The One Ring was forged in the fires of... Nelson?

Bet you didn't know that, did you?... And you thought it was Mt. Doom...


The sign in the lower right picture reads:

"In J.R.R. Tolkien's story of Middle-Earth, many seek to claim ownership of the all-powerful One Ring.  In real life, you are standing on the doorstep of the One Ring's true home- Jens Hansen Gold & Silversmith are the original designers and creators of the One Ring for Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings movie trilogy.

Famed for decades of ring-making craftsmanship, in 1999 Jens Hansen was approached by the film's Art Direction team to design the Ring.  Jens made 15 prototypes, crafted in a variety of weights and finishes but each boasting the same elegant simplicity.  From this extensive collection the final design of the One Ring was selected.

There can only ever be One Ring, but to fit the many ring-bearers and the different scenes in the film, over 40 rings were actually required.  These ranged from small solid gold versions that perfectly fit Hobbits' fingers, to the large ring seen spinning through the air in the prologue of the first movie.  With a massive eight inch diameter it was somewhat impractical to make this ring in solid gold, so it was crafted in lathe-cut steel and then gold plated..."

Pictured above: the original prototype of the One Ring on the left; on the right is a replica of the larger "One Ring" worn by Sauron and retrieved by Isildur in the prologue of the first movie

Below is a replica of the HUGE ring used mainly for the spinning and reflection scenes.  So heavy!

My precious...