How Trollbeads started

Someone asked me how Trollbeads originated, and the meaning of the company's name, so I decided to post it, rather than save it for just a private email message!

Trollbeads history from 1976 to 2006

Thirty years ago people wore parka coats, and big hair was in. ABBA has just released "Arrival" and "Saturday Night Fever" was about to take the world. 1976 was between the hippie age and the disco era; political awareness was declining and the need for parties, dancing and good times was on the rise. And if you were "with it" you had a leather string around your neck. It was here, in this period, the first Trollbead made its entrance.

Even as a young silversmith, Soren Nielsen was well on his way with his works in the hobby-room in a cellar in Holte. He had created a small, refined pearl in silver from a wax model and oxidized and polished it until it was just right. Soren hit upon drilling a hole through the pearl and suddenly things fell into place. The very first Trollbead, "The Mask", was born. This bead can still be found in the collection by the way.

Five Beads followed "The Mask" (at first they were called Trollpearls) and made up the first ever collection. These pearls were not subject to effective marketing and flashy PR, however; they lived their quiet lives on the shelves of the father's jeweler's shop in Klareboderne in Copenhagen. They were in Hibernation, but the customers gradually noticed them and began putting more and more pearls on the same string.

The growing pains began

In the mid-80s Lise started her apprenticeship with her father, Svend, and opened her first shop in The King's Lyngby. Up until that time she had been working with anything but jewellery. She is, in fact, a qualified physiotherapist! At first the shop sold all kinds of jewelry but the Trollbeads got the customers' attention. Soon inquiries flooded in; wouldn't it be possible to create symbols for "faith hope and charity" or a silverfish or something completely different? Soon business flourished, probably because of the pearls' combination of the genuine classic materials and the infinite number of combinations these pearls offered. So it was, in fact, the customers that inspired the company and the pearls to evolve.

In 1988 the family started working with gold as a material, produced by the father. The silver chain was already developed, the gold chain saw the light of day and a new lock was invented. This lock was no longer soldered on, but could easily be opened with a pair of tongs. Today the lock has been evolved further and now the wearer is able to open it themselves, making it possible to change the Trollbeads, add new ones and experiment with different combinations as often as they please. The family started including pearls, and the collection evolved and expanded gradually along with the growing demand.

In 1998 Lise Aagaard had a new and groundbreaking idea. She had been interested in glassmaking for some time and the desire to use glass in the jewelry arose. It took several years of experiments before they were ready for the market, as it was imperative that the quality of the new Trollbeads would match up to the existing range.

In 2002 the first glass Trollbeads hit the market and in two shakes the demand grew to a point where the family could not keep up anymore. The solution was to outsource. Different business partners were found, with a starting point in already existing cultural tradition for crafting in the different material. "When it was possible for us to deliver a new adventure began. During the next two years the Trollbeads made their international debut, and is now in distributed in more than 20 countries in Europe, Asia and the United States.

In constant devlopment

Today, "Lise Aagaard Copenhagen" is a well-oiled and innovative business running into millions. It is in constant development and has a keen nose when it comes to innovation in the design department. Over 1,500 retailers all over the world sell Trollbeads, and with 200 retailers in Denmark the company still has strong roots in its homeland. 20 independent designers are affiliated to the company, all dedicated to break new ground with new materials and variations that will uphold the Trollbead legacy and make the collection increasingly varied. The unique thing about the product is that it is the same as 30 years ago when ABBA won peoples hearts with "Dancing Queen". The dream lasted. Yes, the 6 Trollbeads have increased to 400, the designers have more leeway - some designs are triangular, new combinations have seen the light of day, new materials are implemented (the most recent one being the Swarovski-crystal) but basically it is the same product. Simply because the Trollbeads are inspiring; both on an expensive gold chain and on a leather string.