Signet Rings Are Making A Comeback

Personalization and monogramming are huge trends at the moment for just about everything from home-wares to accessories and jewelry. But one trend that's making a comeback is perhaps the oldest form of personalization known to fashion historians – the signet ring.

Signet rings were once a menswear jewelry item, in fact it was even called the ‘gentleman's ring’. According to the Museum of London, signet rings have been around and recorded in history since the very beginning of jewelry wearing. Contemporary signet rings can be worn by either women or men. Typically a signet ring will have a family Crest or another symbol imprinted onto it representing the individual wearer.

In our present day the original use of a signet ring, as a stamp, is redundant – because we very rarely sign letters or use wax to seal an envelope. Instead, these rings now tell a story, the story of the owner, the story of the initials of lovers, loved ones, clubs, families or dates in time. Celebrities including Cara Delevingne, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Kate Moss, have all been seen wearing the trend.

Signet rings have been re-imagined for modern times, for both women and men and using varying metals, stones and designs. The surface shape of the signet can be round, oval, triangle or square, with modern designs there are no rules. The Signet allows the wearer to create their own meaning within the ring, whether it be through a significant stone, or an intimate connection to the design.

Women's Gold Signet Ring, $695

How To Wear Signet Rings

Although signet rings were originally worn on a pinky finger, they are now seen worn on any finger. Signet rings work well with the current trend for stacked rings, and are well paired with simple styles, like classic gold bands, allowing the signet to be the star. If you prefer a bolder statement, multiple signet rings can be worn on multiple fingers, a style favored by fashion trendsetters such as Model Adwoa Aboah.

One surprising, and very modern, take on the trend is the rise of engagement signet rings, inspired by the social media era and the growth of engagement ‘ring selfies’. The social engagement announcement gets an extra personal touch with a photograph of engraved signet rings.

Another twist on the idea of a monogrammed ring is a single letter ring. These initial rings are a more contemporary way to show your individuality. Initial rings and engraved jewelry make beautiful girls for christenings, birthdays or anniversary’s, and over time such gifts can build their history.

Whilst most of us won’t have a family heirloom such as a signet ring passed down to us, we can create our own legacy. Explore the signet, initial jewelry trend and other personalized jewelry options at Phoenix Roze.