The Evolution of the Signet Ring from a utilitarian tool and symbol of power to a decorative object

[Miss A.]

Hey everyone!
I'm writing a long essay as part of my first year history studies on the evolution of utilitarian objects over the centuries. Since I am really interested in heraldry I wanted to write on an object that is dear to armigers: signet rings!

Does anyone know until when signet rings were still used for sealing documents and letters?

From the early middle ages we went from massive bulky rings (that were probably uncomfortable to wear?) to the smaller and more discreet ones of victorian times. Now I don't know how people sealed in Victorian times or how thick or big the rings were but the ones I have seen (in particular the one belonging to my future husband which I measured) seem to make it impossible to seal a letter without getting a nasty wax burn, the one I examined which was made in the early 1930s has a thin 2mm thick head and was about 13x10mm big at the head. Did these rings get thinner and lighter to become purely decorative or are these the same rings that people would use under Victoria? How would they avoid getting burnt? 2mm between your skin and some hot wax is not a lot but I've been told that it's more or less the standard today after talking with a few jewellers. One man told me that the ammount of gold in his rings hadn't changed since his grandfather's time but that seems unlikely, what do you think?

If anyone has information about the evolution of the signet ring, pictures perhaps I would really appreciate it!

Thanks,


Miss A.

[Chris Pitt Lewis]

Post by Miss A.
Hey everyone!
I'm writing a long essay as part of my first year history studies on
the evolution of utilitarian objects over the centuries. Since I am
really interested in heraldry I wanted to write on an object that is
dear to armigers: signet rings!
Does anyone know until when signet rings were still used for sealing documents and letters?
From the early middle ages we went from massive bulky rings (that were
probably uncomfortable to wear?) to the smaller and more discreet ones
of victorian times. Now I don't know how people sealed in Victorian
times or how thick or big the rings were but the ones I have seen (in
particular the one belonging to my future husband which I measured)
seem to make it impossible to seal a letter without getting a nasty wax
burn, the one I examined which was made in the early 1930s has a thin
2mm thick head and was about 13x10mm big at the head. Did these rings
get thinner and lighter to become purely decorative or are these the
same rings that people would use under Victoria? How would they avoid
getting burnt? 2mm between your skin and some hot wax is not a lot but
I've been told that it's more or less the standard today after talking
with a few jewellers. One man told me that the ammount of gold in his
rings hadn't changed since his grandfather's time but that seems
unlikely, what do you think?
If anyone has information about the evolution of the signet ring,
pictures perhaps I would really appreciate it!
Thanks,
Miss A.

I think you need to investigate the things that replaced wax seals, for
example:
- envelopes with strips of gum that you lick or otherwise moisten
- paper wafer seals for deeds and other formal documents.

When did these inventions come into common use? In the case of wafer
seals, I think it would be in the early 20th century, or perhaps the
very end of the 19th. Gummed envelopes much earlier (mid 19th
century??).

Sealing documents is a legal requirement, so practice will be different
in different countries. In particular, in Britain and Ireland deeds (for
example documents transferring interests in land) are signed, and used
to be sealed, by each of the parties to the deed (the requirement for a
seal was formally abolished in England and Wales in 1990, and in
practice not even a wafer seal was needed after a legal judgment relaxed
the requirements in the late 1970s). In most European countries (in
modern times at least), deeds are not sealed by the parties but by a
notary, using his or her own official seal - so there would presumably
be fewer opportunities for landowners to use a signet ring as a seal.

[Tim Powys-Lybbe]

Hey everyone! I'm writing a long essay as part of my first year
history studies on the evolution of utilitarian objects over the
centuries. Since I am really interested in heraldry I wanted to write
on an object that is dear to armigers: signet rings!
Does anyone know until when signet rings were still used for sealing documents and letters?

It was around 1990 that the requirement to seal documents was abolished
in England (and Wales and possibly also Scotland).

I could still seal letters if I could be fussed. Any lump of sealing
wax with any inscription would do.

From the early middle ages we went from massive bulky rings (that were
probably uncomfortable to wear?) to the smaller and more discreet ones
of victorian times. Now I don't know how people sealed in Victorian
times or how thick or big the rings were but the ones I have seen (in
particular the one belonging to my future husband which I measured)
seem to make it impossible to seal a letter without getting a nasty
wax burn, the one I examined which was made in the early 1930s has a
thin 2mm thick head and was about 13x10mm big at the head. Did these
rings get thinner and lighter to become purely decorative or are these
the same rings that people would use under Victoria? How would they
avoid getting burnt? 2mm between your skin and some hot wax is not a
lot but I've been told that it's more or less the standard today after
talking with a few jewellers.

I think the practice was to remove the ring from your finger and then
impress it on the hot wax. Or the stamp could be made with a Desk Seal
<http://www.familysealrings.com/deskseal.html>.

One man told me that the ammount of gold in his rings hadn't changed
since his grandfather's time but that seems unlikely, what do you
think?

In the British Isles gold has to be to standard and assayed and stamped
to show what test it satisfied. This has not changed in centuries.