A fine artform long nurtured by in the region is jewellery. As centre of gold exploration, the region has provided craftspeople with the raw material to create artworks to adorn the body with. As far back as 1905, the local training institution NMIT has provided jewellery classes from its Nelson campus which have carried through until today. This has sustained a vibrant jewellery community with senior practitioners such as Gavin Hitchings now working alongside the next generation of skilled artisans.

This meeting of generations is no more evident than at Jens Hansen Gold and Silversmiths, where the Hansen family style is evolving under the direction of Thorkild Hansen. Thorkild is the son of the late Jens Hansen who is an accomplished contemporary jeweller and renowned domestic ware artist. The family’s philosophy was the reason Peter Jackson asked Jens Hansen to design and make the ring depicted on screen as The One Ring™ for his film version of J. R. R. Tolkien's famous The Lord of the Rings™ books.

Jewellery studios and workshops can be found throughout Nelson City and beyond. A highlight of the annual Nelson Arts Festival is the exhibition by Klustre, a collective of 16 jewellers and silversmiths from throughout the region. We celebrates our history as a leading centre in the design and manufacture of jewellery works. Come visit our artists or buy their works direct from this website and you can have a piece of Nelson for your family to enjoy forever.

Visit Profile of the artist

Jens Hansen Workshop
Höglund Art Glass
Adrian Myers

Other Members

Brian Flintoff, Tidal Access Gallery
Gavin Hitchings

Gaya's Designs
Jewel Beetle
Peter Elsbury

Issac Ibbotson

Ian Longley Jeweller

Patrice Fowler

Fumio Noguchi

Laura Richards

Gaya Selders

Helen Turinsky

Kay van Dyk

Julie Vine