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Countless cases and shelves line every wall. It's dimly lit, but you can see some of

the items of jewelry in the glass display case nearest to you. There are hundreds of silver

rings lined up in neat rows. Some thick, some thin, some have brightly coloured gemstones

while others are decorated with symbols. You've been here before, but there's always something

new to look at. And a new story to hear. The shop owner, Adele, comes over to greet you.

She's just prepared a pot of your favourite tea. You sit down in the plush, comfortable armchair.

Take the cup of tea from the tray and breathe in deeply. It's still too hot to drink,

but the scent alone is enough to relax you. Adele noticed you admiring the rings and has a new

one to show you. As she goes to fetch it from behind the counter, she explains that it's not

exactly new. It's actually an old find discovered by her grandfather many years ago.

She thought it was lost forever until it turned up unexpectedly in a drawer.

The ring is inside a black velvet pouch. Adele empties it into your hand and you feel the cool,

solid weight of the ring. It's a thin band of gold, so thin and small that it would barely fit on

your little finger. In the middle, there's a small circle of scarlet, opaque rock, a material known as

Jasper. Holding the ring up to the light, you can just make out the details of the carving.

There's an image of a young man with curly hair, surrounded by ivy leaves.

This kind of ring is known as an interleo ring. Adele explains,

...