Custom Signet Rings
Signet Rings
Every great design starts with an even better story
Seals were used in the early civilizations and date back to Ancient Egypt, bearing the names of gods in hieroglyphics. Originally they were engraved with family crests or a coat of arms and used to stamp wax seals to authenticate documents, like a signature. By the Hellenistic Period (from 323 BC), they started to be worn for more aesthetic purposes; King Mithridates VI of Turkey, a man clearly after our own heart, was known to have an impressive collection of signets. Signet rings became more popular with the rise of the bourgeoisie and certain classes used a them to denote sophistication. Throughout history, the signet ring has been passed down through generations as a family heirloom.
Today, the elitism associated with signet rings has declined and although some still choose to wear them as family jewels, many choose creative designs for a modern take on tradition or an expression of individuality. Signet rings traditionally have a flat, raised face baring an engraving.
Our Promise
Our bespoke creations are handcrafted in Cape Town, and are the product of our personal fascination with jewellery and our practical experience in the jewellery industry. This combined with a commitment to meeting specific client briefs, as well as providing high quality, and well considered locally made jewellery is what makes our custom engagement rings extra special.
Each piece is designed to be completely unique, and is made to last so that it can be passed down through generations to come. This personalised experience is something that we are very proud to offer our clients. Whether you are designing your dream engagement ring, signet ring, or a piece for a special milestone or occasion, we would love to be part of it.
Each piece is designed to be completely unique, and is made to last so that it can be passed down through generations to come. This personalised experience is something that we are very proud to offer our clients. Whether you are designing your dream engagement ring, signet ring, or a piece for a special milestone or occasion, we would love to be part of it.
Get Inspired
For the initial concept, we will discuss your ideas for the piece as well as your thoughts on design aspects like colours, shapes and styles. Maybe you have a picture of something you have seen before that you liked very much? All of this offers insight into your personal taste and style!
Once we have an idea of your vision for the piece, we can offer our own expert views and input. If the design is a gift for someone else, it is important to have as much reference material as possible.
Please visit our Signet Ring Gallery and Instagram page for inspiration & references of some signets we have made in the past.
Materials
GOLD
We work both in 9 carat and 18 carat; white, yellow and rose gold. This is a high quality metal that is both durable and beautiful. It is made to last and will not tarnish.
The alloy used to make gold jewellery is a mixture of pure The alloy used to make gold jewellery is a mixture of pure platinum are a few). These are added to give strength and colour to each. 18 carat gold is more expensive than 9 carat gold because there is more pure gold in the alloy, and it will also be richer in colour. White gold rings are plated with Rhodium in order to enhance and brighten their white shine. This means they will need to be re-plated every year or so to brighten them up depending on wear.
PLATINUM
is known for it’s toughness, durability, as well as resistance to tarnishing. It has a darker, grey colour in comparison to white gold and is much more dense. It is important to note that even though platinum is very hard, it is still possible for it to scratch over time.
STERLING SILVER
We are able to make Signet Rings in Sterling Silver and Brass, although it is not advised for certain rings / settings and more intricate designs because of its softer nature, and tendancy to tarnish over the years.
STONES
We pride ourselves on an established sourcing network which we have built up over the years, making it possible to source a large variety of precious stones in practically any shape, size and colour. Please visit our Instagram Page to see just some of the stones we have enjoyed working with in the past, but definitely not an exhaustive list of what we would be able to find.
Please see our Materials page for more information.
Upcycling
GOT GOLD?
Reinventing heirlooms and old jewels that are gathering dust at the back of your safe is a way of creating a new unique piece with meaning that will be worn again.
Your pieces can be brought in for us to rework into something that you will love.
Your pieces can be brought in for us to rework into something that you will love.
We understand that your old gold is sentimental, but sadly we cannot use this specific gold when manufacturing a new piece of jewellery that requires casting. If we are not sure of the mixture in the alloy, mixing it with new gold can often cause problems in the metal, and this is something we wish to avoid.
We are able to offer you a credit for your old gold that will be deducted from your final invoice. The level of credit will be determined by the kind of gold it is, as well as the weight. We send the gold to be refined, and calculate a value according to the gold price of the day, less 15% refinery fees.
Costing & Quotation
We understand that deciding on a budget is not always easy. For those buying a piece of jewellery for the first time, it is perhaps the most daunting part of commissioning a custom-made piece of jewellery.
However, your budget is an essential part of the process and we therefore ask that you consider an approximate figure to give to us at our first meeting. This will enable us to asses what type of design and materials to use in presenting you with options, and will save time which may be wasted on unworkable proposals.
