The Signet Ring Craze - Turning Family Tradition Into Luxury Cachet.

Signet rings have existed for thousands of years, originally designed to stamp or sign documents with hot wax seals, each ring was unique, and would bear the family crest of the wearer, with something marking it as their own.  By the Middle Ages every noble family would have one, denoting they were a person of influence, and they would be used regularly, to gain passage for example.  Through the 20th century as nepotism has given way to meritocracy, the signet ring has become something of an anachronism.  While some still wear one passed down, most wear ones bought second hand, or worse, commission their own.

Now however, in the modern age of ubiquity, something has happened.  Just as every other facet of personal style has been democratised, over the last two years the large fashion houses have been releasing ranges of signet rings, to the point now where they are a fixture in the jewellery ranges of most luxury, and even mid-range luxury brands.

From amusing ones with "fuck-off" engraved, to ones which simply shamelessly promote the brand by which they were made, the things are everywhere.  Balenciaga, Gucci, Dior, Margiela, Bottega and Versace are pictured here, but there are many many more, too many to mention.

The problem with this is that signet rings were designed to show that the wearer belonged to a small group or family, whereas the modern 'designer' signet rings show at best an allegiance, and at worst a transient item of decoration.  Like so much else, fashion and luxury have demoted a symbol of belonging to an irrelevant adornment.