Men's Signet Rings: What They Are & How To Wear Them

[@loupraffard4791]

Great video ! The French actually have rules for where finger to wear your signet ring : the eldest son wears it on his left ring finger, and the other children on the right pinky. If you are single, you put the symbol/crest to face the person you are talking to, so when they salute you they know you’re not married/in couple. If you’re taken, the crest faces you to show you are closed to new loves. Thanks for reading !

[@stefanschleps8758]

Thank you for sharing Loup. Having been born in Paris I will adopt these customs. Have a wonderful day. Thanks again.

[@bluedogviking]

That's very interesting. Honestly I plan on getting a signet ring made this or next year I'm descendent of nobles from France and England technically it's the same family line for both the married royalty in England. I'm not really sure if I should use the old crest or If I should make a fully new crest or I could possibly use aspects of the original crest on the new one. I'm descendent of the Pomeroy family they originally were from France but they were friends with the king of England and were given land alot of people will know of their castle its supposedly the most haunted castle either in the world or in the United Kingdom Honestly I love learning about history.

[@FoxtrotFleet]

Thank you for that info.

[@AR15ORIGINAL]

How do you make the crest face the person you are talking to? Does that mean the stone should face the inside of the hand if you are taken, effectively keeping it down and hidden most of the time?

[@loupraffard4791]

@@AR15ORIGINAL This rule is generally more for rings with crests rather than stones. The crest has an up and down, in such manner that depending how you wear it you can look at it in the right way or with the bottom being at the top. If you are taken you do the first way : you place your ring so when you simply lift your hand you will be able to look at it in the right position (while those facing you will see it with the bottom of the sign being at the top). Logically, if you are single, you put the symbol the other way around, so when you look at your hand the crest has its bottom at the top, but the person facing you sees it in the right position.

[@darkfuse1]

This guy looks like an old G-Eazy

[@projectalucard2483]

🙁 ohh yeah 😹😹 I just realized that 👁️👁️😸

[@simonu1612]

yes!

[@rottenraz]

I use my signet ring to seal the wax on my wine bottles.

[@artneri569]

un orthedoxed but acepteble

[@artneri569]

lol

[@rubie5394]

How do use it on a wine bottle

[@rottenraz]

@@rubie5394 When I bottle and cork the wine I melt wax onto the top to air seal it tight then press the signet onto the top

[@zeta9molerat863]

This is what I planned to do when I make mine soon.

[@Helli__]

I wore rings since I was 15 or 16 (mostly cheap rings at that time) but I always wanted to have a signate ring to honor my father who passed away when I was young. Since my family hasn't a coat of arms I was very glad as my mother took me to a goldsmith on my 18 birthday and let me design my ring with my dad's initials (engraved in a special font by hand) on it. I wear it till today, it has some scratches on it and looks a bit worn but I won't polish it up because I think this ring tells a story.

[@unscripted483]

My first ring was an 18 karat gold ring that had a black onyx in it. Lost it in a vending machine was my grandfathers

[@KAKASHI-qt5bf]

How much did these cost looking at getting one for my self aha

[@aconite72]

If you want a coat of arms, there are plenty of designers online who would give you a custom piece. Of course it's not official, but coat of arms is no longer relevant "officially". You're not going to go to jail if you wear an unofficial coat of arms, no one will call you out on it, either. You can wear one of your own design and it'd be legitimate as long as you don't wear someone else's or another family's. I had one custom made and put it on my own signet.

[@marshmellowmoon7990]

@@aconite72 The only thing that would make it not official is people wouldn't recognize it as yours but if you use it for a few generations and most of your family members agree then you could probably say it's official because at some point for every family with a crest someone had to make it.

[@AIArdalin]

@@marshmellowmoon7990 and to follow regularity it's better to create document that describes in heraldic terms construction of coat of arms, colored or/and black and white heraldic version as well as who are the family members that agree to recognize this coat of arms as theirs. In addition it's all about following local heraldic rules/customs, not copying in any close way any others coat of arms, not using external symbols like lions holdig the shield or Order cross behind the shield - as these external symbolds can only be granted by one who has such official position.

[@therantingboy]

I inherited a signet ring with my family crest on it. It was made by a famous jeweller in my family that's swiss and goes back to the 1300s. I've used it to seal envelopes once at my dad's funeral.

[@captainkenzie6873]

The family crest is a myth, what you have is probably a long dead relatives coat of arms which used to be a kind of ID for knights or high class soldiers.

[@schrisdellopoulos9244]

Sure you did.

[@therantingboy]

@@schrisdellopoulos9244 I did.

[@اباقلقلة-ز7ب]

​@@schrisdellopoulos9244😂

[@Jadee95]

@@schrisdellopoulos9244 just because you are a peasant doesnt mean everyone else is

[@tementic135]

I didn't know that Thor's hammer counted as a signet ring. The more you know.

