The seen and the hidden

Signet rings bearing coats of arms became popular in certain circles as early as Tudor England (1485–1603). They served as a personal signature pressed into sealing wax on letters, as a way of telling insiders from outsiders among the professionals of the world’s financial centre of the day, and as a symbol and an amulet — against the evil eye and to draw luck and wealth.

On the outside it was a mark of status that told others whether you could be trusted and worked with. The golden grasshopper on the inside is the talisman of an influential man, the founder of the London exchange, Sir Thomas Gresham, after whom rings of this kind were named.

The exchange took off, and its building is crowned by a weathervane in the shape of a golden grasshopper. Economists and dealers took up the emblem, then the Freemasons, and so it became the symbol of financiers — and it still brings luck today.

Signets bearing the Nevsky family crest are a way to restore a family heirloom and the family’s own symbolism. Inside is a sign only the owner understands. An engraving like this is one of the techniques the atelier offers, and it carries a strong meaning for you personally.