Henk de Jong (64) can agree that many objects have a story. He owns the goldsmithery Layang in the Oude Kijk in ‘t Jatstraat in Groningen. “I sometimes see the development of a person’s life through jewelry.”
In Layang’s display cases, the jewelery shines brightly. Brooches, rings, and necklaces, they fight for attention. Some of it has been purchased. At fairs in Paris, Munich, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, and London. Another part formed in great detail by goldsmith Henk de Jong. He has owned the business in the Oude Kijk in ‘t Jatstraat for almost 37 years.
winding branch
“It is an age-old, traditional profession, in which you can express a lot of creativity,” he says. “Recently I was walking through the forest, and I saw a tree with a branch that twists very separately. Then I think ‘hey, that’s interesting to put in a ring’. And then I get to work.”
De Jong followed his training in Schoonhoven. The only vocational school for goldsmiths. That consisted of a year of basic training, two years of practice, and the last year of an internship abroad. De Jong turned up in London, in the Hatton Garden jewelery district. He honed his skills in a large studio. He fell under the spell of goldsmithing and worked long hours. Even when he came back to the Netherlands. ,,I worked until nine o’clock in the evening. So I was able to make a stock, which I used to visit the jewelers. There were piles of notepads full of drawings. And the envelopes were also full of sketches. Yes, in addition to creativity and fine motor skills, the profession also requires a lot of perseverance.”
From love to mourning
Finally he settled in the Oude Kijk in ‘t Jatstraat. Where he started his business, and where he would hear many more special stories from behind the counter. “In this case usually people come with strong emotions. From infatuation to mourning,” he says. “You also sometimes see the development of a person’s life course. For example, a man here first ordered an engagement ring. A little later came the ring for the wedding. And a few years later I saw him come by on a bicycle with his wife and two children. Still beautiful, I think.”
A moment later, a visitor may have a completely different reason to visit Layang. “Grandpa passed away. The children had collected all the gold from him. And to me the request to melt it down and make rings out of it. Each family member would then receive one in memory of him.”
swastika
There are also requests that De Jong does not respond to. “I once had someone here who wanted to have a swastika put in his ring. I immediately made it clear to him that that was not going to happen.” After a short silence, De Jong tells the following story. “A young man once came here, whose father had skated the Elfstedentocht. Only he was not registered and so secretly participated. Invalid, so you don’t get an Elfstedenkruis at the end of the tour. Well, I asked if I could copy such a cross, so that his father could still pin one on. That is, of course, counterfeit. So I had to disappoint that boy. I’m not going to do that,” says De Jong, who could go on and on. “Someone already said a book should be made about it, haha.”
However, goldsmith’s popularity seems to be taking a dip. And that is an eternal sin, says De Jong. “You can create wonderful things, just the way you want them. Here,” he says, showing a few brooches with different images. “In this way you actually make a kind of painting, but from a different material. I love that. In addition, you have customer contact, with all the great conversations as a result. And of course you are working in a circular way. Everything is recycled here. The gold from glasses or molars is separated. A ring is made of it again, with a new story as a result. That’s beautiful isn’t it?”