Signet ring in history

Interesting

People began to make rings even before they learned how to work with metal, the most common material for creating jewelry today. In ancient times, bone and stone were used for this, later they switched to roughly processed ceramics and, in fact, metal. The function of an accessory and an element of style has become the main one for rings only recently, but initially their wearing was a sign of status or had the meaning of a religious symbol.

Men's steel ring Mr.Jones BR8-389

In ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia, pharaohs, members of their families and high dignitaries wore rings with stones and various symbols, and the number of rings on one hand could exceed the number of fingers. In the Old Testament, rings are mentioned as a sign of wealth - they are owned not only by the Egyptians, but also by wealthy Jews. Rings served as a symbol of an exceptional or at least high position among many peoples at different stages of the development of civilization.

A very important and almost lost today is the meaning of one of the types of rings - a signet ring - to serve as the signature of its owner. They were worn everywhere and constantly used for their intended purpose by nobles, kings and church higher ranks in Medieval Europe and later. Mentions of this are found in historical documents and works of art, and today the rings themselves are stored in many museums.

Men's silver signet "Count Koltsov" Nord PN-k4/s with cubic zirkonia

The main difference between the signet and other rings is the obligatory presence of a flat platform on top, on which the image of the coat of arms or the initials of the owner is extruded in a mirror image. The shape of the site can be square, rectangular, round, oval or even arbitrary, and in addition to the coat of arms and initials, the image can mark belonging to a certain group of people, contain a symbol of belief or another distinctive sign.

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Men's silver signet ring ESTET Moscow

An imprint of a seal in melted sealing wax or soft wax, or an imprint of a dye in which the ring was previously dipped, served as the signature of the owner of the ring and certifies the authenticity of a letter or decree. The sealing wax with the author's imprint also served as a guarantee against opening - in order to read such a letter or scroll, the hardened sealing wax had to be broken, damaging the seal, which was impossible to reproduce. Therefore, seals were created in a single copy and belonged to a person by birthright or after he received a high position at court.

Men's silver signet ring ESTET Moscow with agate

Today, this sealing function is practically not used - except sometimes as an extravagant act or when creating a unique item, you can make an impression, stocking up at least wax first. For a modern person, the shape and material of the ring, as well as the symbol or figure depicted on top, is more important.

Men's silver signet ring with cubic zirkonia

In the absence of the need to "sign" with the help of a ring, precious and semi-precious stones are often encrusted in the upper part today. Most often, diamonds or cubic zirkonia, agate, onyx, obsidian, jasper and other often black crystals are combined with gold and silver. A male ring may not contain a platform on top, but a convex figure in the shape of a lion's or eagle's head, as well as just a large stone. The more expressive the shape of the ring, the more likely its owner belongs to some social group, which is demonstrated by the jewelry on the finger.

Men's silver signet ring with cubic zirconia, onyx

A silver ring with a large stone or figurine is worn more often on the little finger, thumb or index finger, its owner is most likely a representative of a subculture or has a creative profession, for example, an artist, fashion designer or musician. A more concise version of the ring, most often in white or yellow gold, perhaps with an exquisite stone, is more often seen on the hand of a person of a more traditional profession, business and having a certain status.

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For many, signet rings are associated exclusively with male jewelry, a sign of monarchs and popes (the Pope's ring called the "fisherman's ring" is one of the famous Catholic symbols). But we should not forget that in Egypt and in Europe, in many cases, women also received supreme power, and sometimes they made history in the shadow of men who held supreme positions. The signet could once have belonged to a noble lady, just as a priceless ring could belong to a queen.

Today, rings for women are presented in the assortment of many jewelry brands. Such jewelry highlights a woman with a strong character, strong and confident, not shy about declaring herself publicly.

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