Raymond’s Quiet Press – Norse costume accessories

 

Silver plated Viking bling

You might have noticed from my recent post about my new black linen apron dress, that I got some new Viking Bling! After wearing my home-made Turtle Brooches for a while, and looking to find recommendations, I decided to order from Raymond’s Quiet Press. I also opted to add the silver-plating option to my entire order, which included two large turtle brooches, two round brooches (for a possible future Finnish costume), a Viking Age key, and a tri-lobed/trifoil brooch for my coat.

BUT… when they came – they were SO bright. I know that they would probably darken with age, but since they’re just costume pieces, I wanted to darken and “age” them a bit.

Before and after – toning down the silver plating

I just used a very watered down black paint, brushed it over the jewelry, and then wiped it off, leaving the black paint in the crevices. I think it helps bring out the design a bit.  The photo above shows the painted version on the left, with the original on the right.

Finished tri-lobe brooch after black paint

I did it to all of the pieces, pictured above is the tri-lobed brooch, shown bigger than life.

Sources for Viking Age jewelry

Update: December 2014

I’ve heard from a lot of people who, like me, have been looking for reasonably authentic interpretations of Viking Age/Norse jewellery, and thought I’d share a few different links that I’ve come across. If you have any other similar, related links to share, please do so in the comments. (Spam, will, as always, be deleted.) Just to note, I haven’t purchased from any of the companies below, and can’t attest to their quality, customer service, or shipping.

I was really impressed by the prices of Nordens Historiska Fynd, a Swedish company offering their website in Swedish and English in a range of currencies including US$ for comparison. I haven’t seen their work in person, but have known people who have bought from them and have been happy with their products. They sell in bronze and silver (though not everything is available in each metal) and have items from the Viking Age along with the early Middle Ages.

Northan also sells items in bronze and silver, though their prices seem considerably higher, and only in the Euro. The website is in German and English. I don’t believe I’ve seen any of his work in person, though it was also a recommended source from other Viking Age costume enthusiasts.

Danegeld is from the UK and sells items in Pounds. The website is in English, and they sell items based on historical finds with some information on the location, from viking, Saxon, Rus, Pict, & Magyar finds from the 8th – 11th Centuries.

Urweg is a USA company out of Montana, and their website is in English, selling in US$. If you can get past the photos of super-cute sheep, they have reproductions based on finds (sometimes, but not always mentioning the location) as well as original work in silver and bronze.

The Wareham Forge doesn’t have much in the way of e-commerce, but also came up in my searches. Frequently he shows photos of the original objects alongside his reproductions complete with information about where items were found and popularity dates. He is located in Ontario, Canada, and the site is in English, and sold in (presumably Canadian) dollars.

Norse America is a USA importer of Norwegian and other Norse goods. I found their collections difficult to navigate, but it looks like they mostly carry pendants.

Four of the pendants I bought.

Nirvana Online is where I have purchased a number of my Mjölnir pendants, along with a few others. They don’t have a huge selection of historical reproductions, but they do carry a few. There is absolutely no information shared about the origins of each design, so if looking to select something inspired by an artifact, it’s best to do a bit of research first.  With that being said, the prices for Pewter and bronze pendants are quite good, while their Sterling seems a bit high compared to other sellers.

Speaking of Mjölnir pendants, I have also bought a few through the Beachside Jewellery shop on Etsy. Speaking of Etsy… there are so many different craftspeople, artisans, and enthusiasts on there from all over the world. I have been shopping there for awhile now, and love most of what I’ve bought there – especially when I know that the goods are hand-made. You can look for local or national sellers, as well as shop and compare prices in your own currency. Some notable shops on Etsy include: Redwolf Ldt, Pera Peris, Agrentum Sorubus, Draupner, and the two shops I’ve been the most interested in lately, Torfin and Wulflund Jewelry.

More?

I know that there are more suppliers – share your links below!