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

 It seems incredible but it has been a full year since Trollbeads Denmark took over the reigns as distributor for the United States.  On January 25th 2011 Trollbeads CEO Peter Aagaard announced through an email to the U.S. retailers, they had set up operations in Princeton, NJ and were ready to start shipping.  There were definitely some bumps in the road before it became a reality but the majority of the Aagaard's family had been here in the states all committed to making the transition as smooth as possible. They all had been busy working day and night setting up the new hub of distribution and this was just the start of a major shift of how Trollbeads would be seen by the U.S.  It wouldn't long before Trollbeads would be appreciated as a major mover and shaker in the jewelry retail industry.   The newly formed company's fine tuned professionalism began to shape TrollbeadsUS as we knew it into the new Trollbeads-United States as it now is. The prior distributor had under invested in marketing, national advertising and the activity at events on the national stage had been rare. But now that has all changed and with millions of dollars invested in advertising, participating in social marketing and by participating in major jewelry industry and fashion events the new Trollbeads-United States has positioned itself to continue to rise and be acknowledged as a major player in the collectible bead industry. After all Trollbeads was the original player 35 years ago.

Besides creating strong advertising campaigns the changes included many store visits from the Trollbeads core people including the family and the designers. They created a glass bead making demonstration event that many stores have hosted and will continue to do so. Just as Denmark was needing Peter and company to return home, the new CEO of Trollbeads-United States was announced. In mid September Michael Belleveau took over the helm from Peter Aagaard and with a smooth passing of the reigns Peter headed home with the U.S. distributorship in Michael's capable hands poised to continue to grow the brand while staying true to the Trollbeads business Mantra.

With the brilliant new Trollbeads introductions we have seen so far in January I feel assured 2012 is going to be a record breaker and I'm looking forward to continuing to enjoy the ride and I hope you are too!

Louise Rogers

Trollbeads Gallery

The photo above was taken in the gallery when we had Soren Nielsen exhibit his wax designing methods and a visit from Peter Aagaard.  I started the day by showing our Danish guests around Mattapoisett with a ride to the lighthouse and ended the day by enjoying a dinner next door at the local diner!  From left to right Carole, Soren, Kimmie,Louise, Penni and Peter.

At the end of this past February the distributorship of Trollbeads in the United States changed.  The new distributor is Trollbeads-United States a company based in Princeton, NJ completely owned and managed by the parent company, Trollbeads Headquarters and the Aagaard family.  The past month has been a busy one for the Aagaards and Trollbeads-United States from setting up their ordering and shipping processes and hiring management and support staff.   Many of the U.S. Trollbeads stores have been eagerly waiting to see the changes implemented and to find out what the changes will mean to both retailers and to our customers.  While the drama is still unfolding I can tell you, as a retailer, the changes worth noting are all positive.

One change that is most notable is the availability of Unique Beads and the quality of the Unique Beads.  The original U.S. distributor offered the Unique beads only to the premier dealers and limited them to a certain number each month.  Unique Trollebeads are now available to the retailers wanting to offer them and their quanitities are not limited. The beads themselves are altogether different and in time this change of style will create a time frame for collectors to judge the date of these beads.  To accelerate the sales and clear the stores of the old style Unique beads, Trollbeads-United States has allowed it’s dealers to run a special price event for the month of April.  Both our website, TrollbeadsGallery.com and Rogers Gallery,our actual store, is offering 3 Unique beads for $75.00.   There are many "old" familiar styles going away and they will be missed so check out your local stores and the websites and get them now before they are gone!  A sample set from Trollbeads Gallery is shown on the left.

Replacing the old beads will be the beads we have become familiar with through the European sites but are now available to the U.S. dealers.  The new Unique Trollbeads are extraordinary and are works of art showing more detail and more degrees of difficulty to create.  Isabel Aagaard, who is working in Princeton on a temporary basis, just visited Rogers Gallery during our Special Event* and she spoke about the new Unique beads explaining how some of the designs are executed which of course left us all wanting for more! Our attendees listened with focused attention as Isabel, who is the owners’ daughter, explained how she creates Unique glass beads. Isobel was also the designer for the “Origami” Trollbead.  This leads me to one more important change in the United States.

