Record amount of national costume silver sold

Sylvsmidja in VossSylvsmidja in Voss.Photo: Tore Meek / NTB scanpix

People having a greater desire to show off their wealth is one explanation for larger amounts of shiny silver for the national costume being sold than ever before.

.The days before 17 May are busy for the people working in the silver smithies.
–  We have sold 15 percent more of belts made of silver or gold gilding, which is the most expensive kind of belt you can wear as a part of the national costume in  the past year. People have a need to display status, and in these times of economic downturns the national costume silver is a safe way of doing that,  marketing manager Kristin Myhre at Sylvsmidja Voss says to the news agency NTB.

Concerns show off
It is about a week to 17 May – the big costume day. In the family business Sylvsmidja the  furnaces run at full capacity. Every year  3.000 kg silver is turned into buckles, brooches, necklaces, rings, belt buckles and handbag locks.
In recent years, sales have increased steadily. Just this past year, turnover has increased by 10 percent, and more new jewelers are employed.
–  For a long time the national costume belts were a  symbol of marrying well, today we see that the belts are already given as a confirmation present. Perhaps there is a need to display status when you give your daughter a gold or silver belt. It is perhaps to show off, says Myhre.
The costume has become trendy
The price of a belt varies by waist circumference, but can cost up tp 10,000 kroner. The increased interest in national costume silver  is confirmed by the Bjørklund chain that has stores across the country.
– We have a huge increase in the sales of national costume silver.  There is no doubt that the national costume has become a trendy folk costume among the young as well, marketing manager Linda Brenden in Bjørklund says.
According to Brenden there are mainly two reasons why sales have increased.
People are more affluent and buy the entire set of silver to the national costume at once. Before it gathered up over several years.  There is also a greater supply of the national costume silver these days, it’s not only available in specialty shops anymore, she said.

Working hard
The last few weeks before the 17th of May people are working almost round the clock in Sylvsmidja on Voss, which has around 70 percent of the market in Norway.
– Here we are working weekends and holidays to meet demand. We are usually very busing in the spring, but we have been even more busy than usual this year, Myhre says .

 

Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today