem to be imbued with this same life (so well described by the book’s stunning close-up photographs of them), and now I see that the vibrancy and integrity of the humans behind these beads is part of that life. They are an inspired and inspiring community and not only do they share who they are in this book, they seem as well to invite us to become a part of them.

This family and company have an unerring sense of and ability to share what I believe many of us want. I believe we want fine things, a sense of the life all around us (and in us), and community. Beauty, vitality, connection. The photographs in this book power that message, and the Trollbeads take on an added significance as they become a symbol for those things.

Thanks, Louise!

Celia Pearson

Celia Pearson Biography

Celia Pearson has been a fine art and assignment photographer for many years. Richard Bond’s lectures in Annapolis, Maryland in the 1970’s sparked a passion that has defined her adult life. Her fine art photographs are collected privately and are in two permanent museum collections: The Academy Art Museum in Easton, MD, and The New Bedford Museum of Glass in New Bedford, MA. Her work has been shown in galleries in Massachusetts, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The Cape Cod Museum of Art has just mounted an exhibit of her sea glass images that will continue through October 10, 2010. 

Pearson’s photographs of architecture, interiors, and gardens have been published in national magazines such as Coastal Living, Metropolitan Home, Southern Accents, and Residential Architect. Book credits include Pure SEA GLASS published by Sea Glass Publishing, with more than 85,000 copies sold since publication in 2004; and Wayne L. Good Architect: Tradition Elegance, Repose, a monograph published in four languages.

As a result of the book Pure SEA GLASS Pearson's work came to the attention of Maryland Public Television and was the subject of a segment on ArtWorks. MPT’s host, Rhea Feikin, described Pearson’s “innate ability to find the essence of an object that resonates with beauty”.

The artist lives in Annapolis, Maryland.

To Celia, Many thanks for looking into my world! Louise

Trollbeads is the original interchangeable bead line and through its 35 years Trollbeads continues to show its collectors why they remain head over heels ahead of the dozens of subsequent copycat bead lines.   Yes, there is at least one other company, Pandora, that has higher recognition in the market place, has higher sales and is many times larger but that is not what being top is all about.  Definitely not in my book because Pandora’s size and sheer volume has made the brand too common. What is there in Pandora to be emotionally committed to? How can you feel passion for a conglomerate making cookie cutter beads?  Trollbeads as a company, as a brand and as a product is so much more for so many reasons.  Is it that Trollbeads is still family owned and run?   Is it that Trollbeads are created by true artists who start with their sketches then moving on to wax models and then to the actual mold? Trollbeads are not computer generated designs like other bead brands. If you think of Trollbeads as a “being”, which many of us do whatever the reason, Trollbeads is the true folk hero of bead lines.  A major category of folk hero is ‘the defender of the smaller populace against the oppression or corruption of the established power structure’.  How perfect is that for Trollbeads when looking at Trollbeads in the bead marketplace today? Trollbeads does not bend to the common marketplace pressure to deliver beads like the other brands do such as cute cartoon-like children, puppies and birthday cakes. The Trollbeads designers continue to have the artistic freedom to create beads they believe in. Throughout the years Trollbeads collectors have contributed to this heroic brand through understanding the true essence of Trollbeads and understanding the deeper personal meaning to each bead. Just look at this year's winning "People's Bead Award" winner "Ice Bear" by Kristi Denning. Almost the whole of the Trollbeads collecting world voted on it because it fits the collection perfectly.  The "Ice Bear" bead truly captures the spirit of Trollbeads, the voters and Kristi's passion for the environment.  Brand new bead!

In October 2010 Trollbeads Gallery and Rogers Gallery presented the first Trollbeads Fest or “convention” of its kind in the United States. Creating the perfect weekend for collectors meant the planning took months of work but it was all worth it. Trollbeads Fest was a huge success. Mary Jo Coe, the National Director of sales at TrollbeadsUS who was present at Trollbeads Fest 2010 said “Incredibly the event was the “essence” of what Trollbeads is all about.”  There is an intangible energy within Trollbeads that brings out a similar energy in its collectors and its this phenomenon that is creating a cult like following for Trollbeads.  It is incredible to be a part of it and to watch it in action. I can’t put my finger on it but it is truly magical and to many of us that is what Trollbeads is all about. If you would like to see more of the Trollbeads spirit you may want to go to the website for the Trollbeads Fest and look through the slideshow of images.