Based on availability, Trollbeads designers will be visiting the U.S. stores during Special Events and will be sharing how glass beads are made, to the extent of eventually having them make glass beads at the event.  Demystifying this process will only serve to support our love of these beads and will make collectors want more.  I know I do.  We plan on having the glass bead artists at Trollbeads Fest! 2011, in September.

Now in its second month of operation, Trollbeads-United States has shown us the promise of a great future for Trollbeads here in the United States and this discussion will be continuing in another blog soon!

 *Shown above at Rogers Gallery is Isabel Aagaard, Louise Rogers and Kristine (from Denmark Trollbeads).

When it comes to our Trollbeads collections we are always trying to come up with a new way to use our beads and to get the most mileage we can with the beads we have. Ideally you would like to use your Trollbeads with as many colors as you have in clothes in your closet. Am I right?

I think this exercise is particularly useful for new Trollbeads collectors. With a basic group of say 10 glass Trollbeads in black and whites and only 3 larger silver Trollbeads you have the core of many, many very useful bracelets. As you can see from the featured photograph we have used 5 distinct color groups and used only 4 interchangeable beads on each bracelet to create a unique look. There are so many colors within Trollbeads to work with and so many different medium options. From the glass you can branch out and use Amber, Picasso Jasper, the new limited edition Agates and so forth. Then once you have completed this collection you can move on to pulling out the black and replacing them with browns and taking out the white and using the off whites. The core beads still consist of a neutral palette but a warmer one. With this warmer core you can add aqua blues, which are sensational with browns, olive greens and a host of other warm colors.

Glass Trollbeads  

This is a good reminder for all of us to enjoy our Trollbead bracelets  in many different ways. One of our Trollbeads Gallery Forum members noted that this is an ideal way to bring your Trollbeads on vacation!  One Trollbead Bracelet with many looks!

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

In 2008 Trollbeads introduced the first release of Precious Stone Beads.   It was the beginning of what would become a very strong category for Trollbeads.   Designed by Lise Aagaard, they are faceted beads made entirely of stone with the standard Trollbeads silver core.  The stone beads are roughly 13 mm x 6 mm which makes them wider than the glass Trollbeads and taller than the Prism glass Trollbeads.   Each facet is cut into the raw stone as a diamond cutter would cut a diamond and for this reason the Precious Stone beads create a totally new reflection for your Trollbead jewelry.  The Prism beads have facets but Prisms are glass beads created in a mold so the facets have softer edges and aren’t as sharp and reflective as the facets in the stone beads.

One of my favorites is the Labradorite Precious Stone Bead.  Although the color of the stone is gray with streaks of black veining, the stone displays an array of colors according to the angle of light refraction.  This is what makes this one stone so much more fascinating to people.  The arrays of colors that “flash” within the stone can be greens, blues, pinks and yellows. The flash is referred to as “Labradorescence”.  Troll collectors are always on the hunt for the flash colors that go with a particular color theme Trollbead bracelet but they end up being more and more charmed by the unpredictability of the flashes and the color ends up not mattering as much.  Each stone seems to speak to the person selecting it.

Labradorite, sometimes referred to as spectrolyte, is a mineral that belongs to the plagioclase feldspar group. The chemical elements are a combination of sodium, calcium, silicone and aluminum. This mineral distinguishes itself through its mysterious and captivating iridescent glow and each Labradorite Trollbead will have it.  I have personally seen all four color families as mentioned above, but I have also seen the exterior of the stone come in light grays to very dark grays.   On the Mohrs Scale, which ranks the hardness of stones on a scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being the diamond, Labradorite is a 6.5.  Labradorite ranks at the top of the semi-precious stones in both brilliance and hardness.

