Heart warming

When our clients order a piece of jewellery, we often hear lovely and touching stories about the relationship between our customer and her/his horse and their shared journey. So in this case too! 

Krista received a bracelet Puella Star as a gift from her mother. The ribbon is woven of tail hair of her late Ferrari. We got a wonderful story from Krista about her and Ferrari's time together and, of course, these stunning pictures, as she is a professional photographer.

"Ferrari and I traveled together for more than sixteen years. That's more than a half of my life so far. Though losing the one you love the most leaves behind a daily sadness, I will be forever happy for the special time we had together.

Sometimes, perhaps by chance, two souls who are lost in their lives meet, grow a support net which supports each other out of their incompleteness, and create a healing bond of trust that reaches the ends of the earth."

"As we grew together I learned a lot not only about horses, but also about myself. Ferrari showed me the strength dormant in my own sensitivity and showed me how a whisper can be louder than a shout. During our walks together I used to whisper to Ferrari that it was the finest horse in the world, my most precious treasure and a dream come true - more than I could have ever asked for."

"Though we no longer hike along the paths of this world, I will always have my own treasure with me. Grateful for our unique journey I can now wear the touch of Ferrari on my skin in the form of a bracelet and feel that my loved one is still close to me."

"With her perfectly developed hand skills Nanna was able to capture the most characteristic and authentic parts of Ferrari in a beautiful creation. I am particularly impressed by the similarity between the ribbon and Ferrari. Knowing Nanna's professionalism, I expected nothing less - all my wishes regarding the details of the jewelry came true. The sparkling heart gives a perfect finishing touch, and  diamonds' vivid shimmer reminds me of the twinkle in the corner of Ferrari's eye." 

- Krista Kuusela, Finland -

Photos by Krista Kuusela, all rights reserved.

If you, too, wish to have the most valuable piece in your jewellery collection, proceed as follows: 

1) Contact us and tell us which item you would like. In the reply mail you will receive detailed instructions, e.g. about the amount and length of hair strands needed, and of course the answers to your questions.

2) After we have received the hair strands, Nanna has checked them and all the details related to your order have been agreed, we will send you an invoice by email. Once the invoice has been paid your jewellery will begin to be manufactured. Delivery time is 3-4 weeks.

 3) When the jewellery is ready, we will contact you again. You will receive your item as a courier delivery or a registered mail and get a tracking code. 

Send e-mail to minna.maattanen@nannasalmi.com or use contact form on our website. 

Feel free to explore the jewellery models and choose the one you like best! Please note that nannasalmi rings are very massive. They are convex on the inside and have raised edges that protect the band. In this way the most valuable part of the jewellery, the woven ribbon, is best protected from hits and abrasion.

www.horsehairjewellerynannasalmi.com

nannasalmi horsehair jewellery goes museum!

 

Lahti, our hometown, is a town of watch and jewellery makers. The School Of Watchmaking was founded in 1944 and was located in Lahti until 1959.

The goldsmith school was founded earlier, already in 1938, and schooling of goldsmiths and engravers still continues in Lahti.

Teachers of the watchmaking school started a watch collection for the use of the school, but the actual watch museum was founded not earlier than in the end of 1950’s. In 1981 Finland’s Watchmakers Foundation established in Helsinki the Finnish Museum of Horology, and the watch collection was donated there.

To add jewelleries to the collection of the watch museum was an item already about eight years ago. In a new location it would have been possible, but it took a year more of a juridical process to change the rules of the foundation. Finally in 14.6.2021 started the Finnish Museum of Horology and Jewellery Kruunu. The new museum will open its doors in March in Tapiola, Espoo. About a year ago, when it was clear that the rules of the foundation will be changed, Nanna was contacted by the museum.

”When I first saw a horsehair bracelet made by Nanna I was completely astonished how exquisite combination of woven miniature horsehair fabric and modern jewellery design it was. I knew this is something we have to get to the collection of the Finnish Museum of Horology and Jewellery. ”

Essi Pullinen, museum director 

Nanna and Essi met in the beginning of February and Nanna handed over the items for the museum collection.

”It was really great to meet Essi Pullinen and donate two pieces of my jewellery to the collection of the jewellery museum. When I made the first piece of my jewellery twenty two years ago I could not have imagined where it will lead.

The most important thing for me is that clients appreciate these jewelleries. I have heard dozens and dozens of stories of their horses and what these noble animals have ment to them. And though I have been weaving thousands of horse hair ribbons each hair bundle sent to me tells a new, interesting story. An emotional meaning of these jewelleries for those who wear them means a world to me. I feel honored to be able to create somethig so meaningful for them, items which will be some of the most valuable pieces in their jewellery box.  

But I also feel humble and greatful to receive honor from professional goldsmiths though I can’t make goldsmith work myself. The fact that jewelleries designed by me will be in a permanent collection in the only museum of the northern countries  specialized in watches and jewelleries is a great honor to me.”

In the museum’s jewellery collection there are now the bracelet Naomi and the ring Tuum.

