Signet rings: what they mean now, who wears them and how

Signet rings have a long history that stretches back to ancient civilisations. Today, these rings are enjoying a resurgence in popularity. Read on to find out what signet rings are and what they mean to those who wear them today.

What is a signet ring?

If you’ve seen someone wear a ring that has a band with a flat surface (the surface could be square, oval, round or another shape), that’s a signet ring.

You may notice that there’s something engraved onto the flat face of the ring. Whether it’s a coat of arms or crest belonging to the family, initials or another engraving depicting something that’s meaningful to the wearer, engravings are traditional on a signet ring. However, today the surface could be left bare or feature a stone depending on the wearer’s personal style.

The engraving of a marker specific to the individual wearing it would have traditionally been in reverse, so the signet ring could be used to ‘sign’ a document or official item by pushing the ring into the material to form a personal seal. Today you may see an engraving such as the wearer’s initials engraved the ‘right’ way around so it’s readable by the person wearing the ring and those around them.

What does a signet ring mean?

What a signet ring means depends on the individual wearer. At one point in history, signet rings were a sign of status or being part of a noble family. Now, anyone can wear them, but they still retain some of that sense of prestige from their past.

Signet rings may be given to mark a coming-of-age birthday or engraved with something meaningful such as initials or a date. Or they could simply be bought by the wearer as a fashion piece and have no design or status attached to it at all – other than that which the ring itself seems still to signal.

How to wear a signet ring

If you want to go with tradition and feel the status that a signet ring can bring, wear the signet ring on the little finger (or pinkie) of your non-dominant hand. That means if you’re right-handed, you’d wear it on your left pinkie and vice versa. However, you don’t have to follow tradition. Today signet rings can be worn on any finger – so if you want to be more fashionable and contemporary with how you wear your signet, simply go with whichever finger it looks or feels best on.

How much does a signet ring cost?

How much signet rings cost depends on the type of ring you get. Some signet rings can be affordable, while there are other signet rings that feature precious stones, metals and intricate designs which are of a much higher value.

As signet rings will vary in size of the band (both its width and depth) and the flat surface itself, this will determine how much precious metal it contains and therefore also contribute to the end cost of the piece. For example, platinum rings are generally more expensive than silver, and a ring featuring a unique, detailed engraving or a large precious stone is likely to be more expensive than a smaller, plainer signet ring.

Visit a jeweller or browse online to see which signet ring suits your style and your budget.

Can a signet ring be a wedding ring?

Today, anything goes with signet rings. While they were traditionally worn on the pinkie finger of the non-dominant hand, if you wish to wear a signet finger on the left ring finger as a wedding ring, you can.

Because signet rings can be engraved, you can choose to mark your marriage with a special monogram that represents you both or a design that is special to both partners, making the ring (or rings) even more meaningful.

Can anyone wear a signet ring?

Yes, today anyone can wear a signet ring. While at one time signet rings were worn by those belonging to a noble family or another elite establishment or role, now anyone of any gender can wear them either for fashion or as a symbol of a special moment.

How to find your signet ring

Whether you want to browse online or shop in person at a jeweller’s, signet rings are enjoying popularity once again and so are easily available.

Consider the shape and size of the ring you want, along with which metal you wish it to be made of and any engraving or stones you want incorporated onto or within the ring. Your signet ring can be as individual as you, so enjoy finding a ring that speaks to you and your reason for wearing it.

If you buy a signet ring for someone else without knowing which finger they wish to wear it on, resizing is usually an option for signet rings, but this does depend on the individual ring.

Resizing involves either taking a piece out of the ring if you want it to be made smaller, then re-joining the ring together, or adding extra material to the ring so it can fit a wider finger. Our short guide on ring resizing shares more about how this works and what it can cost.

Keeping your signet ring safe

And lastly, we understand that losing a signet ring or having it stolen can be upsetting – particularly if it symbolises something special to you or your family, or you wish to pass it on to future generations. Protecting the piece with our jewellery insurance can help provide valuable peace of mind so you can keep wearing your signet ring without worry and with pride.

To speak to us about jewellery insurance call 020 8256 4901 or email privateclients@howdeninsurance.co.uk