‘I wanted to have a bit of the island with me always’
A woman from the UK who had both her and her late husband’s wedding rings made in Guernsey more than 30 years ago has returned his ring to the same local jeweller to get it turned into an eternity ring.
Niki Knipe, 69, lives near Dorchester but has long-standing ties to the island, which prompted her original ring request back in 1991.
‘My auntie and uncle lived in Guernsey so I visited almost every school holiday from the age of four-and-a-half. I absolutely adore the island,’ she said.
‘After they died and I met my husband John, going over wasn’t as easy, but I decided that I wanted our wedding rings to be made in Guernsey so that I always had a bit of the island with me.’
She entrusted jeweller Paul Gallienne with making the couple’s rings in 1991.
More than 30 years later, and following her husband’s recent death, Mrs Knipe sent his ring back to Mr Gallienne at his current business, Rocks in St Peter Port, where Mr Gallienne’s daughter Daniella has been busy turning it into an eternity ring – a symbol of never-ending love between two people.
‘I’ve been making rings for 50 years and in that time I have made thousands. You often remember the jewellery rather than the people, but I did remember Niki,’ Mr Gallienne said.
‘She used to come into the shop with her husband when they were over and she has such a warm, pleasant personality that when I heard her voice on the phone her face popped into my head.’
Mrs Gallienne, who was only five years old when her father made the original rings, said that they were often asked to adapt and change rings.
‘It can involve melting two wedding rings into one new one, or adapting a ring that has been passed down through the family to a more modern design.
‘You can have full and half or three-quarter eternity rings, it depends how far around the ring the jewels go.’
On this occasion, due to Mr Knipe’s finger being larger than his wife’s, Mrs Gallienne had to reduce the ring in size, before drilling diamonds into it in conjunction with Mrs Knipe’s choice of design.
‘With the placement of the diamonds all around the ring and diagonally to each other, there had to be a lot of careful measuring and it took three full days to complete,’ she said.
‘Because of the sentimental value of the ring I would say it’s irreplaceable, it’s priceless.’
Mrs Knipe received the changed ring via special delivery on Tuesday.
It is 4mm wide and has 26 diamonds, each 1.75mm in diameter.
‘It is totally beyond my expectations and I am absolutely amazed by the skill, professionalism, and ability of Daniella to make it look so beautiful,’ she said.
‘It is absolutely incredible and worth every bit of work that she has put into it.’