Take a look at Trollbeads Gallery Forum.  It is clearly a very energetic group of some of the most enthusiastic Trollbeads fans in the world.  The Trollbeads Fest became a reality through the Forum and for many of us that are active forum members the closeness we all felt at the Trollbeads Fest was not unexpected.  For many it was a continuation of friendships that have formed through Trollbeads all over the world because of this one shared passion, our very own folk hero beads, Trollbeads.  It may be a shame so many cookie cutter bead brands have sullied the market since Trollbeads were born but the people who truly understand and feel the energy Trollbeads exude, it matters not.

What are your thoughts as a collector? 

Trollbeads Fest! 2010 Very Happy Attendees!

At  the time of this writing Trollbeads has released a total of 11 Precious Stone beads.  Our last Trollbeads Gallery Blog article was all about Labradorite and this article will be about Aventurine.

Of all the green Trollbeads , Aventurine is the richest and the most variable in respect to color and translucency.  From the picture I have featured here you can see the wide variety of tones which makes it a fun Trollbead to hunt for.  I am personally collecting as many tones of Aventurine Trollbeads as I can and I plan on using them on a bracelet starting with the lightest to the darkest.  When you read more about the stone, I’m sure you’ll want more than one because as far as folklore and features, there isn’t much it can’t do.

While Trollbeads only uses green Aventurine, it actually exists in a fairly large assortment of colors and within each color, a large assortment of tones.  Besides the green and blue-greens, Aventurine comes in blue, brown, yellow, orange and red.   Because Aventurine can have semi-transparent tendencies  if you look close in the right light, an Aventurine Trollbead will sparkle deep within the stone. (see photograph) The sparkle effect, called aventurescence, is due to small particles of reflective minerals such as mica, which is silvery.  Our darker toned beads tend to show it more but that is due to the contrasting tones between the silver mica and the deep emerald green.  The hardness on the Moh’s scale is very similar to Labradorite, at 6.5.  Aventurine has been mined from all over the world.

The name “Aventurine” comes from the Italian phrase “per avventura”, which translate to “by chance”.  The story is that in the 18^th century  glass workers in Venice were working with molten glass when by accident some copper shavings fell into the vat of glass.  The effect was beautiful as the copper sparkled within the glass and this all happened “by chance”.  The aventurine stone looks just like this glass, so the stone was assigned this name.  I love the connections that occur within the Trollbeads world and this stone’s very name has a direct connection to Italian glass and so many Trollbeads are made from Italian glass. 

Due to its lengthy history and worldwide availability, Aventurine has filtered into many cultures and like many stones has centuries of folklore and benefits attributed to it.  I have compiled a list of some of the stones attributes.  Like I said before, apparently there isn’t much this stone can’t do and I am very glad I am making a whole bracelet out of it.

• Tibetan Folklore says that aventurine cures myopia and invigorates creativity.
• Aventurine brings prosperity into your life.  A talisman for fortune.
• A general good luck stone, it has been used in games to the holder the extra power to win.
• Provides emotional well being by reducing stress .
• It helps you to see past the roadblocks in your life by helping you to recognize solutions.
• For centuries it has been used as a fertility charm whether it be for a child or a fresh idea.
• Is used for success in goals involving wealth, strength and independence.
• Assists in helping you give up old fears that hold you back from success.
• Will help you heal from emotional trauma and the wounds left behind.
• Has been said to lower cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Relieves allergies and migraines, calm the nervous system and strengthen the heart.
• Placing it your garden and in your home will proteck you from geopathic stress caused by underground water and fault lines.
• If you wear this stone it will protect you from environmental pollution.
• Protects the heart chakra.
• Very good for your lower back (sciatica). 
• Decisiveness: - Assists one in making the "right" decisions.

Exciting News!!

Another Trollbeads Denmark Contest!! I have just received word that Trollbeads Denmark has sent the notice out to its distributors, dealers  and customers, they have decided to run a 2010 People’s Bead Contest.  They feel that because they received thousands of beautiful and inspiring bead designs for the 2009 People’s Bead Contest, they decided to run it again! This time around there is a very quick time frame and they are asking everyone to submit ideas, drawings and photographs of  your designs for a future Trollbead! The deadline is August 22^nd.  So put your Troll-creativity into warp speed and start drawing! Just imagine a bead you wish was in the line and draw it. It's all about the idea and not the actual drawing so don't worry if you can't draw!