"For the museum collection I chose the bracelet Naomi for two reasons: in its wide ribbon sophisticated patterns and colors are distinctly to be seen, and the plain design of the bracelet underscores its most important element, a miniature textile woven with horsehair. When I wear a piece of my jewellery, it’s Naomi."

”The ring Tuum was chosen by the same reasons as the bracelet Naomi. In this ring its distinct construction is clearly to be seen and Tuum is actually a basis of all the other rings in the collection.”

If you already have a piece of nannasalmi horsehair jewellery or you are planning to have one you know that it’s not just any jewellery. The ribbon is for you the most valuable part of it, but your jewellery is also much appreciated design which you can wear with love and joy your whole life.

And we assume that they are the first and only modern horsehair jewelleries in the collections of any museum...

See the whole collection and choose your own favourite one here:

nannasalmi horsehairjewellery shop

Horseshoe - A Good Luck Charm, But Why?

Did you know...

...that an early form of hoof protection was seen in ancient Asia, where horses' hooves were wrapped in rawhide, leather or other materials for both therapeutic purposes and protection from wear.

...that the Romans appeared to have attempted to protect their horses' feet with a strap-on, solid-bottomed "hipposandal" that has a slight resemblance to the modern hoof boot.

...that in 1897 four bronze horse shoes with what are apparently nail holes were found in an Etruscan tomb dated around 400 B.C

...that around 1000 AD, cast bronze horseshoes with nail holes became common in Europe. Common was a design with a scalloped outer rim and six nail holes.

Source Wikipedia

From these it has been a long way to the modern horseshoe. Nowadays horseshoes are available in a wide variety of materials, but also styles, developed for different types of horse and for the work they do.

Horseshoes have traditionally been common lucky charms. You can often see them hanging over the entrance of a home. Horseshoes are thought to bring good luck and protection over the centuries. But why people around the world believe in the luck of the humble horseshoe?

"In the Irish story of the blacksmith and the devil, one day a blacksmith was working hard in his shop forging horseshoes. Suddenly, the devil appeared and demanded his own shoes. The blacksmith, recognizing the devil, took a burning hot shoe and nailed it deep into the devil's hooves. After walking away, the devil was in such excruciating pain, he ripped the horseshoes off and swore he would never go near one again. Thus, the tradition of hanging a horseshoe over the entrance of a house to ward off evil spirits was born."

"Another story has more to do with the metal in the horseshoes. Early Western Europeans believed that iron had magical powers. Iron could drive away evil, and folklore of the time told of many malevolent fairies and mystical creatures. Since horseshoes were made of iron, they kept the badly behaving fairies away. Other legends said that witches were so afraid of iron horseshoes, they traveled on broomsticks instead of on horseback."

Source: people.howstuffworks.com

Horseshoes, like many other goods in our daily use, include both: practicality and beauty. Sometimes we just forget about the beauty of them. In a jewellery, the functional beauty can be very delicate, and can you imagine a better good luck charm for yourself than a ring, bracelet, necklace, tiebar or a plastron needle with your own horse´s tail hair? We bet you can´t!

Ring Artema Star. Also available without stones.

In the nannasalmi collection you find many designs with a horseshoe.

Which one would be your favourite lucky charm?

Bracelet Shoe-shoe, ribbon 6 mm

Bracelet Cedric, ribbon 9 mm

Necklace Salinero, ribbon 6 mm

Necklace Coriano

Plastron needle Max

Tiebar Poco Loco and matching cufflinks

An "everyday good" can become something special. Something fine that brings you good

luck and gives you the possibility to have your horse near you, every day.

Please, visit our website for more details:

www.horsehairjewellerynannasalmi.com

What is so special about the nannasalmi horsehair jewellery collection?

Because your horse is the most important, most beautiful and dearest, we think that the jewellery made with it´s hair should be as perfect, appreciated and valuable. That´s why so much thought, time and effort is put on each jewellery in nannasalmi collection.

Ribbons 

Ribbons in nannasalmi jewelleries are woven miniatyre textiles. The weaving technique is ancient, but was never used in jewelleries with horsehair before Nanna Salmi made her first item over twenty years ago.

Most of the horsehair jewelleries on market have a braided or plaited ribbon. Those techniques are easy and quick, not very difficult to learn.

Woven ribbons have special qualities:

• They are more durable, no hair strands sticking out
• They are fine and smooth
• It´s possible to weave a pattern to a ribbon that makes it more personal

In a weave hair strands reflect light beautifully and look very special and different compairing to braided or plaited hair.

This technique, even patterns and their names, are copied by some jewellery makers. As the technique is quite challenging you usually find items with pretty short ribbons like rings and bracelets.

Each horse has different kind of hair and even hair strands from the same tail varie of their thickness and quality. That´s why a long or broad, even ribbon is very difficult to weave.

Long ribbons are requiered when making bracelets, and even longer ones when making necklaces. Them you find in nannasalmi collection. Broad ribbons, 9 mm, are used also in some bracelets of the collection.

Necklace Coriano

Metal parts

Each part of each jewellery is hand cast and hand finished by a professional caster and goldsmith. All metal parts are designed by Nanna Salmi and used only in this collection. The only industrial parts are clasps and fasteners.

Engarvings are made manually by our extremely skilled engraver.