[@WinnieThePooh333]

To those who live in the Netherlands, it's rather cheap to buy your way into the blue book. That way you can legitimise a family crest if you want. Moreover when one applies for the blue book it will be easier to get into contact with others in the book and as of such your family will become more legitimate. Through this way you can get your family crest nationally legitimised

[@jackvanlandeghem1556]

GeneralKoekwous Hoe zit het in België?

[@WinnieThePooh333]

Jack Van Landeghem zou ik niet per se weten, maar volgens mij kan men daar nogsteeds geridderd worden, dus het lijkt mij dat het op zijn minst vele malen duurder is om jezelf naar binnen te kopen

[@pyrogothica3906]

Its unfortunate that not every country has a way of legitimizing ones family Crest or coat of arms.

[@genli5603]

You can everyone except the UK. The petit nobility got mad when more commoners were making up coats of arms.

[@aurelian2668]

@@genli5603 Hahahahahaha

[@Emanuele_Sacchi]

I seldom wear it, but I do have a signet ring. My family traces its lineage back to around 900 AD, and was granted its coat of arms in the early 1400s, so most males and some females from my family have been wearing signet rings through the centuries. Mine is a solid ring, engraved to impress our family crest onto sealing wax... I never used it as such, but I can assure you my uncle sealed every letter he wrote with sealing wax and his signet up to the late 1980s when he passed away. I live in Italy, and I don't know if it's the norm here (not many people wear signet rings, you're right) or if it's a family quirk, but we all wear it on the pinky finger, but either the left or right according to personal preference (I prefer right myself).

[@alessandropangia697]

I've always found it affectatious and vulgar to wear such an accoutrement in a normal social context, though I would understand wearing it in other circumstances. Using it as your late uncle did is perfectly acceptable because it is a private affair and it is quite different to the typical "nobiltà decaduta" attitude (basking in former glory (though I wonder which glory and honour is there in the first place if the family is linked to the treacherous Savoia) in an antithetical fashion to everything that stands for understatement, virtus and pietas, which should be leitmotifs of the nobilitas).

[@edwardashwell4473]

I am part of an aristocratic family in Britain, I received my signet ring with my families coat of arms. We were given our aristocratic titles in the early 1400’s. I only wear it to certain occasions. For everyday life I have a lapis lazuli signet ring.

[@mannyman729]

I wish i had somewhat of a heritage like that to be able to use one. But my family were just farmers from Puerto Rico even if we had one dont think it means nothing today. Yet, to conserve it is concerving your herritage and thats something beautiful to me.

[@pastorflaps6819]

Emmanuel Burgos as an English person from a family with a long heritage I can assure you that anyone in the higher workings of are society would never ever show off there wealth or titles it's very poor taste to do so and very volger most lords and people who have such things will never ever do so in an attempt to show off it's just bad taste to do so

[@mannyman729]

Pastor Flaps i never saw it that way and i understand what you mean 100%. I just see it as simething to take pride in but not to snob about wealth or nobility. I do see what you mean especially if the ethical value of the nobility of the family was not quite good.

[@patrickwalsh6240]

One thing to consider is that at we age our fingers change, a ring may not fit on a finger it use to be worn on and you have to wear it elsewhere. The physical work I have done over the last 20 years has caused enlarged finger joints and my signet ring bought when I was 18 and worn on my right index finger will not fit ever again, but it does fit my right ring finger which is fine. Great videos, keep up the good work

[@edcox6784]

Having been a jeweler I would always advise to have a ring open underneath otherwise the dirt etc will, over time, collect under the stone where it cannot easily, if at all, be gotten out to work on the ring where heat would be an issue. Not an issue if you use modern laser welding as the heat is only at the point of the weld.

[@wulfila99]

I've stopped wearing rings with casual clothings, but with suits, I wear a "signet" ring with my "fraternity's" monogram (note that I only use the term "fraternity" due to lack of an anglophone equivalent to a Studentenverbindung), though it's just etched, rather than engraved.

[@k.r.9880]

Von welcher studentenverbindung ?:)

[@wulfila99]

@@k.r.9880 Schweizerische Studentenverbindung Helvetia zu Zürich^^

[@ruthlewis6678]

To me, there is just something classy about a man who wears a signet ring on his pinky finger.

[@rc501st]

I have an heirloom signet ring with our family crest, i wear it on my middle finger (like my father and grandfather did) because according to my grandfather it shows our dedication to duty and honor as a military family. Our signet also has a chevron on it for dedicated abd faithful service, or so i've been told.

[@skjaldulfr]

I love the concept of wearing a signet ring! Looks cool.

