The Best Men's Signet Rings Make You Look Like You Know What You're Doing
Kiss the ring. All of them, actually
Signet rings were once meant for the worst kind of people. Landowners. Aristocrats. Nobles who'd organise public executions of serfs that dared to pick up a book. And to seal such death warrants, among other correspondence, they'd use a signet ring that was engraved with the family crest. This was dipped in hot, hot, hotttttt wax, and stamped onto important letters and envelopes to prove that your evil overlord was indeed legit.
But the times, they’ve changed! We have the freedom to choose which evil overlord we pick turnips for! What's more, most of us can now read, which is really important when writing and sending letters. You don't need a signet ring to sign it off, either; nor a family crest.
In these slightly fairer times, signet rings are made for the masses and forged without an eagle sitting on the skull of your great, great, great, great grandfather. And the ringmakers are doing a lot of different things. There's slight and subtle. There's big and mafioso. There's abstract and architectural. There are even some signet rings forged from unconventional metals, like pewter, for example. Something for everyone, then, and here are the top ten.
WERKSTATT:MÜNCHEN
By implementing old-school techniques, WERKSTATT:MÜNCHEN arrives at industrial gothic – a very German aesthetic for the unfeasible rugged.
£347; farfetch.com
Capsule Eleven
Weird and wonderful British jewellery label Capsule Eleven vends a signet ring with a twist. The twist being a semi-precious green onyx that resides inside a geometric indentation.
£175; wolfandbadger.com
Serge Denimes
Inspired by a quote from Shakespeare’s Othello, London-based jewellery label Serge Denimes places the green eye of envy at the centre of this signet ring.
£65; selfridges.com
Hatton Labs
Hatton Labs caters to the blingsters with this very sparkly, very conspicious signet ring that's sure to initiate conversation.
£280; farfetch.com
Maison Margiela
Real men wear rose gold-tone jewellery, and when it comes to signet rings, Maison Margiela’s smooth, sleek sterling silver offering is our pick of choice.
£380; cettire.com
Yvonne Léon
Channel Oberyn Martell (the daring, charming prince played by Pedro Pascal) with this very House Dorne treasure from Yvonne Léon, meticulously made from gold, turquoise and citrine stones.
£1,125; mrporter.com
Bleue Burnham
British brand Bleue Burnham began as its namesake’s passion project before metamorphosing into a sustainable, glitterati-endorsed jeweller renowned for its colourful bijouterie. Its take on a signet ring is particularly spectacular, as a single sapphire replaces the traditional smooth crown of the silhouette.
£275; mrporter.com
H. Samuel
Silver, clean and simple. Keep it that way, or take it to your local engravers for a crest/initial/natural wine logo of your choosing.
£69.99; hsamuel.co.uk
Louis Vuitton
This bold yet surprisingly affordable signet ring is part of Louis Vuitton’s permanent monogram collection that’s recently been refreshed to shine brighter than ever before.
£340; louisvuitton.com
Takahiromiyashita TheSoloist
Not a Delia Deetz masterpiece, but a sterling silver signet ring by Japanese visionary Takahiromiyashita Thesoloist.
£261; ssense.com
Beaverbrooks
For that intricate engraving of your initials plus two stags fighting over a manor house in Oxfordshire, you'll need a sizeable canvas. Which is why a cushion signet ring – the sort with a swollen face, for extra details – is your best bet. It's big enough to add your birthdate, and National Insurance number, too.
£750; beaverbrooks.co.uk
Versace
Here Versace presents a huge exclamation point of a signet ring. Pair with a printed silk shirt and a dramatic gasp.
£257; farfetch.com
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