The men's signet ring with a diamond

A signet started as a working tool, a seal pressed into wax. Today it is the ring a man wears for himself. A single diamond set into the face keeps the weight and the plain gold of the old form and adds one point of light.

Face first, stone second

The face sets the character. A cushion or rounded square face reads as classic and sits flat on the finger. An oval reads softer. A face of about 12 to 15 mm suits most hands; a large hand can carry 16 mm. The stone should take up no more than half the width of the face, so the gold still does the talking.

Size the stone to the face

On a 13 mm face, 0.50 to 1.00 ct looks right. Above 1.5 ct the ring becomes a stone ring with a gold surround rather than a signet. A lab-grown diamond is a real diamond, graded by IGI or GIA, not cubic zirconia or moissanite, so going up a size costs far less than it would with a mined stone.

Flush, not prongs

A signet stone is flush-set: drilled into the face and burnished so it sits level with the gold. Nothing stands proud to catch on a cuff or a glove, and the stone is protected on every side. It is the setting that suits a ring worn every day.

The coin face and the diamond rim

A second style swaps the plain face for a coin and rings it with small diamonds, the way the old circle-of-trust rings were made. On these the coin is the centre, so there is no centre stone. A rim of 25 small diamonds gives the edge its sparkle.

Gold

18k is richer in colour and the classic signet metal, but softer. 14k is harder and wears better under daily knocks. A heavy signet in 18k usually weighs 12 to 18 grams, which is most of the price of the setting.

Engraving

A monogram cut into the face by hand, or initials inside the band, keeps the ring personal. Hand engraving on the face takes the place of a stone on the classic version and can sit beside one on the larger faces.

Price and timing

The Signet shows its price as it is built: face, stone, gold and any engraving, itemized on the page. It is made to order in 3 to 4 weeks, with insured delivery.

The pieces