[@messman10]

Crest goes on a helmet, and in England, the middle class at first were not allowed to get coats of arms, so they used "crests" that nobility often showed with their coats of arms. No law prevented that use; but it has lead to the term being wrongly applied, and use of "crests" is associated with being a bit tacky and inauthentic. Coats of arms were like a signature and name: outside of certain major families coats of arms could only be passed down from grandfather to the eldest grandson born to the grandfather's oldest son; if they both agreed. Only certain families would pass down their coats of arms: the rule was the coat of arms had to be associated with a specific office, like a king. Then, only one person at a time in the family could use the coat of arms. Any agencies that claims to "find" your "families" coats of arms are frauds. That said, anyone can design and have registered their own. The issues are whether or not it passes the heraldic standards for clarity, and uniqueness: people have been making coats of arms for centuries, so there are a lot of designs, and you should never copy or repeat someone else' coat of arms. One reason is you can't get yours registered, but second, having a coat of arms similar to someone else' defeats the purpose. There are still places around today that you can have a coat of arms registered, but it is *EXPENSIVE.* A cheaper alternative is to do your own research, design your own and check the roles yourself (there are a few online databases where you can search by key terms), and then simply copyright the blazon (written description of the coat and what is registered at a college of arms) and the artistic rendition of the coat of arms you wish to use for your signet. With digital manufacturing, getting a custom deal for a signet will come down in price dramatically. Many laser resin 3D printers can already make attractive looking seals of great detail and reasonable durability at an affordable price. And desktop milling machines are getting much better, allowing actual stones or stainless steel to be carved at a reasonable price.

[@Thomas-fk3xl]

I have evidence that I am directly descended from the man who was granted a coat of arms, though from a cadet branch. I know the coa is legit because it was written down in the reitstap armourial. And I won't give it up because I am not the most senior descendent (I think that is rather unfair) but I will rather alter the coat of arms for my branch to show my cadency.

[@messman10]

@@Thomas-fk3xl Then I am unsure. I am no expert, but I read that the coat of arms needed to be directly willed, skipping one generation, for it to be inherited. If true, you'd need a lineage of wills. That said, I could be wrong, very wrong. And different countries may handle things differently.

[@owlman_]

@@Thomas-fk3xl It may seem unfair, but that's how it works in the British systems and some of the continental systems. Taking the arms would be akin to your 4th cousin twice removed moving into your house and disputing ownership with your children as soon as you're dead. "I'm not leaving. It's rather unfair I don't get this house too. After all, I'm also related to Tho mas" they'd say.

[@Thomas-fk3xl]

@@owlman_ note that i said altered to show cadency, if it were the original unaltered coat of arms i would be in agreement with you.

[@perfesser944]

In my humble opinion, a man should only wear a signet ring if it carries HIS family crest AND if he got it from his father.

[@deanjelbertaustria6174]

I wanna look like Don Corleone with my signet ring :p

[@axelwalter4046]

In the Netherlands (and Germany), a "layered"-stone is most often used for family-crest rings, where the top layer is for instance blue, and the lower stone layer black, so when your crest is cut into it (by hand), the lower colour gets visible. You show rings like that in your video, but you don't mention it. In the Netherlands, a family-crest ring is called a "zegelring" (seal-ring), and an initials-only ring or non-carved ring (for men) is sarcastically known by people who do have a family crest, as "vlegelring" (vlegel = boor, churl, cur).... so there sure is a form of judgment in that. In France and Britain gold engraved crest rings are more common. For the Netherlands and Germany: most often the signet ring is on the left ring finger. But more "adventurous" people wear it on the left pink. In the Netherlands you normally show a half (without torse and mantling) or full family crest on the ring, in Britain it's more often only the helmet sign (crest) and band (torse or wreath) that are engraved .

[@shahancheong9792]

Signet-rings aren't really a thing outside of Europe and North America, but in Asia, it's common (especially in Chinese, Japanese & Korean communities) for people to have their own seals with their names engraved on them. When my brother and I had our 18th birthdays, our parents gave us our own seals (made of soapstone, the most traditional material) with our names engraved on them in Chinese characters, so that we could sign documents, etc. I still use mine all the time. I've always wanted a signet-ring...

[@wasdx-_9258]

"Signet-rings aren't really a thing outside of Europe and North America", lol what?

[@shahancheong9792]

@@wasdx-_9258 family crests and signet-rings. You don't see them in Asia, for example. I mean you can make your own, but it doesn't have the same traditions that it does in Europe.

[@jahimuddin2306]

I cannot wait to get a Signet ring made with my personal symbol on it. I plan on turning into a family crest starting from me.

[@rocksy71]

As one of the directors of our family business here in the UK “custom wax n seals & my personal jewellery” I can say hand on heart that both signet rings and wax seals are both still selling strong and we engrave anything our customers heart desires

[@24revealer]

I did a search for your business and did not find it.

[@phdwho9656]

Could you give more details?

[@manofaction3501]

Could I have the details please?

