What is a signet ring, and how is it worn?

Short answer: a signet ring is a ring with a broad face made to carry an engraved mark. Its original job was to stamp a seal into wax. The seal is no longer needed, but the shape stayed, and it is now one of the most common forms of men's ring — worn traditionally on the little finger of the non-dominant hand, but in practice wherever it fits.

Where the form comes from

A seal had to be carried, and a ring is the one piece of property a person does not put down. The face was cut in reverse so the impression in wax read the right way round, which is why antique signet engraving looks mirrored. Families, guilds and offices all used them, and the mark on the face was a signature in a time when few people wrote one.

What makes a ring a signet and not just a wide band

The face. A signet has a defined, broad top — flat, slightly domed, oval, round, square or cushion — that sits above a shank narrowing towards the back. That shape puts weight on top of the finger, which is why a signet feels different on the hand from a plain band of the same metal.

Engraved, set, or left plain

Three things happen to that face. It is engraved, with a motif, initials or a pattern. It is cut away and a stone is set into it, which is the most common form in our workshop. Or it is left plain and simply polished, which shows the metal and the quality of the finish with nowhere to hide.

Which finger

The traditional answer is the little finger of the hand you do not write with, because that is where it stayed out of the way of work. In practice a signet is worn on the ring finger and the index finger just as often. Choose by proportion rather than by rule: a heavy face suits a finger with room around it, and a face wider than the finger reads as too large from across a table.

Getting the size right

A signet is top-heavy, so a loose one rotates and you spend the day straightening it. Err on the snug side rather than the generous side, and measure the finger you actually intend to wear it on — fingers on the same hand differ. Our method is in what ring size am I, and there is more on choosing a piece in buying a men's silver ring.

What we make

Our signet rings are 925 sterling silver, cut, engraved and set by hand on the bench in Istanbul, most of them with a stone in the face. They are made to order in the size you choose. The full range is in the rings collection.

Pieces from our collection related to this guide