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Q: Is your movie ring replica officially approved?
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A: No. We are the actual and original designers, makers and creators of
the 'Ring' used on screen in the movie trilogy that was made here in
New Zealand i.e. we made the actual 'Ring' you saw in the movies.
However, we are not an official or authorised licensee of The Lord of
the Rings™ merchandise and therefore have no right to offer any
representation of The One Ring™. The Jens Hansen Movie Ring is simply a faithful replica of our original Ring design for Peter Jackson as it appeared on screen.
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Q: What about the other rings from various manufacturers that carry this official approval and have a New Line certificate of authenticity?
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A: Yes, as far as we understand, those manufacturers who have successfully
applied for the right to do so from New Line Productions, Inc. may
label their ring as an officially approved The One Ring™. Different
manufacturers in different countries are doing this right now
‘officially’ but the rings vary significantly between manufacturer in
weight, dimensions and design and do not have the same look, feel and
weight of the Jens Hansen Ring actually used in the movies. Please read
the independent report on Ring replicas at www.lunchip.com for more information.
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Q: Did Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith make any of the other jewellery for the Lord of the Rings films?
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A: Yes, we also made designed and made Vilya™, the Ring of Elrond™. Until
very recently we had not made any replicas of this ring. However, in
September 2004 we recreated this ring for a persistent UK client and
were so happy with the result we have decided we will now accept orders
from similarly serious collectors. Please read more by clicking this
link 'the other movie ring'.
New
Zealander Jasmine Wilson designed the majority of the important jewelry
pieces for the films. But please note that she doesn’t make replica’s
of her original designs. Please visit the following links for further
information about Jasmine’s work.
http://www.jasminewatson.com/
http://www.warofthering.net/
http://www.bodyjewels.net/news.html
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Q: Are the inscriptions on the ring cut by laser? Or just cast a mould? Does the inscription span the whole circumference of the ring?
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A: Gandalf held it up. It looked to be made of pure and solid gold. "Can you see any markings on it'?" he asked. "No," said Frodo. "There are none. It is quite plain, and it never shows a scratch or sign of wear.
This
is the real thing, there is no Elvish engraving on the real Jens Hansen
Movie Ring. In the official replicas we have seen the inscriptions are
moulded or cast and span the circumference of the ring. In the Tolkien
books the inscription only appears on The One Ring™ in a few special
circumstances. So to be as faithful a reproduction of the Ring as
possible the movie makers asked us not to use any engraving on the ring
but rather, as you are probably aware, added the Elvish writing in
post-production as a computer generated special effect just for those
few scenes in which the Elvish was to be revealed.
To maintain this
accuracy the Jens Hansen movie replica ring has no inscriptions or
engraving other than the Jens Hansen jeweler’s hallmark and signature
which appear on the inside band of the ring. These are the guarantee
that your Jens Hansen Movie Ring came from the original source and are
not normally seen, of course, when the ring is worn on a finger.
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Q: Is it possible to email me an actual photo of your ring?
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A: The ring looks exactly as it is shown in the photos on our website and, of course, as it did in the movie.
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Q: Why would anyone want to buy an unofficial band of gold from New Zealand with nothing inscribed on it
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A: We would answer that what you may wish to use this opportunity to join
the select group of discerning individuals worldwide who have come to
us directly to obtain an exact replica of the Ring as we made it for
the original movie. It is the only faithful replica; made by the
original designers and makers to the exact proportions and pattern as
the original used in the movie trilogy.
In fact, many of our clients
have told us they prefer the plain finish of our ring precisely because
it is exactly how we made it for the movie and because of what they
feel is its understated elegance. They know they have the 'real thing'.
By the way many are secretly also happy at the fact that our ring
contains about twice the weight of gold for the same price as the
authorized & licensed merchandise inscribed ring replicas we have
seen.
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Q: I would like to buy a Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith Movie Ring replica. Can you supply it engraved or inscribed for me?
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A: As you’ll understand by now, to keep them as faithful as possible to
the movie, we don’t engrave any of our handcrafted Ring replicas.
Please don’t ask as we’d hate to have to refuse you. However, if you
really wanted to have your Jens Hansen real Ring replica inscribed you
should ensure it is done exactly the way you want it to be done by an
expert qualified engraver or jeweler in your home town. We would
recommend that you obtain the inscription text in a digital format
either off the web or by having it scanned and scaled from one of the
books. (Alternatively, I can share with you the story of a client from
Switzerland whom we recently worked with. He was in just this
predicament. He wanted the ‘real thing’ as used in the movie, but also
wanted the inscription. In the end he decided to get both a Jens Hansen
replica and an ‘official’ moulded and inscribed commercial ring as he
felt this was the best of both worlds).