[@PATRICKSMITH1]

I inherited my grandfather's signet ring which I wear on my right ring finger. I love the lapis lazuli signet that you have there.

[@AnnavBF]

I use my husband's signet ring - handed down, has our noble crest - to make seals on cards and gifts all the time. I'd have my own but I can't settle on the style of ring or other accessory that I want. I think it's a fairly normal thing among noble families in Sweden still. Also the stacking of the rings on the pinky finger is still a thing, but only if you were in the calvary. Closing off the back of the ring with metal also, I think, makes it more difficult to replace the stone if it gets cracked.

[@BishopDewar]

I have a signet ring on my left pinky, it carries my episcopal seal engraved into it. It is something I wear to compliment my episcopal ring on my right hand, but it gets frequent use in sealing my official episcopal documents. It’s an old fashioned tradition, but one that I love and cherish. I have had a ring on my left pinky since my 16th birthday, the signet ring I now wear replaced my monogram ring given on my 16th birthday.

[@dr.s.p.]

Very informative and interesting. My family’s coat of arms is on a signet ring and also a large shield and both have been handed down from father to eldest son for generations and I hope will continue for hundreds more. Good video.

[@Fede_uyz]

Latinoamerican here, as soon as I get a new Job, i'm Going to start saving up for one. My class ring got stolen and thus an accessory that i had turned into a conversation piece and part of my outfit was lost, so now i look forwards to getting my silver signet ring with my family crest inlaid in Gold definetly not useful for letters but as a way to carry my family name

[@fidulario]

Sobre todo porque en Latinoamérica los títulos nobiliarios no valen una pepita... 😶

[@Fede_uyz]

@@fidulario y?

[@Tobi-cb7vb]

I think the reason to leave the back of the ring behind the stone open is this: As a result of the common shape and weight distribution of a signet ring, it is very likely to turn on your finger, especially on the pinky. In order to prevent that, a properly executed signet ring should be hollow behind the stone or engraving plate. Greetings from Germany.

[@lordsathariel4384]

i think its also because alot of signets after a certain point were not solid metal but tended to have a gemstone/shell face as people started leaning into cameo and gems more so with cameo you want to be able to wash and clean it but also you want to be able to see the front and back of the gem or mineral used to check for cracking and drying so having the back open helps alot with that and also like you said means it's more comfortable to wear and won't start turning although if the ring is sized properly it shoulden't be able to turn it should slide on and stay but easy to take off

[@everglow101]

My family is Italian and we have a pinky ring with our family crest on it made out of silver. Should I wear it?

[@briansmith1633]

A signet ring was destroyed upon the bearer's death to prevent people from falsifying documents post mortem. The signet was an ipso facto "signature". I really enjoy your channel, but you should refrain from commenting on things you don't fully understand.

[@claudedestree3120]

Well done video. My father’s signet ring with the family armes was lost, so I did a great deal of research and settled on Dexter Rings Ltd., Kent, England to make one for both my wife and me, and later for my sons when they became adults. Their craftsmen/artists are impeccable and they have been producing beautiful signet rings in many styles (traditional and modern) and with various materials for a very long time. Email communication between Dexter in England and my home in the U.S. made design approval easy and payment straight forward. They are familiar with the heraldry requirements from different countries. Mine is a French, reverse signet ring that can be used for making seals and I wear mine on my right ring finger as I have a wedding band on my left ring finger. My family celebrated its millennium a few years back, and as the chef (head) of my family, wearing a signet ring, even in this day and age, is an important tradition. My ring has a ducal crown, while my sons’ have a count’s coronet. My ring will be passed to my oldest son when I am gone to become his. I hope that all my sons will pass on their rings to their children and craft new ones for their sons and/or daughters.

[@skinmasher]

Nice video. I'm currently in the process of getting a gold signet ring made. I'm using old family wedding bands melted down into it to give it meaning and just going with a classy initial on the face

[@generalisimo1]

Nice tie! I'm getting a signet ring made when I get back from over seas.

[@JamesRDavenport]

As soon as I saw this video, I knew I made the right decision to subscribe. I'm home!

[@susie9893]

I knew about them being used historically in England but somehow never made the correlation to Biblical times. Makes it even more interesting imo. I'm not a fan of guys wearing jewelry in general but heirloom pieces I can kinda get behind and I like that signet rings served a real purpose (I LOVE when jewelry is both pretty and practical eg those little pendant vials you can get). [I also think we should use signet rings as keys eg car or house - a fingerprint can be lifted and copied from a random surface once the owner has left but much harder to copy the indentations of a ring without the owner being aware]

[@flahboi]

Now i remember my grandpa give me this kind of ring he always wear It's really cool ring with red sapphire I feel It's improve my charisma Everytime i wear it

[@jamesblonde2271]

Gentlemen no longer wear signet ring as their obsolete, maybe if you inherited it but in the best circles gentlemen dont wear rings of any kind. Usually a signet ring signifies someone who is trying to look "posh". To those who know a signet ring is a dead giveaway of pretention.

