Icelandic Christmas spoons
Guðlaugur Ásberg Magnússon was born on December 16, 1902, the son of a farmer in the municipality of Fellsstrandarhreppur, in Dalabyggð, located in the Vesturland region in western Iceland.
From childhood, Guðlaugur had a deep love for music and musical instruments.
It is said that his sisters, Hansína Magnúsdóttir (1895–1971), who married a merchant in Ísafjörður, and Borghildur Magnúsdóttir (1894–1963), who married a Danish machinist and later ran a restaurant in Ísafjörður after his death in 1920, decided to support their brother’s musical ambitions—but only on the condition that he also learned a proper craft. So Guðlaugur began an apprenticeship in goldsmithing in Ísafjörður under Einar Oddur Kristjánsson and Karl Ó. Runólfsson. Runólfsson, who had studied trumpet, violin, and composition abroad and was a member of the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra, also taught Guðlaugur to play the trumpet.
After completing his apprenticeship, Guðlaugur spent a year in Denmark to continue his trumpet studies at the Royal Danish Academy of Music with Lauritz Sørensen.
In 1924, Guðlaugur opened his first fine metal workshop in Ísafjörður. He later moved the business to Hafnarfjörður, and finally to Reykjavík in 1927.
Alongside his goldsmithing career, Guðlaugur remained an active musician in Reykjavík. He played the trumpet and flugelhorn in the Reykjavík Brass Band and was involved in founding the Icelandic Musicians’ Association, serving on its board for several years. He also played in various trumpet and symphony orchestras, as well as dance and jazz bands such as the Blue Boys.
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| Blue Boys - Icelandic jazz band (1935 - 1938) Source: glatkistan.com |
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| Maria Hermannsdóttir, Guðlaugur Magnússon Source: mbl.is Source: ismus.is |
Guðlaugur and María had four children: their eldest son Reynir (born 1930), who trained as a goldsmith under his father and took over the business ERNA ehf. in 1952; Óttar (born 1931), who became a businessman; Jónína (born 1933); and their youngest son, Magnús (born 1943), who also became a goldsmith and took over the former workshop in Skólavörðustígur in 1963 at the age of just 20.
The couple had a total of 18 grandchildren. Two of their granddaughters now run the jewelry stores that originated from Guðlaugur’s business. One grandson is a musician who has worked with artists such as Bubbi Morthens and Björk.
Guðlaugur began producing silver tableware and cutlery in his Reykjavík workshop in 1936. One of his most iconic pieces is the traditional silver Christmas spoon, which has been issued annually in limited editions since 1946. These spoons are made from 925 sterling silver, with the spoon bowl plated in 24-carat gold.
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| The first spoon from 1946 Source: GAM |
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| Dómkirkjan í Reykjavík (photo from Jan. 2025) |
In 1947, Guðlaugur expanded his business, acquired new machinery, and outsourced the production from a sole proprietorship into a limited liability company: ERNA ehf.
It is said that Guðlaugur’s wife, María, often worried about how much he took on. He once promised her that he would slow down once he turned 50. Sadly, he could not keep that promise: Guðlaugur A. Magnússon passed away on November 13, 1952, just weeks before his 50th birthday.
Today, there are two lines of Christmas spoons that trace their origin to Guðlaugur A. Magnússon:The gold and silversmith ERNA ehf., located at Skipholt 3 in Reykjavík, was taken over by Guðlaugur’s eldest son, Reynir Guðlaugsson, in 1952. The term "ehf." stands for einkahlutafélag, meaning limited liability company. Reynir led the company as master goldsmith until 2001. Today, ERNA is managed by his daughter, goldsmith and designer Ragnhildur Sif Reynisdóttir. The fourth generation, Reynir Már Ásgeirsson, now also works in the family business as a goldsmith.
Since 2015, Ragnhildur Sif has been in charge of designing ERNA’s Christmas spoons.
ERNA’s spoons follow a themed series lasting 12 years. Since 2015, the theme has been music. Fittingly, the first spoon in the series featured a trumpet - Guðlaugur’s favorite instrument. The back of each spoon features musical notes. During each 12-year cycle, the spoon bowl remains the same, but the handle design changes annually.
After the trumpet (2015), instruments like the violin, tuba, and saxophone have followed. All spoon bowls are 24-carat gold-plated, with the handles made of 925 silver.
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| The Christmas spoon from ERNA 2024 Source: erna.is |
The GAM (Guðlaugur A. Magnússon) store is located at Skólavörðustígur 10 in Reykjavík. After Guðlaugur’s death in 1952, the business was initially continued by his brother-in-law Hermann Hermansson, and later taken over by Guðlaugur’s youngest son, Magnús Haukur Guðlaugsson, in 1963. Since 2005, his daughter Hanna Sigríður Magnúsdóttir has run the store.
GAM typically keeps the spoon bowl consistent, while allowing the handle design to vary each year.
These spoons are made from 92.5% sterling silver and 7.5% copper, with the copper serving to harden the spoon. The spoon bowl is gold-plated.
Like ERNA, GAM also follows themed series - e.g. featuring biblical motifs, churches, or national heritage symbols.
The 2024 spoon from GAM costs 26,900 ISK (just under €190 resp. $220). Spoons from earlier years are somewhat cheaper, ranging from 24,900 ISK for recent ones to 18,900 ISK for the oldest still available.
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| Source: gam.is |
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