In search of the true ring

Questions have been raised about the authenticity of what was purported to be the original Lord of the Rings ring put up for auction on the German eBay site.

A newspaper in Nelson, New Zealand has reported that the ring was in fact designed by a local jeweler, Jens Hansen, shortly before his death in 1999 and that he produced 31 rings for the film, including two very large ones used for the credits and promotional material.

(The engraving on the ring that appears in the movie was reportedly computer generated.)

Thorkild Hansen, the son of the designer, who now operates the family jewelry business, told the Nelson Mail that he has no interest in producing additional replicas of the ring. “It’s not really what I’m into,” he said.