Family Seal Rings - Useful in the Past, Today's Stunning Jewelry

Âauthenticity in this way is long gone, family seal
Jewelry has adorned the bodies of men andrings can be used to seal letters even today.
women for tens of thousands of years - sinceThere are probably a few people who seal their
before mankind began recording history or evenletters with a family seal ring purely out of a
had any type of written language. Family sealsense of vanity, but many, many others who use
rings haven't been around for quite that long, butfamily seal rings for sealing documents realize that
their history does go back to the feudal period ofthey are a symbolic link to the past and to their
the Middle Ages, one thousand or more yearsfamily history. The same is true for those who
ago.wear family seal rings purely as beautiful pieces of
In those long-ago times, a nobleman or knightheraldic jewelry.
going into battle would decorate his armor andCaptivating Jewelry That Evokes Status, History
shield with his heraldic coat-of-arms or badge,and Tradition.
allowing him to quickly identify himself to both hisIn countries where the noble class still exists, a
allies and his enemies on the battlefield. Heraldicfamily seal ring isn't just a beautiful piece of
jewelry evolved out of this common wartimejewelry - it is also a clearcut symbol of status
practice, and even during times of peace, thethat serves as an instant identifier of the wearer's
nobility often would decorate their possessions,level in society. And even in countries that do not
including the jewelry that they wore, with heraldicrecognize noble birth (such as the United States),
devices and badges. Heraldic jewelry thus camea fine family seal ring is a uniquely appropriate
to be a form of personal adornment and anpiece of jewelry for a man or woman of high
expression of personal pride or vanity in additionaccomplishment or high social status.
to being a means of identifying oneself.Family seal rings can be decorated with beautifully
A few specific types of heraldic jewelry wereengraved or etchedfamily seals, crests, shields or
created for practical reasons, although their mainheraldic coats-of-arms. They are often made of
use today is as purely decorative jewelry. Aprecious metals such as gold, silver or platinum,
prime example of this early practicality is theand the arresting appearance of high-quality
family seal ring. In the past, family seal rings (alsopieces, with their intricate detail, will captivate
called signet rings) made for the nobility wereanyone who sees them. Their visual appeal can be
designed to have a heraldic emblem such as aenhanced even more if they are enameled with
crest or coat-of-arms engraved on the surfacevivid colors or if they are set with colorful
of the top of the ring. The heraldic device wasprecious gemstones.
designed in reverse (like a mirror-image), so thatFamily seal rings are extremely popular because
when the top of the ring was pressed into hotof their beauty and the history that they signify.
wax that had been dripped onto the closure of aThe pageantry and magnificence of the Medieval
letter or document, it created an image of theworld are quickly brought to mind by these
crest or arms. The wax image of the device thenstunning rings with their highly stylized, intricate
sealed the paper closed when the wax cooled.heraldic designs. They instill a sense of history and
Because the heraldic device belonged to a specificalso encourage a connection with family heritage.
person, a wax seal bearing that heraldic crest orFamily history and time-honored traditions - both
coat-of-arms identified the sender of a letter andare reflected in the beautiful design of a family
assured its authenticity.seal ring.
Although the need to guarantee a letter's