Simply Signet

Signet rings have been worn for centuries. From Egyptian and Roman times to the modern day they have signified wealth and identity.

Egyptian Signet ring

Roman Signet ring

People of influence would have a ring to sign letters. In the 14th century King Edward II decreed that all official documents had to be signed with the kings signet ring. These personal items would often be destroyed after the persons death to avoid the possibility of forgeries appearing after the person died.

Edwardian Signet ring

In the 19th Century signet rings became more of a status symbol rather than a legal mark. Rings were often engraved with a family crest or the individuals initials.

Traditional Red Wax Seal

Wax can be melted onto the letter or document and the ring is pressed into the warm wax creating an impression of the engraved logo.

Modern Family crest

Traditionally rings would have been hand carved or engraved with the logo but today we can use modern techniques such as laser engraving to create incredibly intricate designs.

Deco Heaven

When looking for inspiration my go to era has always been the 1920's and the Art Deco period. The clean lines and pared down simplicity is instantly appealing to me. In the wake of the first world war it was a period of glamour, prosperity, decadence and rebellion. 

Art Deco is born of a desire to be modern. This elegant geometric style often utilised new and innovative materials such as steel and concrete in architecture creating a clean aesthetic, resulting in some beautiful structures that are still amongst the worlds most iconic.

Living in Brighton we are lucky enough to still have some gems that have thankfully been restored and cared for over the years. Most recently the Lido and Grand Ocean apartments in Saltdean. 

Embassy Court on Brighton's seafront stands magnificently out from the more traditional Regency style architecture.

One of my very first collectons, the 'Block' range was directly influenced by the simplicity and repitious lines in Art Deco. I used contrasting metals and precious stones to create layers in the moving blocks.

This white gold and brilliant cut black diamond ring is still one of my all time favourite pieces.

Leopard Love

As a child of the 70's leopard print said Bet Lynch and when my Mother had a pair of custom leopard print lycra leggings made I was horrified. I named them her 'Mildred's' after the character from the sitcom George and Mildred played by the fabulous Yootha Joyce. I hated the Mildred's as they screamed "LOOK AT ME !"

These days leopard print is a fashion staple. It is rolled out every year in a million incarnations of fluffy coats, silk shirts and ankle boots. We most recently have Kate Moss to thank for that. The queen of cool made the rock star staple print an every day item that injects a bit of kitsch glam into your wardrobe.

Big cats and leopards have always been a classic in jewellery design. The London Assay office hallmark is a leopard head that is indelibly stamped into every piece of jewellery hallmarked there.

The most synonymous image of a jewelled big cat was created by the jewellery giants Cartier. They made the amazing pieces collected by professional clothes horse Wallis Simpson. Wallis had gold, diamond and emerald  broaches, bracelets and even a lorgnette.

Cartier still produce a Panthere range to this day. Got a cool £152K ? These white gold, onyx, emerald and diamond earring are yours ! If you're after something a little more modest you can have the more affordable mini panthere stalking your finger.

I have learnt to embrace the leopard and channel a teeny bit of the rock star in me. I've even started to love the Mildred's.