As a blogger, I am ridiculously lucky that I do receive a lot of ‘blogger mail’, gifting and goodie bags. All of which I LOVE, (and it constantly feels like Christmas in my house when big boxes of new products get delivered). (not so much to my parents who absolutely hate the mess of boxes and pretty packaging everywhere but again, that is just like Christmas). However, we are seriously spoilt, and everyday a new lipstick or mascara or pair of shoes will turn up and sometimes, everything just mounts up into a huge pile of ‘blogging stuff to review’ and becomes more overwhelming than OMG.
But then every now and then, something truly TRULY special comes along. Something that makes you go – oh wow – how is this my job.
I was contacted by Rebus Signet Rings, who, as it says on the tin, design and produce beautiful signet rings and they had invited me to one of their press days. So I popped in and fell in love with the designs.
A quite back story about my obsession with signet rings.
I have wanted to own one for ever. Ever since I was a little girl. My dad wears his signet ring every day, and my grandpa wore his and my mum has one that was given to her by my dad’s dad on her wedding day. As with all signet rings, they have huge family ties and sentiment, as you are walking around with the stamp of your family tree accompanying you.
Signet rings – for anyone who doesn’t know – are finger rings engraved with a signet, seal, or monogram. Pretty self explanatory really.
I was PROMISED one for the 21st bday. And then my 22nd. and my 23rd. But I didn’t actually ever get one. I was even offered to have my mums one (to stop me complaining that I didn’t have one) – but that never actually arrived in my jewellery box… So I have been lusting over one for YEARS.
I love the idea of having a part of your family on your hand. All the time. A constant security blanket and reminder of the people that you love, generations of them for that matter.
So when I was SUPER KINDLY given the opportunity to go in to the Rebus workshop and have my own signet ring designed and gifted to me – I honestly could have cried with happiness.
It was such a fun experience picking out my ring! First I had a quick tour of the workshop. It was perfection – exactly what you want from a bespoke jewellery workshop. Bits and pieces everywhere, and people working so intently, and with such care over TINY minisule details. No big machines churning out ring after ring after ring. Putting your ‘family crest’ image into a computer and then it just being stamped onto the ring. Oh no. There were people copying crests by hand into your chosen metal and oh my god, how steady their hands must be. I can barely paint my nails / cant actually paint my nails without painting all the way around my nails, let alone hammer in tiny weeny details.
Quick bit of info about Rebus before we go any further. The Rebus team are made up of award winning (congrats) and highly skilled hand engravers and goldsmiths. They specialise in Signet Rings that are unique and bespoke (just like the families the crests will represent). All their signet rings are handmade and hand engraved in their workshop (which is so so so rare nowadays, to find people skilled enough and with the dedication to hand engrave – with the rise in use of lasers and all that technology stuff), which is based in the incredibly prestigious Hatton Garden, so you know they know their stuff.
Have a little scroll here to find out more about the craftsman side of the signet rings.
ANYWAY – had a quick tour and then I got to choose all the different details for my ring.
So – a signet ring goes on your left hand pinkie finger – I think? But I have TINY fingers. I always get told by people ‘oh my god, you have such small hands’. Cheers. But anyway, I have a very dinky pinky finger, so selecting the size was quite comical. They measure your finger with the ring thing below (Im sure it has an official name). I was literally one of the smallest you could be. Child size almost.
Once I found what size I was, I then got to choose the shape and also what metal I would like.
I wanted a traditional signet right originally – excatly like my dads. Nice round and gold (the ring, not my dad). However, when I was there – I saw that rose gold was an option…. Now, would I be a true blogger if I said no to a rose gold item? I don’t think so.
Plus all of my jewellery is rose gold – and if I am honest – suits my very english rose skin tone better than gold. SO I went slightly off the traditional path, and picked a rose gold ring with a slight smaller face than most – just because I didn’t want it to look too big on my little finger.
Now – the most fun part I would say – picking your crest. Rebus have this HUGE book of every family name, with every crest and every different variety of that crest.
So we looked up my surname, Hamilton, and there is was. (I had been super keen and got my dad to print out our family crest just incase… but I didn’t need it as they had it already in that book!)
I also HIGHLY recommend you go to this section of their website and type in your surname to find your family crest!!
Now – I knew I wanted my family crest. That was the whole point of a signet ring to me. And I knew what my crest was and what it looked like. BUT I can’t even explain to you how disappointed I was, when I was flicking through the book of crests, that my family crest wasn’t a mermaid. Because, THEY HAD A MERMAID ONE, BRUSHING HER HAIR. OH MY GOD.
The guys at Rebus also have a service where they can literally put any design on your ring. Anything that means anything to you – they can do it. Initials, your pet, anything… SO yes – was I tempted to just get rid of my family allegience and possible be disowned, JUST to have an engraving of the Disneyland castle on my ring? Absolutely. HOW COOL WOULD THAT BE.
But no – in all seriousness. I picked my size, colour, and crest and then I waited for the magic to happen.
It takes around 1 month I think – but oh my god was it worth it.
Here is my finished ring – sent over to me by Emmet 🙂
Can we just appreciate the attendtion to detail – how absolutely breathtaking stunning that worksmanship is. I have no idea how they manage to fit such insane detail onto such a tiny piece of jewellery – but thats why they are so skilled and amazing.
And yes – this is my family crest – so if you are even receiving an important letter from me – I will absolutely be sealing the evelope with wax and my stamp… of a tree in a crown thing. Dur.
I absolutely love it – it fits like a glove – and I wear it every single day. It goes everywhere with me. If you follow me on snapchat or instastories – you will see if every single time I move my hand.
It is an investment piece of jewellery – obviously. You can’t just go in and pick one of these up from the highstreet and expect it to have your crest lying around. (However saying that, signet rings were so ‘in’ and so in demand recently, that Topshop were selling blank ones – just so people could wear the classic signet ring shape’.) But these are an investment piece – they are bespoke, they are family treasure. They will never go out of style and they are a piece of family history that you can pass down to all your children’s children, whilst they marry off into different ‘crests’.
And if you are going to invest in a signet ring, for a family member or special friend (my grandad gave my mum one on her wedding day, as a way of welcoming into that side of the family – which I will forever think is the cutest and greatest idea ever), then I can’t recommend Rebus enough. It is such a personalised service, and the level and quality of the work that goes into these rings is so perfect. Prices start at around £560 (I think) but do get in contact with them for an actual quote.
It still just baffles me, that on a ring that tiny you can get such an intricate design.
And here is my beautiful rose gold ring – with the Hamilton crest – in all its glory.
I just want to say a huge thank you to Rebus for working with me on this project, especially to Emmet, and giving me an object that I will forever treasure. Not only does this ring mean so much to me in terms of family – it means so much to me in the fact that my little blog has allowed me to work with such incredible brands that I genuinely love and admire.
I now feel like a proper member of my family, linked with all the generations before. And also a bit of a boss with my glittery shiny signet ring on.
I really hope you enjoyed reading about my signet ring experience – for any questions about it, just send me an email or write in the comments!
Does anyone else have a signet ring story or a really cool crest?
xx
