Signet Amethyst ring available at Boggs Jewelers

Traditionally, signet rings were made with the crest, coat of arms, or other design exclusive to royal and noble families. Acting as both a seal and signature, they were worn on the pinky to easily stamp into hot wax and authenticate documents. The rings were considered so personal and important that they were often destroyed when their wearer died.

Today, the signet ring doesn’t carry so much weight in business relations or politics, but it’s equally as important as a contemporary means of self-expression and for some—an all-new type of signature. While many are still engraved, others are going even bigger and bolder with oversized stones and vibrant colors. Nina Runsdorf’s All That Is iteration, for example, features a 3.07 ct. round brilliant-cut diamond set in layers of 18k yellow and white gold and hand-painted blackened rhodium, while Brent Neale’s carved turquoise signet ring splashes the expression “This Too Shall Pass” in a playful swirl pattern across its front. The photo above is from Boggs Jewelers custom design inventory.

Below, we’ve rounded up some of the most statement-making signet rings that prove that there’s power in the pinky.

Tiered Fantasy Flying Pig signet in 14k yellow gold, $1,440; Retrouvaí

Crescent Moon signet ring in 14k yellow gold with 0.1 ct. t.w. diamonds, $2,350; Marrow