Heraldic Jewellery - Proudly Worn In War and In Peace.
Hraldric jewellery probably occured as a result
of personal vanity or pride, it did have its practical purposes as well.
Heraldic devices were similarly used for purposes of identification during
Medieval tournaments and jousts.
Heraldic jewellery has been worn
with great pride and dignity for more than a thousand years. During the long-ago but fascinating Middle
Ages, nobles and knights who were about to go into battle would bedeck their
armor and shields with their heraldic coats-of-arms or badges. Their use of
graphic, heraldric devices in this way served a very practical, and in fact, essential
purpose during the heat of battle: quick and easy identification of friends and
foes. Without using some type of highly
visible graphic device it would have been very difficult for a warrior to
identify his allies and enemies even at close range as their faces were always
hidden beneath armored helmets. Heraldic devices were similarly used for
purposes of identification during Medieval tournaments and jousts.
The development of heraldic
jewellery was a natural and predictable offshoot of the use of heraldric
devices as a means of identification in war.
Even in times of peace, many knights and nobles soon began to decorate
some of their other possessions with their devices or badges-including personal
jewellery such as rings and cuffs.
Although the evolution of heraldric jewellery probably occured as a
result of personal vanity or pride, it did have its practical purposes as well.
Although now mainly (and
rightfully) thought of as stunning pieces of jewellery in their own right, a
few specific types of heraldric jewellery were created for practical reasons.
For example, a signet ring
engraved with the appropriate heraldic crest or coat-of-arms on the surface of
the top of the ring. The image was designed in reverse (like a mirror-image),
so that when the top of the ring was pressed into hot wax that had been dripped
onto the closure of a letter or document, it created a wax image of the crest
or coat of arms. When fully cooled, the
wax image sealed the paper closed and thus provided greater privacy. And because the rightful owner of the signet
ring was the presumptive sender of the letter or author of the document, a
document sealed with a signet ring bearing a heraldic crest or coat-of-arms
served to identify the author and assured the authenticity of the document.
Heraldric Jewellery Today - Always Beautiful, Sometimes With
A Purpose.
Although the need to guarantee
authenticity in this manner is long gone, some individuals still use signet
rings to identify themselves even today.
People who use signet rings for sealing documents,together with those
who wear them purely as heraldic jewellery,appreciate their heraldic rings as a
symbolic link to their past and their family history.
In countries where the noble
class still exists, heraldic jewellery can also be a status symbol, serving as
an instant identifier of the wearer’s level in society.Even today, a fine piece
of heraldic jewellery is a uniquely appropriate gift
accomplishment or high social status.
Signet rings, seals, badges &
brooches, pendants, earrings, cufflinks,cuff style bracelets, tie pins/tacs and
keychains - all can be decorated with beautifully engraved or etched family
crests, shields or coats-of-arms. They
are often made of precious metals such as gold, silver or platinum. High-quality pieces feature lovely designs with
intricate detail, as well as vivid colors if they have also been enameled or
jewelled.
Although often worn strictly for
its beauty, heraldic jewellery has become extremely popular not just because of
its appearance, but also because of the sense of history and the pageantry of
the Medieval world that it evokes. Colorful, elegant heraldic jewellery is
perfect for the commemoration of a significant event in a person’s life, such
as a graduation or reaching the age of majority - the “coming of
age.”When presented to the recipient in connection with such an event, heraldic
jewellery instills in the giver and the recipient a sense of history and
continuing family heritage. But don’t forget, there doesn’t need to be a
purpose behind wearing heraldric jewellery. Although based in history, it is
beautiful in its own right and can be worn with great pride and dignity today ,
just like it was a thousand years ago.
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on various subjects including Heraldic Jewellery,
Collectables and Memorabilia. Visit Great Gift Ideas for more information.
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