Signet Ring Guide: Which Finger, Shape and Engraving

A signet ring has a flat face made to be engraved, and the usual custom is to wear it on the little finger, usually of the left hand. That is a custom, not a rule: today a signet goes on whichever finger it fits and suits. Choose the shape that flatters your hand, keep the engraving to an initial, a date or a short word, and choose 18K gold if you will wear it every day.

What a signet ring is

A signet is a personal seal worn on the finger. Its face was cut into the metal so that it left a raised impression when pressed into soft wax or clay, showing who had sealed a letter or a jar. The practice is ancient: Wikipedia's article on seals describes Mesopotamian cylinder seals rolled into clay and Egyptian signet rings carrying the names of kings. The V&A holds a gold signet dated 1550 to 1600, engraved with a hand holding a flower, probably a sunflower, between the letters T and S, and explains that such a ring applied the owner's personal mark to the sealing wax on a document. Faces like this carried a crest, an initial, a merchant's mark or a personal symbol. Few people seal letters now, so the face has become a place for a mark of your own.

Which finger to wear a signet ring on

The custom most often described is the little finger of the less dominant hand, so the left for most people; the same Wikipedia article gives the ring finger as the other traditional choice. It is a habit, not a rule: the V&A notes that 16th and 17th-century portraits show signets on the forefinger or thumb, presumably so the hand could be turned onto the wax. The usual practical case for the little finger is that it meets fewer knocks.

There is no firm convention for women's signets: the ring finger, the little finger or the index finger all work. Mazimo's oval page describes it as made for the little or the ring finger.

Left or right hand, and beside other rings

The left is the convention; the right is as good if the left is already full. If you wear an engagement ring and a wedding band, the little finger of the same hand is a common place for a signet. Check that its face does not rub against a claw-set diamond on the next finger, because a diamond marks polished gold; if it does, move the signet to the other hand. A slim signet stacks with a flat wedding band without crowding it.

Signet ring shapes compared

These are tendencies, not rules.

Shape	The look	Hand it tends to suit	When it fits
Oval	Soft and classic	Most hands; lengthens a short finger	Daily wear, a first signet
Round	A plain disc, formal	Longer, broader fingers	Formal dress, a crest
Pear	A teardrop tapering to a soft point	Slim fingers	Gifts, everyday wear
Heart	One bold, graphic outline	Any hand	Anniversaries, birthdays
Hexagon	Six clean edges, modern	Square or broad hands	Everyday wear, stacking

Mazimo has four of these in 18K, pear, oval, heart and hexagon, in the gold rings collection. The hexagon has a flat, mirror-polished face on a knife-edge band. The oval has a satin-brushed face, a quieter ground on which engraved letters read crisply.

Size and fit

Measure the finger you will wear it on, not the one that carries your wedding band: the little finger is usually smaller than the ring finger. Measure in the evening, when fingers are slightly larger, with the two methods in our ring size guide (the home sizing article adds more). Each signet page shows the size that piece is ready in; ask the boutique how that number maps to your measurement, and remember the first resizing is complimentary.

The ring size guide notes that bands wider than 6 mm sit tighter than slim rings. A signet is wide on top but often slim underneath, so it may fit like a slim ring; if the band itself is that wide, go up half a size or ask us to size it on your finger. Between sizes, take the larger, since a loose signet spins until the face turns under the finger.

Signet ring engraving ideas: what fits on the face

A signet face is small, so fewer marks read better than more. Our signet pages suggest:

• One initial, or two: the classic, large and clear.
• A date. Write the order out so that 03/04 cannot be read two ways.
• One short word, a coordinate or a tiny symbol.

Anything more, such as a crest or a drawing, is hard to read on a face this small: ask at the boutique what will cut cleanly before you decide.

Mazimo engraves rings by hand at the boutique and shows you the layout before any mark is made. Traditional hand engraving cuts each line with a steel graver, which lifts a thin curl of gold and leaves a bright groove. Three things to settle first:

• It cannot be undone. Engraving takes metal away, and removing it means polishing the face down, which thins the gold and may change its flatness.
• Size first, engrave second. Engraved and resized pieces are made to order and cannot be exchanged, though they remain covered by the lifetime warranty, which protects purity and manufacturing defects, not wear.
• A decorative signet is not a working seal. A seal for wax is cut in mirror image so the impression reads the right way round; a face engraved to read normally will print reversed. If you plan to press wax, ask about it before the layout is drawn.

To see the layout and try the shapes on, walk in at Al Manal Center, Deira, or book an appointment: about 45 minutes, no obligation.

18K gold signet ring in Dubai: karat and weight

18K is 75% pure gold, hard enough to hold a crisp edge and an engraved line through daily wear; 21K and 22K are richer in colour but softer. See 18K, 21K or 22K for the trade-offs.

Mazimo's four signets weigh, from lightest: pear 1.55 g, hexagon 1.72 g, oval 1.82 g and heart 2.08 g. At 75%, the lightest holds about 1.2 g of pure gold and the heaviest about 1.6 g. Each ring is priced on its weight at the day's rate for 18K plus a making charge, so compare the weight on the page; it is checked on the scale in front of you.

Women's and men's gold signet rings side by side

People of either sex wear whichever signet they like; what changes is the size of the face and the amount of gold.

	Women's signet	Men's signet
Face	Smaller, often shaped	Broader: oval or round
Weight	Light: Mazimo's four run 1.55 to 2.08 g	Heavier, so more gold and a higher price

Wearing, resizing and care

• Everyday. Take it off for the gym, cleaning, cooking and the pool; perfume, hairspray and chlorine dull gold.
• Cleaning. Soak in warm water with a drop of mild dish soap, then brush with a soft toothbrush, which also lifts hand cream out of engraved lines.
• Polishing. A flat face shows fine scratches first. Cleaning and polishing at the boutique are complimentary for life; on an engraved face ask for a light hand, since polishing takes a little metal each time.
• Resizing and the yearly check. The first resizing is complimentary and later adjustments are charged at cost. Once a year, look at the band's thinnest point for wear and bring the ring in if you are unsure.

Questions people ask

Which finger should a woman wear a signet ring on?

Whichever finger it fits and suits. The ring and little fingers are the usual choices; the index finger gives a bolder look.

Can I wear a signet ring with an engagement ring?

Yes. Wear it on the little finger of the same hand or on the other hand, and check that its polished face does not rub against the diamond's claws.

Can an engraving be removed?

Only by polishing the face down, which thins the gold, so treat every engraving as permanent. Check the spelling and the order of a date before the first mark.

Is a signet ring a good gift if I do not know the size?

Yes, if you buy it plain. An unworn piece in its original packaging can be exchanged for another piece or store credit within 48 hours of delivery; engraved and resized pieces cannot, so settle the size first.

Is 18K gold strong enough for a signet I wear every day?

Yes. At 75% gold, 18K is harder than 21K or 22K, so it keeps its edges and engraved lines better.

Two of our new diamond rings are signets with the stone set sideways and flush, in a radiant cut and a baguette cut.