[@kennethMblake]

My goodness, what a terrific excellent. Very charming and engaging. I was drawn in every moment to what was being said. Thank you, sir, for this video. It is an affirmation of the Signet that I just purchased.

[@tilden60]

I have a beautiful signet ring that my Dad sold to me when he was on his deathbed.

[@MrJruta]

Former 101 ABN Div. Sold it to you?

[@reece42069]

Sold it to you? 😭😭 Please tell me this is bait? 🎣

[@beareggers]

Although not a ring, in Japan every adult utilizes a signet called an "inkan" or "hanko." They use this in place of a signature when signing documents and the design is registered by the local government. You can see mine in my profile image. I don't live in Japan anymore, so I'm not too concerned with forgery.

[@drewgould6526]

As a graduation gift My family had a gold signet ring made for me with our family coat of arms and I love it. I wear suits every day so It is a great accessory depending on the day.

[@octaneartllc]

Did you just say accessory😕

[@jrf6989]

I for one have a family crest designed and registred here in the Netherlands; on many occasions I seal invitations or valuable gifts with wax for that matter. It's really something special that hopefully will be passed on for many generations to come!

[@TheDCinSC]

Interesting overview. Although I wear my class ring which is not strictly speaking a signet, I've always liked them. A couple of points: --I actually do know some men who use thier signet rings to make impressions on wax seals: Bishops, although some of them have a separate seal made so that that ring does not have to be used. ---Regent University in Virginia Beach, Virginia, is to the best of my knowledge the only U.S. college or university that has for their class ring a signet ring with a reversible seal (I'm not an alumnus of that school but found that interesting).

[@marshmellowmoon7990]

Getting a letter sealed in wax is one of the best things. Most letters have an adhesive now but you don't have to use it, or use it and then put wax on it. Cracking wax to open a letter is just so satisfying.

[@2ndhorseman]

I feel like a wax seal wouldn't withstand modern post practices.

[@marshmellowmoon7990]

@@2ndhorseman You can, you just need to have all of the other things needed for a letter. I have gotten letters in the mail with a wax seal on it before.

[@Jourell1]

I inherited a small gold signet ring from my dad with our Scottish family crest. Apparently sometimes he actually used it with the wax sealing method for his letter and the post office got po'd at him because the letters disrupted the sorting machines.

[@ReverendPop]

Another excellent video. I'll only point out one of several errors/omissions: it's not a signet ring if there's nothing engraved or etched. What is envraved on the signet is akin to a signature, so something antique belonging to someone else is a bit of an error in taste.

[@susie9893]

Hmm. If it's a signet that has been passed down, then even if it's not being used with purpose anymore I still think it has sentimental value (and perhaps a feeling of belonging) for the wearer. Otherwise I don't know why you'd purchase a signet ring that didn't have a connection with your family identity - better to wear one where you designed the engraving yourself (surely it would have more meaning in that case, you could design it to symbolise something of significance to you, which I'm sure is how the original signet rings were designed).

[@lemon6780]

Funny thing is my grandfather according to my family members was a freemason, so i was wondering how one obtained the freemason ring

[@MariaLuisaOlabarrieta]

❤❤ 😌Jamas habia visto estos maravillosos Sellos. Felicidades. Desde. España❤

[@HappyfoxBiz]

my father had a signet ring made, but I'm not really into that stuff, when you are born you are your own man, where you came from is kinda nice to know but it shouldn't define you, Irish were slaves, Africans were slaves... just about everyone outside of the noble class were slaves, should we make everyone that descended from those classed as "born from slavery?" nope

[@rev.jesseabelchristianlife6693]

My Great Grandmother's Father was a Russian Duke, so my gold signet ring has the Russian Imperial Romanov dynasty eagle on it to represent our family link to the Tsars. My last imperial court ancestor before the crown fell in 1918 was a portrait painter to Tsar Nicholas II.

[@bluedogviking]

Thats really cool I have nobility and royalty in my family from along time ago can't decide if I'll use that crest since it has a different last name then me currently or if I should make a new design with elements from all my families.

[@ProsiaczekMr]

I like wearing signet rings in multiple colors at times. As well as simple rings without stones inserted. They're cool as well and might go well with various combinations.

[@coffeefrog]

Love your channel! As an artist specializing in historical subject matter, I deeply appreciate your content. Signet rings have been on my list to study, and I've particularly had trouble deciding which fingers to place them on... until now. Thanks so much, and keep up the good work!

[@waltski4375]

Nice and informative video. I was curious as to which finger to wear the signet ring, as, like you, I wear my wedding band on my left ring finger. I am considering getting a signet ring with my university's crest. Again, thank you for the video.