I have enjoyed researching the various stones and discovering the different meanings each stone has.  There is so much legend and lore to stones and I can see why Trollbeads has chosen to add stones to the line as so many of the Troll beads are developed from lore and legends.  For many centuries, the occult used labradorite to relieve conditions such as headaches, depression and anxiety. The curative powers of labradorite heal illnesses associated with the eyes, brain and the intestinal tract.   In today’s world Labradorite is considered a “power” stone.  Having the stone will allow you to see through layers and illusions to determine what your actual dreams are.  It is also believed that labradorite will strengthen your intuitive powers, stimulate your imagination and creativity and also help you to develop new ideas through deeper interest and enthusiasm.  As a talisman Labradorite helps you see more clearly, without distractions, in meditation.  Do you have your Labradorite Trollbead yet? Trollbeads Gallery is happy to hunt for the best Labradorite bead for you and will send photographs if needed.

 From the Trollbeads Description: This stone is also known as the transformation stone, or star stone. It is said to contain dust from the stars and the bluish-green iridescent light that shines from its heart, is the light from a star fog embedded there by alien creatures from strange worlds. It gives strength and constitution.

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)

I have a unique perspective from a Trollbeads collectors point of view and this has helped me understand something.  Not only am I a Troll collector, I have a Trollbeads store , I am a seller of Retired Trollbeads, a Trollbeads Gallery Forum moderator and manager, a Trollbeads website manager and that's just the tipof the iceberg.

My perspective is one of experience, research and personal friendships to the largest and most enthusiastic collectors of Trollbeads around the world.  Some of these personal collections rival the inventories of many authorized Trollbeads stores. But these collections aren't created by greed or by the  "have to have more than so and so" thoughts, they are created by a depth of passion that goes way beyond many of the "collectables" of recent decades. Compare it to other subsequent beads lines, all of todays bead line are subsequent to Trollbeads so pick any of them and make a comparison.  There is none.  No other line has the depth of colors and materials Trollbeads has not do the silver and gold beads have the fine artistic quality to them.  There just isn't another bead that can muster this much passion and when one starts collecting them  they just can't and won't stop.  There are over 500 beads in todays offerings but that doesn't even begin to describe the color families of glass or the color families of jade, pearls, aventurines, you name it.  The best part of this unparalleled selection is that collectors join in the creative process and design bracelets, many of them, based on themes,color ways, personal meanings and eras of the beads themselves.  When there is 35 years of Trollbead history, there are plenty of eras from which to create and to draw from for the many ideas you may have.

When working on your Ocean or water themed Troll bracelets make sure you visit our Retired Trollbeads Gallery to see the Flounder bead! Hurry before he gets away!  Or when you start working on your pale blue themed Trollbeads bracelet check out the Light Blue Stripe.

So don't ever consider your bracelet finished if your chain is full, it is only the beginning of your Trollbeads Journey.

For a few years now Trollbeads has offered “Starter Bracelets”.  What are starter bracelets? They are just that, a group of bracelets with a start, beads chosen to be used together to create a visually engaging “starter” bracelet.  For many men and even woman, the thought of starting a Trollbeads bracelet can sometimes be daunting and by offering these starter bracelets, Trollbeads has been offering anyone who chose it, a jump start. These Trollbeads bracelets have always proven to be the perfect gift. Perfect because not only are you giving a great gift, you are also assuring that you will always know what to give as a gift going forward...Trollbeads!

As new beads have been introduced into the Troll line and as other older Trollbeads have been retired, it came time to introduce a whole new exciting set of starter bracelets! Seven different color themes and seven different bead themes. Follow the links and take a look. Here they are! 

The seven brand new starter bracelets are:

Elegant Affair http://www.trollbeadsgallery.com/product/Starter-=-Elegant-Affair.aspx

Fall Fashion http://www.trollbeadsgallery.com/product/Starter-=-Fall-Fashion.aspx

Garden http://www.trollbeadsgallery.com/product/Starter-=-Garden.aspx

Pretty in Pink http://www.trollbeadsgallery.com/product/Starter-=-Pretty-in-Pink.aspx

Sea Grass http://www.trollbeadsgallery.com/product/Starter-=-Seagrass.aspx

The Shore http://www.trollbeadsgallery.com/product/Starter-=-The-Shore.aspx 

As you look at each design think of the people you know and match them to a bracelet, it’s a well rounded group, isn’t it?