One hundred of their favorite designs will receive a bracelet and a lock with the winning bead as a special gift.  From this group Trollbeads Denmark will pick ten finalists.  From this group of ten all have a chance to vote for the 2010 winner!  We will have a week to vote for our favorite bead.

The winner will have their design added to the collection this December.  As a Trollbeads designer the winner will receive royalties from all the winning beads' sales and the winner will also receive the bead in 18K Gold.

The winner of the Trollbeads 2009 People’s Bead Contest was Suzanne Hopping from Australia with her exquisite design for the “Pax” Trollbead. Suzanne’s design won from over 8000 entries submitted.  Her bead is a dove with its wings around earth holding an olive branch in its beak. It is a beautiful bead in image and in meaning.  Suzanne and her design winning bead is in the large coffee table book “An Icon In Jewellry Design-Trollbeads”.  If you don’t have a copy yet you may want it! 

 Suzanne is now a friend of ours and of many fellow collectors on Trollbeads Gallery Forum and we are very excited because she will be coming to Rogers Gallery/Trollbeads Gallery, all the way from  Australia for a very special event (October 15 & 16,news to come!) and she will be at our event signing the books!   

People's Bead Contest 2010

If you haven't yet joined the Trollbeads Gallery Forum you may want to join for the following reasons and when you discover what is there, you'll have many of your oiwn reasons!

 1. Hear about new beads, bead retirements and any pertinant updates from Trollbeads first.   Timely information like this can be the difference between getting a bead and not!

2. Share your collection through photographs, everyone wants to see the Trollbeads you have. Beyond anything else on the Forum our 8000 plus photographs have inspired more collectors than any other source available.

3. Meet collectors from around the world and hear what they are collecting and how they are using their beads.  Remember Trollbeads has been around for 35 years and some of these collectors have retired beads we have never even seen before.

4. Make many new friends who share a passion with you. Many of our Trollbeads Forum members have traveled great distances to meet each other and to go Troll hunting together.

5. Read fun commentaries such as:

"The Top 10 Reasons you should embrace your Trollbeads addiction". (Under the Troll Masters Group)

6. Join one of the 3 dozen different groups. Including:

"Those that revere retired Trollbeads" group.

"Trollbeads for Men Club" group.

"Troll Master: For Addicts with 4 bracelets and above!" group.

"Troll Jedi Masters-Collectors with 10 or more bracelets." group.

7.Learn about the upcoming 2010 Trollfest!! 

Link to Forum: http://trollbeadsgalleryforum.ning.com/

New Trollbeads Releases are a very exciting time for everyone involved with Trollbeads! Trollbeads  introduces new products to its line throughout the year.  These new introductions are one of the ways Trollbeads stays ahead of the design curve by always challenging the norm to create something exciting, new and fresh.  There are usually two large introductions of new Troll beads to the existing line per year.  You will notice new color themes among the glass beads introductions and subject themes among the silver and gold beads.

Some of the new Trollbeads introductions include Limited Edition (L.E.)Trollbeads and are only offered to Premium Partner dealers. Trollbeads Gallery is a Platinum Level Premium Partner and receives the limited edition beads upon release. Trollbeads Gallery announces all new release bead information to our email list so be sure you have signed up! These smaller limited edition Trollbeadsl releases occur throughout the year.

The new products may include Italian glass beads in the three Glass Groups,faceted semi precious stone beads,18K gold beads, silver beads, new Trollbeads locks along with other new items of supporting jewelry. In early 2010 the Troll leather bracelets added a whole new dimension and a new way to wear your Trollbeads.

Each introduction is a very exciting time for Trollbeads, Trollbeads dealers and for the Trollbeads collectors. August will be our next big new Trollbeads introduction which will include the People's Bead 2010, the re-release voted for from the Trollbeads Museum from all the retired Trollbeads.

Earth was a collaborative design between Nicolas Aagaard and his grandfather Svend. It came to life in 2000 the same year that the Trollbeads 'bead on bracelet' concept was copied for the first time.

You'll find Earth, along with the Autumn Collection, at your local retailer from August 2010 (from Trollbeads Universe)