Seal rings, such as this beautiful example, were one of the most popular Medieval piece of jewellery, worn by both men and women across all levels of society. Signet rings were not only worn for decorative purposes, but also because of their functionality. They were used to create a unique signature, by pressing the ring’s bezel into the sealing wax. Such rings could have been engraved with a merchant’s mark, an initial, an intriguing rebus or with a heraldic imaginary. The heraldic signet ring became popular within the aristocracy from the 15th century. Usually worn to the thumb, they would bear different types of representation.
