Men's Signet Rings: What They Are & How To Wear Them

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00:00 Introduction

Once upon a time, a signet ring was the quintessential gentleman's ring and it had great importance in terms of society, culture, but even in business and politics. Today, the signet ring has lost quite a bit of its luster and sometimes, it's handed down as a family heirloom, however, at the end of the day, it's a really interesting concept and it can be a stylish accessory.

00:46 The History of Signet Rings
Traditionally, the ring was used as a seal and it featured either a heraldic symbol, a family crest, or even a coat of arms. It was introduced around the world and it became a symbol of authenticity and somewhat like a signature. In combination with wax, it also served as a seal, for example, for letters or documents. A signet ring itself had specific markings that identified it belonging to a specific person or to a family. Interestingly, signet rings can be traced back as far as 3500 BC and specifically to Mesopotamia where they were used as a means of authenticity.

If you look at the word signet, it means as much as a small seal for formal or official purposes. A signet ring was definitely not something every man wore, it was more reserved for the elite or people of a certain class and societal status. While the first signet rings had a raised pattern on the ring, subsequently, that changed into engraved Signet rings because they were used in a wax seal. This tradition holds true today and even though most people don't use a signet ring today anymore, to use in a wax seal, you'll find crests that are reversed so they could actually be used with traditional wax.

03:03 The Signet Ring Today

In Europe, you can still find families that passing their rings or have new ones created for their children upon graduation or other important life events, though that is definitely the exception to the rule. Most families simply don't have a crest or coat of arms. You definitely find Signet rings in the military, some men wear them showing their rank on the ring, you can also find them in fraternities, or simply as a symbol as a belonging of a club. One of the more well-known organizations that employ signet rings are the Freemasons. Today, I have yet to find someone who actually uses their signet ring to make a seal with wax and they're usually just meant to be a mark of authenticity and tradition. That being said, it's very easy to buy vintage rings on eBay these days, there are even counterfeits out there of vintage rings, or you can also have made your new ring.

07:38 Signet Ring Metal & Style Options

Most rings come in 10 Karat, 14 karat, or 18 karat gold. Either a white gold or rose gold or yellow gold. You can also go with sterling silver which is a lot less expensive but also with rings like palladium which are more expensive. Most rings come with a flat stone on top that is usually set and that can be engraved. If you don't like the stone, you can also go with simple metal that is just fine. The bands are usually all solid and not decorated but you can also find Signet rings with heavy decoration on them. Traditional shapes include round, oval, or long oval, or rectangular, squares with rounded edges, or even like cut edges that gives you an octagonal look, there really is no limit under the sun as long as the stone is flat and not domed.

In terms of color and stones, the most popular are black onyx, blue lapis lazuli, a bloodstone, which is a dark green with red inclusions, you can also find a carnelian which is dark red, and we use those stones also for our cufflinks which you can find in our shop here which go quite well if you want to coordinate.
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Gentleman's Gazette

[Helli__]

I wore rings since I was 15 or 16 (mostly cheap rings at that time) but I always wanted to have a signate ring to honor my father who passed away when I was young.
Since my family hasn't a coat of arms I was very glad as my mother took me to a goldsmith on my 18 birthday and let me design my ring with my dad's initials (engraved in a special font by hand) on it.
I wear it till today, it has some scratches on it and looks a bit worn but I won't polish it up because I think this ring tells a story.

[rcst]

I have an heirloom signet ring with our family crest, i wear it on my middle finger (like my father and grandfather did) because according to my grandfather it shows our dedication to duty and honor as a military family.
Our signet also has a chevron on it for dedicated abd faithful service, or so i've been told.

[wulfila]

I've stopped wearing rings with casual clothings, but with suits, I wear a "signet" ring with my "fraternity's" monogram (note that I only use the term "fraternity" due to lack of an anglophone equivalent to a Studentenverbindung), though it's just etched, rather than engraved.

[jrf]

I for one have a family crest designed and registred here in the Netherlands; on many occasions I seal invitations or valuable gifts with wax for that matter. It's really something special that hopefully will be passed on for many generations to come!

[jahimuddin]

I cannot wait to get a Signet ring made with my personal symbol on it. I plan on turning into a family crest starting from me.

[Tobi-cbvb]

I think the reason to leave the back of the ring behind the stone open is this: As a result of the common shape and weight distribution of a signet ring, it is very likely to turn on your finger, especially on the pinky. In order to prevent that, a properly executed signet ring should be hollow behind the stone or engraving plate.
Greetings from Germany.

[Henort_]

I like wearing signet rings in multiple colors at times. As well as simple rings without stones inserted. They're cool as well and might go well with various combinations.

