EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Porphyry was first discovered in Sweden at Älvdalen in 1731, but was not commercially exploited until after 1788 by Eric Hagström under the direction of Nile Adam Bielke. Mining started in the 1780s and the works were acquired by Charles XIV, the first of the Bernadotte Kings of Sweden, with the intention of introducing the splendour of the French Empire style to Sweden. During this time many porphyry objects were distributed throughout Europe as diplomatic presents executed in a variety of types of porphyry. An inventory prepared for the Mining Intendance at Stockholm at the beginning of the 19th Century lists at least twenty-two. Two of this variety are properly categorised as granitelle, the remaining twenty are named after the parishes of Alvdalen from where they were quarried: Blyberg, Dysberg, Bredvad, Orrlok, Klitt, etc (see H. Sundblom and I. Tunander, Porphyre - La Pierre Royale, 1990, p. 2). The Älvdalen works were sold by the Royal Family in 1856 and were destroyed by fire ten years later. Subsequent production was sporadic and limited.