Style and Signature: Signet Rings Through Time
2nd November 6pm
Join curator and author Rachel Church (The Jewelled Man) and renowned hand engraver and jeweller Castro Smith for an exploration of the signet ring through time and in the contemporary context.
Signet rings were perhaps the earliest form of ring - a seal threaded onto a wire and fixed to the finger to use as a portable form of identification. They rapidly became a sign of status and an important part of the wearer’s personal identity with designs which included heraldic imagery, religious devices, monograms and rebuses. A signet pressed into wax identified the sender of a letter but also served as a legal authentication, from the enormous seal of state to the signet of a merchant or gentlewoman. Wax seals were also used to seal boxes and doors to secure personal goods.
Although the practical need for a signet ring declined during the nineteenth century, rings continued to be worn by fashionable men and modern jewellers are reinventing the design for the contemporary world. Wearing a signet was and continues to be a way to send a message about who you are and how you want to be perceived. Online via Zoom or in person at the Goldsmiths’ Centre, see and hear about a fantastic range of examples of this enduring and ubiquitous style of ring.
In Partnership with The Goldsmiths' Centre
Time : 6 - 7:30pm
Tickets:
£5 Online
£15 In-person (incl a glass of wine)
Location : 42 Britton St, London EC1M 5AD
The Goldsmiths' Centre
The Goldsmiths’ Centre is the UK’s leading charity for the professional training of goldsmiths. Founded by the Goldsmiths’ Company, one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London, our mission is to advance, maintain and develop art, craft, design and artisan skills related to goldsmithing.
The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, more commonly known as the Goldsmiths' Company, is one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London and received its first royal charter in 1327. The Company aims to contribute to national life by supporting craftspeople, protecting consumers and working with charitable partners to help people improve their lives.
The Goldsmiths’ Centre is the UK’s leading charity for the professional training of goldsmiths. Founded by the Goldsmiths’ Company, one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London, our mission is to advance, maintain and develop art, craft, design and artisan skills related to goldsmithing.
The Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, more commonly known as the Goldsmiths' Company, is one of the Twelve Great Livery Companies of the City of London and received its first royal charter in 1327. The Company aims to contribute to national life by supporting craftspeople, protecting consumers and working with charitable partners to help people improve their lives.
Did you know?
The Goldsmiths' Charity Auction raised just under £9000!
Fellows Auctioneers is delighted to announce that the Goldsmiths’ Company Charity Auction has raised a total of £8,640 for the 1327 Fund. The sought-after lots, including alluring items of jewellery, wine, and more all flew above their auction estimates, with proceeds going to multiple causes, including young emerging talent in the jewellery industry.
Photo of the Livery Hall courtesy of Julia Skupny
Click here to find out more
The Goldsmiths' Charity Auction raised just under £9000!
Fellows Auctioneers is delighted to announce that the Goldsmiths’ Company Charity Auction has raised a total of £8,640 for the 1327 Fund. The sought-after lots, including alluring items of jewellery, wine, and more all flew above their auction estimates, with proceeds going to multiple causes, including young emerging talent in the jewellery industry.
Photo of the Livery Hall courtesy of Julia Skupny
Click here to find out more
