Article by
Professor Mark
Watson-Gandy
K.S.G
13 Old Square
Chambers
signet rings, naff or not?
Is it naff to wear a signet ring?
Not at all.
It is a quite stylish and understated bit of jewellery which both men and women can wear
Why are they called signet rings?
The word signet comes from Latin "signum" meaning sign. Impressing your seal with your signet ring has been a ready way of signing a document since the 12th century in this country – although the use of seals can be dated as far back as 3200 BC.
Legal deeds are still "documents under seal" although the wax impression is now usually replaced by a paper wafer or the letters "LS" (for locus sigili - place of the seal).
To show your identity, a signet ring would bear your distinctive coat of arms.
When should you give someone a signet ring?
It is traditional on a 21st birthday gift; this being historically the age of legal majority when a young man could first sign a binding legal document.
In certain parts of the continent your signet ring could be used to double as an engagement ring with the shield being reversed on marriage.
What finger should you wear your signet ring on?
Frankly, the finger that it fits most comfortably on.
In contemporary usage, the signet ring is typically worn on the little finger of either the right or left hand (depending on the country), although some countries have different customs (French and German noblemen, and some Spanish nobles wear it on the ring finger of their left hand; Swiss wear it on the ring finger of their right hand). In the United Kingdom, signet rings are typically worn on the little finger of the left hand but nobody is going to make a fuss about it.
What should they be made of?
On the continent the fashion is for your full coat of arms to be engraved into a stone set in the signet ring.
In England a plain gold ring engraved with just the crest is favoured, although there is a fair degree of flexibility to reflect personal taste and the limited area for engraving.
How can one show the colours, furs and metals on the coat of arms?
In heraldry engraved colours, furs and metals are shown as various lines, dots etc. i.e. gold (or) is small dots, red (gules) vertical lines, blue (azure) horizontal lines and silver (argent) left plain.
Why is the engraving detail in reverse?
The traditional method is to engrave all the details of your arms in negative so the signet ring makes a positive three-dimensional impression in a wax seal.
Cool … so I can use my signet ring to make wax seal impressions?
Yes but it is a good idea to take it off first. You won’t be wearing any rings for a while if you drop hot sealing wax on your hand.
CREDIT CRUNCHED: BANKRUPTCY
I’ve been a bad girl. I blitzed my credit cards at Christmas and in the sales and I can’t pay. I’ve just had a letter threatening to make me bankrupt. If they go ahead does that mean I’ll be bankrupt forever?
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