NECKLACES

The people og the Arctic North have for centuries lived in simple conditions. Permanent residents on the coast and inland engaged in small-scale farming and fishing and struggled to get a warm home. Few could afford to furnish it with beautiful objects beyond the bare essentials.

The nomads on the plateau have historically been equally undemanding. The more prosperous reindeer owners could embellish their lives by owning silver jewellery. This was an important trade and barter item. The nomadic life made it impossible to make jewelery in metal. The silversmith sits at a table, needs a lot of tools and other heavy equipment. The Sami, like all other nomads, were always on the move and took the most necessary things with them. Jewelery is easy to handle and a source of undivided joy for the owner. Among other things, the nomads exchanged jewellery, cloth and silk, sugar and flour. Goods that came from far away...

Bergen had a trading monopoly in Northern Norway. Goods from there were one of the most important sources. Other trade routes went from Russia across the Kola Peninsula or through Finland and Sweden. The Sami, Norwegians, Kvens, Swedes and Finns acquired the same jewellery. There was therefore no Sami silver of its own. For reindeer herders, owning jewelery still had a greater meaning than for others. They looked after the silver with special care. What broke was taken care of as the family's proud treasure.

Of the jewelery that was entrusted to Regine and Frank Juhls in the 50s and 60s, many have been passed down since the Middle Ages. Together with other silver found in the Arctic North (e.g. at sacrificial sites), they form the basis of our HISTORICAL JEWELERY.

It is a collection consisting of copies, careful processing and variations based on old material adapted to today's needs. Many of these jewelery are as much in demand today as they were centuries ago.