[@thebiggamer22]

My family has a coat of arms, in fact they were part of the italian aristocracy

[@high-techtroy4314]

Which finger is the best for a CHURCH SIGNET RING 💍 ?

[@rogersheddy.8497]

If you look at old court documents you'll often see a mark in which there's a little space and they'll do a squiggle around it and then they'll write the word "Seal." That is because in legal documents either a member of the nobility or a train educated clerk who also was usually a son of the Lesser nobility when use that seal to mark that he was signing his document. The use of the Signet made it official-- just as historic Municipal documents or foreign treaties even in this day are often still marked with a large wax seal. The irony is that even now when someone is unable to write or sign their name the document is often marked his(X)mark And I have had some of those in my hands in the past. That is similar to the way the spaces would be left on those documents in the old days for the wax seal to be applied. It is said that in legal documents they do not understand why a certain symbol is utilized. It looks like a pair of s has one above the other but then we're the bottom of the upper s in the top of the lower s Loop into each other. The only thing that would lead me to think that this is not actually a seal is the fact that it's usually put at the beginning of legal citations. Otherwise one could easily see a Royal Proclamation with a seal denoting its Noble origin....

[@djouwairiatmohamed7303]

I want to offer one of this ring to my husband This ring are so stylish and elegant on men ...it's show power ...

[@LibertypopUK]

This video is fantastic , thanks Sven... your content never disappoints! keep up the good work

[@gentlemansgazette]

Thank you!

[@bluedogviking]

@@gentlemansgazette I have a question would It be weird if I used my family crest even if its not my last name its from generations ago. My family used to be royalty and nobles. Would it be better t I create a new crest and use elements from the others?

[@giorgioh.1245]

Thank you very much for that video! I found it very entertaining and informative. I do mostly agree with you. But I have to add to your notion, that one may always start a new tradition. You are completely right about that. But there are quite precise rules to choosing a coat of arms. Most importantly it needs to be unique. Checking for yourself can be very tedious and also very unreliable. Therefore anyone who is thinking about founding a new coat of arms should contact a heraldic association. Those will consult you on how to proceed according to the rules of heraldry and tradition.

[@lifehack4143]

This video is great! I did watch this last year, but came back now with a request: It would be fantastic if you could make a video about cleaning and treating rings and cufflinks with gem stones. Fort Belvedere for example offers accessories with malachite and onyx which are sensitive materials. How do you clean or polish them? Can you use ultrasonic cleaners? What differences do you keep in mind when treating the different stones? In case you have made one already, a link would be wonderful! Greetings from Germany :)

[@valizeth4073]

I personally never wear our noble signet ring due to robbery risks and due to how heavy it is considering it's solid gold with a white gold head. Ours has been passed down through the eldest son since around the 1700's, whereas our most recent ring is from the late 1800's but belong to another part of the family. Definitely not common to see people wear on daily basis (probably cause you don't want to showcase nobility nowadays) but still a nice jewelry to wear on special occasions like free mason meetings. As for the finger I always has to wear it on the pinkie as it's just way too small to wear on any other finger but as far as I recall it's swedish tradition to wear it on the ring finger on the left hand with it's face inwards in case you were married. In my opinion creating modern signet rings is a very strange thing to do, despite if you're noble or not as it quite frankly doesn't matter what so ever and I feel like most people who do, do it for ill-intentions and not to honer their fore-fathers. Not as bad though if it's a random symbol or letters or even a blank face with like a stone or similar as those look quite visually appealing, but when you're on the verge of mimicing heraldic symbols it's gone way too far.

[@AIArdalin]

Thanks for the video! Glad that met your channel - quite important present days to keep gentlemen's tradition.

[@itznoxy7193]

I like signets but only on the right hand ring finger. Pinky rings look too effeminate for my taste and the left hand ring finger should be for a wedding band. The index and middle do not look good with rings on them and definitely not the thumb.

[@AnAppleWithEyes]

5:39 is that Sir Thomas More? Just curious:)

[@misterhoney2]

Yes, it is. He was Lord High Chancellor here, under Henry viii.

[@alessandroalbanese7555]

In the English tradition the monogram engraved on the little pinkie ring is worn with the monogram facing the wearer or towards the observer?

[@georgedadon]

That's an amazing suit though, well tailored and such a classic fabric. Contrary to what he said, I like wearing a pinky ring next to a wedding band with both matching the metal strap of my watch on the same hand. It's not for everyone though

[@LiquidBlackWolf]

I know my father's side of the family has a weapons shield.. And that it hangs in a church.. But which shield It is. I do not know.

[@zappzack]

Very interesting video about signet rings, thank you. The history is fascinating and shows how signet rings played such an important role in ensuring authenticity. Interestingly, there is a common misconception that a coat of arms is something that has to be handed down and cannot be created as a new thing. In the U.K., the Republic of Ireland and Canada anyone can ‘petition’ certain bodies to be granted a coat of arms, this is also open to anyone with ancestors from the U.K. and Republic of Ireland. So if you really do want to get a bona ride coat of arms you really can! (Note I don’t know how this works in other countries so am only commenting in relation to the U.K. RoI and Canada.)