[nathanhawee]

This is perfect! Ive always loved the signet ring... And here recently found my Irish family coat of arms. The stones are also fine, onyx is beautiful

[messman]

Crest goes on a helmet, and in England, the middle class at first were not allowed to get coats of arms, so they used "crests" that nobility often showed with their coats of arms. No law prevented that use; but it has lead to the term being wrongly applied, and use of "crests" is associated with being a bit tacky and inauthentic.

Coats of arms were like a signature and name: outside of certain major families coats of arms could only be passed down from grandfather to the eldest grandson born to the grandfather's oldest son; if they both agreed.

Only certain families would pass down their coats of arms: the rule was the coat of arms had to be associated with a specific office, like a king. Then, only one person at a time in the family could use the coat of arms.

Any agencies that claims to "find" your "families" coats of arms are frauds.

That said, anyone can design and have registered their own. The issues are whether or not it passes the heraldic standards for clarity, and uniqueness: people have been making coats of arms for centuries, so there are a lot of designs, and you should never copy or repeat someone else' coat of arms. One reason is you can't get yours registered, but second, having a coat of arms similar to someone else' defeats the purpose. There are still places around today that you can have a coat of arms registered, but it is *EXPENSIVE.*

A cheaper alternative is to do your own research, design your own and check the roles yourself (there are a few online databases where you can search by key terms), and then simply copyright the blazon (written description of the coat and what is registered at a college of arms) and the artistic rendition of the coat of arms you wish to use for your signet.

With digital manufacturing, getting a custom deal for a signet will come down in price dramatically. Many laser resin 3D printers can already make attractive looking seals of great detail and reasonable durability at an affordable price. And desktop milling machines are getting much better, allowing actual stones or stainless steel to be carved at a reasonable price.

[kennethMblake]

My goodness, what a terrific excellent. Very charming and engaging. I was drawn in every moment to what was being said. Thank you, sir, for this video. It is an affirmation of the Signet that I just purchased.

[bertiekeane]

I received my family coat of arms signet ring a month or two ago for my 18th birthday, and i can say that i have already sealed a letter with it so there is at least one person!!

[lalolalo]

Dude that last pointy ring paired with a vintage gold cartier will complete that look. Nice vid, classy dressing!

[arielallerhand]

The advantage of laser engraving is that it can be easily removed and changed, I engraved mine with my initials, but if my son would like to use it in the future, it will be easy to change it, and it doesn't look "cheap" at all.

[AlexanderDiviFilius]

Very nice video. As a Brit who inherited a signet ring, I must say I agree with everything said here, albeit with one exception: the use of the term "family crest." While, as far as I know (and I'm not an expert) this is a fine term to use, it usually links to the idea that coats of arms are familial, which is a misconception.

While elements of your parent(s) coat of arms could be incorporated into your own, historically, each person had to have an entirely unique one. The exception to this is if a you were the heir of a deceased relative, and upon proving that you were the first in the line of succession, you could have his or her coat of arms become yours legally.

It's also with noting that in countries which still acknowledge heraldry in this form, such as the UK and much of the commonwealth, coats of arms are still a partially legal matter, so it won't technically mean anything unless you have it registered officially. There are no repercussions for not registering one (and it costs a fair amount to do so), but it may be worth considering if you wish to have your coat of arms be recognised by your government.

[nikp]

The general rule for a sginet ring in UK, Italy, Greece, Spain, Germany, Switzerland (and probably other places in Europe) is traditionally to be worn in the non dominant hand not on the left. Its just so happens usually that is the left hand for most. Winston Churchill in your example did not wear it on his right hand out of a whim but because he was left handed thus right hand was his non dominant hand. :)

[JC-kzut]

My family comes from a culture where there are no signet rings (from the Orient). But we do have a family crest that predates most European families. I am what people would consider "from the 'Establishment', " so many of my friends wear signet rings. I just had mine made on a standard oxford cushion. It looks strange having an Eastern crest (it looks like a maze) on a piece of European jewelery, but it's definitely unique.

[JohnstonR]

I jus inherited the family signet ring. This video was helpful. Most men in my family choose to wear it on their left pinkies however as a girl the ring is currently to big to be worn especially on my pinkie.

[XunSimmons]

Fantastic video, looking forward to more!

[waltski]

Nice and informative video. I was curious as to which finger to wear the signet ring, as, like you, I wear my wedding band on my left ring finger. I am considering getting a signet ring with my university's crest. Again, thank you for the video.

[MGMarano]

I wear a signet ring on my pinkie. It's silver, cost $96, and bears the crest of the city of Montemarano, Italy. The name Montemarano is my family's original name.