The lucrative jewellery industry in Australia has a market size of over 4 billion Australian dollars as of 2020. Australian leading artisans are known to share a lifetime of their experiences employing time-honoured techniques and state of the art technology to develop classic pieces of jewellery. Hence, there is a high demand for customisable jewellery, designer pieces and custom orders like a male signet ring in the market today.
So, What Are Signet Rings?
Signet rings are timeless and are worn both by men and women. The beautiful designs, classic or modern, signify the identity and personality of the wearer. For thousands of years, noblemen and men of influence have worn engraved signet rings to communicate their individuality, house, or signature. These rings stand apart from other crystal or precious metal rings due to the raised symbols, words, letters or images engraved on the top half to represent the wearer. And now, it has made a full-fledged come back as an attractive gentleman’s accessory that any man can wear.
How Are They Crafted?
With the advent of laser technology, engraving initials and symbols is a quick, easy and cheap process where quality is not compromised. Those looking for traditional hand-engraved or hand-cut rings can also find some traditional craftsmen who offer them. And these craftsmen use inspirations from antique styles and utilise their artistic skills to incorporate contemporary interpretations to suit the needs of the wearers.
Traditional Signet Rings
Signet rings were used as a way to confirm one’s identity using marks, initials and symbols. These could be the man’s initials, name, job title, organisation, rank or family. They also used these marks on the rings to send letters as they were pressed into the wax or marked on a document. Hence, the nobility mostly wore signets, and they were recognised instantly as symbols with the power of importance.
These rings are still some of the most popular styles found in Australia, and they come in shapes like square, round, oval, scroll, heart and horseshoe, which have stood the test of time and will remain in style for the decades to come. Traditional signet rings are also collectables that go out for a large sum.
Why Are Signet Rings Popular Today?
In contemporary times, a male signet ring tells different stories about the wearer. Moreover, modern signet rings are designed according to the wearer’s wishes or to promote a popular cult idea. They also have letters and initials engraved on them, and they come in single or separate decipherable letters.
The engravings are also more artistic to reflect the wearer’s personality, with the cyphers having a swirly, intertwined style. Besides, deciphering the monograms is a part of the thrill of wearing a signet ring as it requires skill or intricate knowledge.
On Which Occasions Do Men Wear Signet Rings?
Contemporary signet rings also have birthstones, crests or other symbols engraved in them that have personal significance to the wearer. Initials of partners, loved ones, the wedding date, a memory, a favourite character, movie scene, symbolism, metaphor, anything can be customised and depicted on signet rings.
Interested buyers can approach the craftsmen with designs to solder onto the signet rings and create a piece of unique personal jewellery that they can gift to their loved ones or represent a special occasion like a wedding ring. Signet rings also denote memberships to elite clubs. For example, even today, Freemasons and military men use signet rings to identify and reflect their community, rank and status.