[@georgs.526]

I wear my signet ring with the family crest on my left ring finger. I always wear it for over 20 years. And I do seal sometimes loveletters with wax to stress the importance of my message.

[@SweetieSunflower3]

Your video was both informative and engaging. I appreciate how you tackled it such a unique way. I've explored a parallel theme on Illicium London. Keep it up!

[@TheSeanoops]

I think they’re really cool, I’ve wanted one for a while.

[@juliancamilleri2257]

My family has a signet ring with the family coat of arms. It has been passed down to my grand father and now to my father. When he passes away, it will be passed down to me. I think its a great honour to wear it. Loved this video!

[@guylewis7418]

Julian Camilleri, that’s cool!

[@odie00zero]

After watching this video I’m going to design a signet ring that I can pass to my son. Thank you for this video and the support for doing something that allows me to honor my family’s service and heritage.

[@benohanlon]

Update?

[@williamellis6176]

I had a signet ring made for my 16th birthday with my family crest on it, which I always wear on my right ring finger. I love my signet ring.

[@randolph7214]

Been contemplating a family crest ring. Very helpful, thank you very much.

[@karolinska1601]

I have a signet ring that was passed down to me from my dad on my 18th birthday, it has supposedly been in the family for generations.

[@MixedRogueKhorri]

I was given my fathers signet ring that was his father and possibly grandfathers..with our crest on it. Neither of my brothers had the opportunity to have it so before my father passed on he gave it to me. As a woman who just happens to be British, I do enjoy having this and love to have a piece of my history on my pinky.

[@AlexanderDiviFilius]

Very nice video. As a Brit who inherited a signet ring, I must say I agree with everything said here, albeit with one exception: the use of the term "family crest." While, as far as I know (and I'm not an expert) this is a fine term to use, it usually links to the idea that coats of arms are familial, which is a misconception. While elements of your parent(s) coat of arms could be incorporated into your own, historically, each person had to have an entirely unique one. The exception to this is if a you were the heir of a deceased relative, and upon proving that you were the first in the line of succession, you could have his or her coat of arms become yours legally. It's also with noting that in countries which still acknowledge heraldry in this form, such as the UK and much of the commonwealth, coats of arms are still a partially legal matter, so it won't technically mean anything unless you have it registered officially. There are no repercussions for not registering one (and it costs a fair amount to do so), but it may be worth considering if you wish to have your coat of arms be recognised by your government.

[@giorgioh.1245]

Thank you for your view! That is interesting to know. I am from Austria and here the tradition is a bit different. A coat of arms actually belongs to the whole family, and every member is allowed to use it. That is true for descendants of aristocrats as well as for 'commoners'. (I suppose it is the same in Germany, France and other countries that used to be part of the Holy Roman Empire.) Interestingly every child of a baron was a baron/baroness, every child of a count a count/ess. While I learned that in Britain, there can only be one count XY, while his heirs bear a civic name. Maybe there is a relation.

[@AlexanderDiviFilius]

Giorgio H. Considering continental signet rings often bear the full coat of arms, that makes a fair bit of sense.

[@messman10]

Copyrighting is an alternative: and there are also other colleges of arms, and if you register with one, it's official in all, so you can shop for price. Here in the US, only one government college of arms exists, and only for the military and military groups. When I went hunting out of curiosity, I found that there were at least two historic societies with their own college of arms you could get registered with, and also had digitized and searchable rolls. So, a cheap alternative is to search on your own to make sure your coat is unique, then copyright the blazon and artistic rendition. Not the same international control as you'd get with a college of arms, and it doesn't last for infinity, but it can last your lifetime, and gives you the legal right to protect and limit its use by others.

[@AlexanderDiviFilius]

I'll admit: I'm by no means an expert in how things work in the US, though copyrighting you coat of arms is certainly a good way of going about things.

[@messman10]

Pepe did nothing wrong: I can't take credit for the idea, it came from a book on making your own coat of arms. Most, but not all, countries recognize copyrights from other countries. If you also use the coat of arms in business, you get double protection in the form of Trade Marks, which in some ways may be more protective in certain areas then a copyright; but are also far more specific.

[@memnon5370]

You should go a jewellery collection video

[@marccorello8570]

Ruby men’s jewlary Garlic Thanks

[@randydandy8840]

On my dad's side my family has alot of history, and have alot of nobility among my ancestors, specifically originating from my direct descent from the Mouzelle family. As such my family has a coat of arms featuring a crowned lion rampant on a chevron background, which has been my family's crest since at least the 13th century. Our family has a tradition of giving all direct descendants a gold signet ring with our family crest embossed in it once they have come of age. My father wore one, my grandmother wore one, my great grandfather wore one, all the way back to the late 1600s when the tradition started. Great video, love learning more about this noble tradition of jewelry!