Bracelet Falcao

There are plenty of similar looking horsehair rings on a market. But if you take a better look you will see the difference.

Comparing to many other rings with horsehair ribbons, whether woven or braided, the nannasalmi rings are heavier and more massive. For example the golden ring Carus in size 18 weighs ca. 16 g. That is 16 g of pure gold.

Ring Carus

There is a reason for that:

• High edges protect the ribbon against abrasion and hits
• The rings are slightly convex inside which makes them very comfortable to wear

Stones

There are golden items with cubic zirconias or other gemstones on the market. Using cubic zirconias and other gemstones in gold and white gold rings lowers their price comparing to using diamonds.

In nannasalmi rings and other items,too, metals and stones are equivalent: with economical silver economical but high quality Swarovski cubic zirconias, with more valuable and expensive gold and white gold more valuable stones, diamonds. That is also a part of ethics of professional goldsmiths.

Ring Cassiopeia

Collection

The nannasalmi collection offers the most versatile selection of rings, bracelets, brooches, necklaces, earrings, cufflinks and tiebars made with horse hair. We are sure that what ever your taste of jewellery is, you find your favourite in this collection.

We are proud to represent the original collection of woven horsehair jewellery and we are very delighted when you choose your special keepsake from this collection. Like almost 3000 clients all over the world already did. Thank you for that!

When you order a nannasalmi horsehair jewellery, you order fine jewellery which you can carry with pride and is, at least emotionally, the most valuable jewellery in your jewellery box.

horsehairjewellerynannasalmi.com

Ring Tuum - a ring for strong equestrian hands

Like the ring Amate, the ring Tuum is also very simple.
It´s wide and massive, the total width of the ring is 8.8 mm.

Ribbon style 'solid'

The  ribbon, 6 mm wide, shows off the pattern beautifully. Any

ribbon style looks good with this design.

                        "Getting the ring meant

                                   so much to me..."

Ribbon style 'flash'

Although massive and and wide, the ring is comfortable to

wear: it´s convex inside.

Ribbon style 'mountain peak'

    "It slips on your finger so easily!"

Ribbon style 'arrow head'

The ring Tuum has been a popular wedding band among the
equestrian fiancés. 

There is also a plenty of space for the engravings.

                                         "I do..."

Ribbon style 'broad stripe'

The ring Tuum is perfect for muscular hands.

We often hear the equestrian women complaining about their big
hands or thick fingers. That is just pointless!

You have beautiful, working, strong hands that can lead 500 kg
of horse exactly anywhere you wish. Be proud and just
choose the design strong and pretentious enough...

Ribbon style 'custom'

The whole collection of the original nannasalmi rings you find here:

www.horsehairjewellerynannasalmi.com

We know what your horse means to you. Our aim is to make for

you a lasting and meaningful keepsake which you can carry

with you for years to come.

Enquiries and orders also by email
minna.maattanen@nannasalmi.com

Don´t hesitate to contact us, we are glad to help you with your order

step by step.

It´s all about the Combination of the Details

Think about their soft muzzle, eyes like a pond, tender ears...

Photo Casper Wyoming

And yes: "Freedom is feeling the wind that blows between a horse's ears"

Think about the mane and tail fluttering in the wind...

Think about the warmth of the back and sides. You can smell it...

Jennifer Sabir

Think about their size and how muscular they are!

It´s a wonder how the delicate ankles carry all that - and you - so lightly!

Horses are a perfect combination of fine and lovable details.

And your very own horse is the most perfect one: it has it´s own personality

and there is a unique bond between you two.

We understand that. 

That´s why we want to offer you the possibility

to have your best friend with you - all the time, forever.

nannasalmi collection is all about the combination of the perfect details -

just like your horse.

www.horsehairjewellerynannasalmi.com

Enquiries and orders also by email

minna.maattanen@nannasalmi.com

Bracelets Shoe-shoe and Cedric

The first bracelet Nanna Salmi designed was 'Mistral', the one with the bits. But one bracelet is not a collection, a new one was needed... It was quite obvious: a bracelet with a horse shoe.

Nanna went to the stables and looked for horse shoe that she could use as a model. She found a little pony shoe, took it to the studio and started sketching the design. She didn´t want it to be quite realistic but a little bit stylised. She still has got the pony shoe.

Usually the process is much longer, but this time only two prototypes had to be made: 
already the second one was perfect.

'Shoe-shoe' is one of the most popular designs.

A golden 'Shoe-shoe' was the first item Nanna Salmi had made for herself.

Yes, it was made with her mare´s tail hair and she still has got it after

more than fifteen years.

'Cedric' is a version of the 'Shoe-shoe'. In 'Shoe-shoe' the ribbon is 6 mm, 

In 'Cedric' 9 mm. 

We think that one reason why 'Shoe-shoe' and 'Cedric' are so popular

is that they are not so obviously "horsey".

These bracelets look elegant and timeless. A young girl can wear

them as well as an adult woman. They look great with jeans and blouse 

as well as with a classic tweed or leather jacket. 

www.horsehairjewellerynannasalmi.com

Enquiries and orders also by email

minna.maattanen@nannasalmi.com