Men's signet rings

Family identification

Heraldry rose in the middle ages, making signet rings not only accessories that reflected wealth but also items that simply and elegantly identified a gentleman by the family to which he belonged. It's very rare to find a man who will still sport his heraldic family signet ring. However, men still wear them with other designs as a way to make a fashion statement.

If you do have the signet ring for your family's coat of arms, you probably should use this accessory sparingly and also take good care of it.

Used as seals

Heads of families would use their signet rings as a seal. The rings were generally made of gold or silver and were thus costly. They would be handed down from father to son and featured the family crest, coat of arms, or emblem, usually engraved in the flat section of the ring. Some of them also displayed precious gems.

Men's signet rings also served the purpose of officializing any letter. This was done so that they could send messages to anybody even when they were traveling. Unless you're one to carry your seal wax everywhere you go for fun, your family crest signet ring is an item you'll want to forgo.