Signet Rings

About Signet Rings

A signet ring is a ring fashioned with a flat face. Traditionally this face would have been covered by a raised relief - named an intaglio - which was often a family crest. This crest, unique to its owner, would be stamped in wax to sign documents in lieu of a signature, and was often carved into a hardstone like agate, carnelian, or sardonyx - an orange pink stone that is a mix of sard and onyx.

The word 'signet' is derived from the latin word 'signum', and this style of ring goes waaaaay back. In fact, it is mentioned in the Book of Genesis as being worn by Pharoah. Signet rings were for a long time a symbol of power, and were worn by the noble and the rich.

While signing a legal document by stamping a signet ring into wax is no longer a legally accepted practice, they remain a important style of jewellery for both men and women. Sometimes worn as a membership motif for a particular school or group, they are also more often now worn as a fashion item.

Should I choose a gold or silver signet ring?

Both gold and silver are fabulous noble metals that are hard-wearing and will last. We stock our signet rings in both metals, and budget is usually the deciding factor. Our most popular signet ring for women is our women's 9ct gold oval signet ring, and its plain, polished finished is particularly fashionable by contemporary standards. Another popular signet ring is our ladies sterling silver starburst signet ring, which houses a small cubic zirconia stone in the top corner. Cubic zirconia has been successfully created to look like diamond, without the cost.

Do you sell engraved signets rings?

While contemporary trends call for plain and polished faces on signet rings, engraved faces remain popular, and especially the half engraved, half polished style of ring. This gives the ring a more vintage feel, and rings in this style were popular from the Victorian era onwards. We stock a fabulous women's 9ct gold half engraved signet ring that looks great on the finger. It's also popular to wear a signet ring engraved with a motif, such as an English, Welsh, Scottish or Irish national emblem. Please note, at this time we do not offer personalised engraving on our signet rings. They can only be sold with the manufacturing engraving as per the images.

What finger should women wear their signet ring on?

Signet rings look great on every finger! They are fabulously versatile rings and the finger you choose all comes down to preference. Ladies signet rings are often worn as pinky rings and bought in smaller sizes, typically G-J, but they also work well on every other finger too including the ring and index fingers. In that case you would need to opt for a much larger size of typically N upwards.