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Q: Where on the web can I find the Ring inscription graphics?
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A: The movie inscriptions and fonts are obviously legally protected by copyright. However, here is a very nice webpage at http://www.warofthering.net/downloads/fonts.shtml where you can download electronic fonts for your computer that approximate the inscription from the movie.
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Q: What size Ring was used in the movie when we saw it worn on the neckchain
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A: This was a size 11 ring in 18 carat yellow gold.
It weighs
approximately 19 grams (more than 1/2 oz.), is 2.7mm thick through the
band and measures about 7mm tall (just over 1/4 inch) when laid on its
side. The gold in the Ring came from the leading New Zealand precious
metals supplier.
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Q: What length was the silver neck chain that the Ring was worn on in the movie?
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A: This was a 65cm long 925 sterling silver chain chosen and supplied by Jens Hansen - Gold & Silversmith.
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Q: We’re getting married – can we wear the Ring as a wedding band?
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A: Yes. The Ring has a very comfortable profile and a classic elegant look that makes it an ideal wedding band.
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Q: My hands haven’t stopped growing yet. Can I get the Ring enlarged in the future?
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A: Yes – the Ring can be increased in size quite easily for a small fee by any competent jeweler as your finger gets bigger.
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Q: I’ve heard that 14 carat gold is harder than 18 carat, but does not have such a rich golden color. What are the differences between the various gold types?
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A: 14 carat is very hard but paler than 18 carat. It also, of course,
contains less gold than 18 carat, and is more likely to give allergy or
corrosion problems depending on the wearer’s skin. That said the color
difference is not ‘dramatic’ and many people are very happy with our 14
carat Ring. You will find some excellent articles at http://www.18carat.co.uk/information.html which may help you make up your mind about which type of gold to have your Ring made in.
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Q: How much will shipping cost to my country?
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A: We ship worldwide.
Silver items go by Insured International Airmail for NZ$30- (approx US$19-).
Gold Items and Urgent Silver orders go with Insured DHL courier for NZ$75- (approx US$48-).
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Q: How long after I make my order can I expect to receive my real Ring?
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A: After we receive your order it normally it takes a day or so to make
your Ring and then we send by priority insured international courier
which can take as little as 4 days to reach you and maximum 10 days.
We
use the New Zealand Post Office International Express courier service.
They are a DHL partner, and this is also an insured service which
protects you in case your package was not to safely arrive.
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Q: I only want to buy a silver chain. How much does the shipping for this cost?
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A: To save shipping costs we use an insured International Airmail service
when we are just sending the chain. This costs about US$15-.
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Q: Could I be liable for any Customs duties and taxes in my country when I receive my Ring?
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A: Yes - While we have not yet had any reports about excessive duty being
charged anywhere but, of course, we can’t tell you exactly what the
rules in your country may be. If you are worried about this please
contact your local DHL or government Customs office and ask them.
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Q: What will the charge on my credit card be?
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A: The real Movie Ring Replica is made at its original home in the Jens
Hansen – Gold and Silversmith workshop in Nelson, New Zealand. We
actually charge your credit card the equivalent price in New Zealand
dollars and your credit card company converts this back to your own
currency. Please visit www.xe.com for a currency converter.
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Q: I don’t have a credit card, do you accept any other forms of payment?
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A: Yes – When you are ready to buy please complete your order online and
indicate if you would like to use WesternUnion, PayPal, or a Bank Draft
or Wire Transfer. We will then email you back the details you need to
complete payment.
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Q: What if I am not completely satisfied with my Ring?
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A: While we have never had a movie Ring returned for quality reasons, if
for some reason you were not completely satisfied then we would gladly
refund the purchase price of the ring – less our shipping and handling
costs – as soon as you had safely returned the ring to us. To guarantee
safe return we would strongly recommend using an insured courier
service such as DHL, Fedex etc.:
1) Please contact us by email
to explain the problem. If necessary we will then issue you a Return
Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number.
2) The procedure is to
the send the Ring back to us by some form of courier e.g. DHL. Please
make sure the package is insured in case of any loss and please label
the Customs declaration “Returned Faulty Merchandise” and enclose a
copy of the original invoice you got from us if you still have it.
3) Provided you have the RMA number we will then refund the cost of your purchase less our original shipping cost.
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