THE ENDURING STYLE OF SIGNET RINGS

POPULAR WITH BOTH MEN AND WOMEN, THESE TIMELESS CLASSICS ARE MORE THAN A MERE ACCESSORY

When you begin to learn about the history of signet rings (the name comes from the Latin word “signum” or sign), one thing becomes quite clear: This is a piece of jewelry that once served a very important purpose, making them far more than a mere accessory.

In ancient Egypt, members of wealthy families and the Pharaohs themselves would dip these rings, which traditionally bore the family crest, into hot sealing wax to “sign” important documents.

These classic pieces were also used to seal other correspondence, says Emmet Smith, the founder and owner of Rebus, a bespoke jewelry company in London that’s known for its traditional hand-engraved signet rings.

“You’d use your signet ring to seal a sensitive letter, a love letter, or any information you needed to be discreet,” says Smith, who founded his company in 2005 as a department within R.H. Wilkins, the renowned engravers based in London’s Hatton Garden.

The design was ingenious, too, from the very inception of these pieces, he says.

“The way it works is that your family crest is carved deeply into the ring, but it has to be in reverse,” he says. “This way, once the ring is pushed into the wax and released, that wax impression is in the correct direction.”

Emmet Smith’s Rebus creates hand-engraved signet rings, shown at top, that are entirely bespoke; a ring by Ruffs, shown below, one of the oldest signet ring makers in the U.K.

For all the millennia since, the signet ring has remained a jewelry staple that transcends fashion trends.

“They’re not showy,” he says. “It’s something you can wear every day to any occasion. It’s the only piece of jewelry, besides a wedding ring, that you wouldn’t take off.”

Smith says that customers remain interested in signet rings with family crests and monograms, but they’re also expanding into requesting rings with symbolic images that matter to them personally.

“We put mood boards together and flesh out symbols for our customers,” he says. “A signet ring is simple, elegant, and a blank canvas to make your own.”

And, unlike other types of jewelry, signet rings are equally popular with men and women, says Mark Ruff, executive chairman of Ruffs, one of the oldest makers of signet rings in the U.K.

“Once upon a time they were a mark of a gentleman,” he says. “But that’s no longer the case. I think everyone can— and should—wear them.”

In addition, while signet rings are traditionally worn on the pinky finger of your left hand, there are no hard and fast rules anymore, says Ruff, who represents the fourth generation of the Ruff lineage making signet rings since 1904.

“I always say to a customer ‘wear it where you feel most comfortable, like a piece of clothing,’ ” he says.

A NEW TAKE ON A SIMPLE WEDDING BAND One interesting new trend: Some couples are now designing unique signet rings instead of shopping for traditional wedding bands.

“Wedds, as we jewelers call them, symbolize love and commitment,” Smith says. “The traditional wedding band is slowly evolving into statements of a couple’s individuality; this is where the signet ring comes into its own.”

These “bands of gold” boast hand engraving—and a bigger surface area— and offer an opportunity to become a personal emblem for a couple.

“Couples can put more information within a signet ring,” Smith says. “For example, we can put secret messages inside the shank, we’ve done mountain ranges where the couple met, and we can add a depiction of a favorite pet. The options are limitless.”

And, signet rings can also serve as a lovely gesture that symbolically connects two families, Ruff says.

“You can use the time designing signet rings as an opportunity for two families to unite and make family crests together,” he says. “What’s most wonderful is that signet rings are timeless and made to order, which makes them even more special.”

The Keeper signet ring with black diamonds, shown above, is from London-based Rebus. A collection of unique signets from Ruffs is shown at left.