Clayton and Christine who got engaged in our store a few weeks back have posted a youtube video capturing some of this emotional event. Enjoy.

Last month I had the pleasure of attending a charity fund raising dinner for Nelson's Suter Art Gallery. The banquet was hosted on September 22, 2007 by his excellency, Anand Satyanand, Governor General of New Zealand at his official residence, Government House, in the capital Wellington.

Artists from the Nelson region donated works and we were please to offer #89 in the Limited Edition of 100 Dark Lord Ring replicas. Originally made as Sauron's ring in the movie the ring measures almost 2 inches in diameter, and is made of close to 3 oz. of solid 925 Sterling Silver and is richly plated in 18ct Yellow Gold. Individually stamped with our Jens Hansen hallmarks and edition number #89, the Ring had its own Matching Numbered Certificate of Authenticity, and the numbered rimu presentation box was autographed by Academy Award winning Art Director Dan Hennah

The auction went very well and Ring #89 sold for $1700-. Overall the auction raised around $50,000 for the Suter Gallery.

PS: The set menu prepared by the Governor General's personal chef was delicious - see below..

Article from Nelson Mail newspaper, Nelson, October 15th, 2007

Christine Speed thought a trip to Nelson would be just another weekend away - until her boyfriend led her over a carpet of rose petals and into a jeweller's shop.

Clayton Edge's surprise proposal to his girlfriend of four years was as carefully orchestrated as her response was spontaneous.

He said he wanted to show Miss Speed that he would go to the ends of the earth for her, and had picked Nelson as the spot where he would ask her to marry him.

Mr Edge arranged for a florist to fill the Jens Hansen jewellery shop with roses, and liaised with staff to close the shop to other shoppers so the proposal could be private.

Before he had a chance to drop down on one knee, Miss Speed gave him the smile and the hug which signalled the answer he had nervously been hoping for.

"I had been walking around town for half an hour with butterflies in my stomach," he said.

Miss Speed said the couple, from Christchurch, were looking for somewhere to get a coffee, and she could not understand why her boyfriend seemed to be leading her away from town.

She had no idea the proposal was coming, although she said Mr Edge was good at romantic surprises. On Valentine's Day, he arranged for a barbershop quartet to surprise her at work.

The couple discussed designs for a ring with Jens Hansen staff, and returned home Sunday.

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