The ring brooch was the most important piece of jewellery in Norwegian traditional dress. Ring brooches can be circular or heart-shaped, and their design dates from the Middle Ages. They differ from modern brooches in the way they fasten. The wearer pulls the cloth of the garment through the central hole, and then spears it with the pin. The greater the strain on the pin, the more secure the fastening. Ring brooches were worn throughout Norway in the 18th and 19th century. Their shape and pattern varied by district and use. They were worn by men, women, and children.

There are well over 50 different names for brooches in Norwegian. Each kind of brooch has its own distinctive name, some of which date back to the Middle Ages.

A bursring is a ring brooch made of sheet silver with a curved front. They were the commonest type of ring brooch in the west of Norway, and were worn as far north as Lapland. Similar ring brooches are also found in Sweden and Finland. This bursring, with an engraved pattern on the ring, and tracery across the inside, is called a stolpering. It is typical of Hallingdal and Valdres, and was usually worn by men, to fasten their shirt. It was bought for nine shillings at the International Exhibition, London, 1872.