Almost 5,000 years ago Egyptians gave each other rings made from reeds and rushes to symbolise love and commitment.
It is a ritual that has survived to this day, with the exchange of rings the central part of any wedding ceremony.
Emma Dance talks to Frome jewellery designer Annette Gabbedey about creating such a symbolic piece of jewellery.
The wedding rings may be the lasting symbol of the marriage, long after the big day is over, but amid the flurry of preparations choosing them is often pushed to the bottom of the to do list.
"It always makes me smile," says jewellery designer Annette Gabbedey. "The rings are the one part of the day which will last forever, something that you will have for the rest of your life, but people often come to us quite late in the day."
But, she says, getting to know the couple as they choose their rings is something that she loves.
"People come in here as strangers, but they are happy and excited and we talk about the day, and then when they leave with one of my pieces I am a part of that – it's something pretty special.
"Sometimes people come to me for an engagement ring, then a wedding ring, and sometimes an eternity ring later as well. It's really nice as I have got to know the couple and have followed them through all the stages.
"Wedding rings are so precious and important, and hopefully I am creating something that will be passed down through the generations. Maybe one of my pieces will appear on Antiques Roadshow one day – that would be be amazing."
Wedding and engagement rings are probably the only pieces of jewellery that are worn every day, so choosing the right piece is an important decision and Annette is able to guide them through the process.
"A lot of people come in not really knowing what they like," says Annette. "In fact, often people know what they don't like more than what they do.
"I have lots of sketch books filled with my designs so if someone doesn't know what they want we get people to come in and browse through them and make a note of the ones they like and we can narrow it down from there.
"Sometimes I can get a sense of their style from the clothes and jewellery that they are wearing too and I can tell if they will want something traditional or a bit more contemporary.
"If people come in with a picture of something they like and want a copy then that can be more difficult because that's not what we do. But it might give us an idea of the sort of thing that they are looking for and we can work from that.
"I think people want something personal."
Annette works in silver, gold and platinum and has an extensive range of designs that people can choose from, but she will also make bespoke pieces.
"We cover most price points," she says. "We have engagement rings with a real diamond for £400 but the average price is probably between £1,500 and £2,000."
Although diamonds are the traditional stone for engagement rings Annette says she is seeing more requests for different stones.
She said: "Coloured stones are definitely starting to come in a bit more now.
"Sometimes people want opals which is lovely as it is my speciality and sapphires are always popular but a lot of people are asking for tanzanite at the moment."
And although wedding bands have traditionally been plain Annette says that this is changing too.
"There seems to be more of a trend to have stones set into wedding rings now. And actually people are not always having an engagement ring and a wedding ring– instead they will have one more elaborate ring.
Annette designs, makes and sells her jewellery from her shop on Catherine Hill in Frome where she has been based for around 10 years.
It is an area of the town known for its independent boutiques and creative community.
"Frome has been fantastic for me," she says. "I have been working here for around 17 years and the community in Frome is amazing – the other artists and the customers.
"Everyone is supportive and it is an artistic community which is great. As an artist I never feel alone as I have a lot of like minded people to talk to. When you talk to other artists and they are excited about what they are doing it rubs off on you.
"This part of town is always changing and developing. In the last 10 years I have seen huge changes, but they have been positive ones."
This article is taken from the February issue of The County Magazine.
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