Signet rings: The tradition

The Signet ring has been around for thousands of years and was first recorded as far back as The Old Testament. Rings were documented as bearing a personal signature or a symbol of family provenance. The design was usually engraved into the face of the ring, often reversed and then pressed into wax to create a personal signature or seal.

Signet rings usually have a crest image, a monogram or some other personal design engraved on the face and are typically worn on the pinky finger. Rings while traditionally worn exclusively by men are today just as popular with women. Signet rings were originally used as seals to confirm signatures on important letters and legal documents. Throughout history the Signet ring was a powerful tool used by the wealthy and powerful as a symbol of their power. Their seal or signature symbolized that power when attached to a letter or document. This seal allowed for their power to be spread far and wide by armies and messengers.

King Edward II of England decreed that official documents needed to be stamped and signed with his own Signet ring. This led to the widespread adoption of the use of seals upon official documents.

On the ring was often engraved a family crest, but also a significant mark that identified the ring holder. It is believed that some of the most important families used rings that had simple monograms or icons on them. In order to ensure that every ring stamped on a document looked exactly the same, the design was reverse engineered. Obviously, this level of detail made the rings expensive and difficult to duplicate.

In Renaissance times husbands and wives wore Signet rings which had their intertwined initials engraved on the face. By the 19^th Century Signet rings began to disappear from the business world as more people became literate. Despite this, many people still wore their signet rings, which represented their heritage as a personal statement. The 1920s and 1930s saw the rise of women wearing signet rings, originally reserved for men. Whether you like classic or modern, a Signet ring will fit any style, and in recent years we have seen a resurgence in the Signet ring as an understated fashion accessory