How can you recognize whether the wearer of a signet ring is really an armiger of blue blood?
A signet ring use to attest to the authority of its bearer. However, the wearing of genuine signet rings is declining in Europe as the aristocracy diminishes. Traditionally, in England and Scotland, an individual rather than his family had the right to wear a coat of arms. Moreover, legally, this right transferred from father to son. Members of the family not in line for a title could wear or use a coat of arms only after making identifying changes. All the same, a quick Internet search attests to the popular use of coats of arms and signet rings by anyone bearing a certain family name. I’m not sure if there is any test to determine whether the wearer is “the real McCoy”, and a true sprig of the aristocracy, unless his name appears in Burke’s Peerage.