Pricing of gemstones and diamonds varies widely according to quality factors, as well cut and colour. As such, we do not offer estimate quotations based on a general discussion of a piece, but rather quote accurately on of a piece, but rather quote accurately on specific stones, metals and design. We always aim to keep the final price within a ten percent range of your budget.
Pricing
The cost of a signet ring is determined by the type of metal, its weight, ring size, possible engraving and setting metal, its weight, ring size, possible engraving and setting visit our studio to have your ring size taken if you are unsure.
Engraving:
Hand-engraving has a softer more vintage feel. (right)
Laser-engraving is more precise for clean lines & edges. (left)
All engraving costs are completely design dependant and will be quoted accordingly.
All engraving costs are completely design dependant and will be quoted accordingly.
Final Quote & Design
Once you have chosen your design, we will provide you with a final quote. Upon acceptance of the quote, a 50% deposit is required to secure your order.
*Please note that due to fluctuations in all material and commodity prices, all quotes are valid for 7 days and must be accepted during this time frame.
*Please note that due to fluctuations in all material and commodity prices, all quotes are valid for 7 days and must be accepted during this time frame.
Our quotes provide for all materials, design and labour hours required to create a bespoke piece.
Time Frame
Once we have chatted with you over email, or met for an in person consultation and narrowed down an idea of the design we are aiming for, the timeline will look something like this:
- Sourcing (if necessary for quoting): 5-10 working days, this depending on the rarity and availability of stones needed, as well as whether we will need to get them to our studio from our suppliers for viewing.
- Quoting, and rough sketches if applicable: 2-5 working days
- Final CAD design if applicable to the design: 5-7 working days
- Casting and manufacturing: 10-15 working days
- Delivery: please allow sufficient time for courier of your piece to you should you not be collecting in Cape Town.
Please note that the above estimates are subject to change according to our current workload. We will do our best to work as quickly and efficiently as possible. We aim to create pieces that are of the highest quality, and this requires time and care.
With your final approval of the design, we required 50% deposit in order to begin manufacturing.
Every piece has unique requirements and we will be able to provide you with a realistic time frame for completion and delivery according to your individual design. As mentioned above, we require a minimum of 15 working days for manufacturing, ensuring sufficient time for each part of the process. If you have a tight deadline, we will do our best to accommodate you, where possible.
Engraving will add additional time to the process. Our hand and lazer engravers require a minimum of 2-5 days for engraving, but more intricate engraving will take longer.
We hope you understand that we are working to create tiny pieces of art, and that each and every part of the process takes time.
We hope you understand that we are working to create tiny pieces of art, and that each and every part of the process takes time.
Final Payment
Payment of the balance outstanding must be made prior to collection.
Sizing
Making sure that you have the correct ring size is very important and we understand that this can be especially tricky for a gift. We will help as much as we can to find an accurate estimate.
Resizing a finished ring can affect its structural integrity and increase the risk of stones breaking or falling out of their settings. Certain designs will make resizing near impossible and we will advise accordingly should this be the case.
All of our custom ring quotations include a resizing of one size smaller or larger per ring. Anything beyond this limit will be at an additional charge for materials and labour, which will be quoted on before any work is done on the ring.
A minimum of 2-5 working days is required for resizing.
Please see our sizing guide for more on ring sizing.
Repairs
We urge our clients to take care when wearing their jewellery. We do our best to ensure that all pieces leaving our studio are made to last, but jewellery is also fine and delicate, and if treated roughly, it will break. We cannot be held liable for damage to jewellery once it has left our studio.
We will attend to any problems that arise due to manufacturing faults within 6 months of your purchase. We will not be held responsible for the loss of any stone.
We recommend insuring all luxury pieces, and will, upon request, provide valuation certificates for any pieces we have made. Valuations of jewellery we did not make will be at an additional charge.
* Please note that custom pieces cannot be exchanged or returned under any circumstances.
Care
Apart from wearing your pieces with care, these are our general recommendations:
- Avoid exposing jewellery to any harsh chemicals
- Always clean your pieces with warm soapy water and a soft toothbrush. Certain stones are porous and more sensitive. We will provide detailed instructions for these.
- Avoid exposing jewellery to any harsh chemicals
- Always clean your pieces with warm soapy water and a soft toothbrush. Certain stones are porous and more sensitive. We will provide detailed instructions for these.
- Avoid wearing your jewellery while for any activities where your jewellery is at risk of being knocked/ scratched/ falling off.
- Although signet rings are very solid, regardless of the metal, their flat surfaces are prone to scratching due to general wear.
Get in touch
To begin your design journey with us, please e-mail
Anna - anna@annarosholt.com
Mihlali - customdesign@annarosholt.com