[@timothywinn8776]

Very detailed and in depth. Thank you.

[@lilianmiramontesjr.7550]

A man wearing a signet ring on the little finger of his right hand is honestly the sexiest thing....

[@JC-sn5dw]

Lilian Miramontes, Jr. I had my own made

[@lilianmiramontesjr.7550]

@@JC-sn5dw it needs to come back into popularity. Let men be gentlemen again.

[@JC-sn5dw]

Lilian Miramontes, Jr. I agree

[@kslucki]

Interesting.. I find men wearing signet rings to look like they wish to be above the rest, or to be mock-aristocracy. Puts me off. On the other hand, when women wear it, I find it more forgiving and a sing of mental strength... Go figure :)

[@nordmanruss]

@The Reckoning When you greet a gentleman by extending your hand to him, he uses your rings to see what kind of person you are.

[@bluedogviking]

I have a question would It be weird if I used my family crest even if its not my last name its from generations ago. My family used to be royalty and nobles. Would it be better t I create a new crest and use elements from the others?

[@terrylumpkin4219]

I have the Cross of Lorraine ring

[@TheBlueBaron]

I have a signet ring that I use for sealing things related to my office as the Blue Baron in my Victorian themed Traditionalist KZbin movie review series. It's not an officially custom one though, more of a placeholder.

[@callingacejack1334]

My Grandfather used to have a "machine" that stamped our coat of arms onto paper so you don't have to use wax anymore. You would have an indentation in the letter or whatever paper you stamped. It's like an "seal" from him without the waxy part. His cousin I think is the only one from our that owns a ring with a black onyx the rest owns lapis rings

[@johnsonwhitman1687]

I have no idea how I found this channel, but evidently, the algorithm thinks I belong here

[@pastorflaps6819]

My personal ring is made of a Victorian glass eye it gets lots of attention

[@octaneartllc]

If your toilet paper rips and catches the red eye your wearing it on the stink finger..

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Hey Playboy, I have a wide variety of rings from a real Super Bowl ring to a Green Lantern ring. I'm definitely going to watch more videos and hone my skills of choosing what and when to wear it.

[@777Justin]

I wear a signet ring on my right pinky because I am left handed. It has XP (Chi-Rho) engraved on it because that is one of many symbols of the family I’m in.

[@GabrielBabuch]

On your website page for these, the signet ring from "Mesopotamia" is actually in Hebrew!

[@scottscheffler4227]

I have a bronze Signet, and a silver one that's from the Roman times. They've bin handed down so long now no one know how my family came into them. The one I was told is from between 2,000BC 100BC. an was a lower class mans signet ring. The silver one is a French pinky signet around 500 to 600 YR. old.

[@Tristor86]

I don't wear a signet ring currently, although it's on my to-do list to have on made. I do have a brass seal though and use it to seal all my letters with wax or seal papers. I know it's somewhat anachronistic, but it's always received positive comments from recipients and has helped me to gain some business relationships.

[@Avallachgrey]

I wear my signet ring every day on my right ring finger. It is reversed because I do use it to seal personal letters and holiday cards. Both for authentication that it came from me and for the omage to a bygone age. Also it's classy as the devil in a three piece suit.

[@richardmullins2534]

Nice suit but that scrunched up shirt and tie combo is definitely not for me. Like the rings

[@hornetbrown]

Nitpicking...I think his whole outfit, and the shirt, looks great.

[@Al.Sulikas]

Regarding the signet's use, the medieval lords only used the signet ring for personal corespondense only, as they had other, official stamps for the official documentation. Still great video though.

[@malcolmnicholls2893]

My family ring would have a spanner, or maybe a brick trowel. Must get one.

[@andreacook7431]

I wore my husband's great-grandfather's signet ring as a wedding ring on my left index finger (it was too big for my ring finger) until it broke. I'd live to get it fixed, but it broke where there's engraving on the inside of the band.

[@lschexnaider]

The Texas A&M University ring is designed to be used with a wax seal if desired. You have to have a certain amount of credits to be allowed to buy an Aggie Ring. It is a distinctive design that allows Aggies to identify other former A&M students at a distance. Greek organizations are not a big deal at A&M, you are an Aggie first.

[@aliensatemybabysitter1138]

All sterling silver rings, left ringvinger for my bond with mother gaia with an AAA briliant 4mm facet emerald, left middle finger Germanic bond with a large 14mm*9mm AA facet aquamarine, right middle finger silver ring with a garnet 12*9 and the right ring finger 2x ruby 4mm. made them with the help of Hephaistos. right hand is outgoing hand left hand is my inside hand