“Working with Heraldic Jewelry was a wonderful experience from start to finish. I came to them with a sketch that had been in my family for generations, and they made the entire process of turning that idea into finished crest jewelry so easy. I am extremely happy with the final pieces. ”
Overview
John came to us with a very personal and thoughtful idea. He wanted to create a custom family jewelry set that would honor his ancestors and also make meaningful birthday gifts for members of his family. Instead of designing just one piece, John envisioned a beautifully coordinated set that included a men’s ring, a ladies’ ring, and a pendant, all crafted in white gold.
Family heritage was at the center of the project from the very beginning. John wanted the design to tell a story that reached across generations, from his Viking ancestry before the Norman invasion of England in 1066 to the first members of his family who made their way to the United States in the 19th century. The finished pieces needed to feel traditional, symbolic, and worthy of becoming heirlooms, while still including personal details that made them truly unique to his family.
We received an image of a family coat of arms that had been in the family. This became the foundation for the custom design.
Design Requirements and Vision
1. A request to use the old english version of the family name, Puttenham along with the inclusion of the name ANSKETIL and the date 1066 to honor his Viking ancestors who moved to England before the Norman invasion.
2.In addition to the crest itself, John wanted to recognize the first Putnam ancestors who arrived in the United States. Their names, birth dates, and death dates were incorporated into the ring shoulders, adding a second layer of meaning to the design.
3.The memorandum called for a classic crest ring raised style with custom engraving on the shoulders.
The Heraldic Jewelry design team began by re imagining the inherited family crest as a new custom image that could work beautifully across different jewelry pieces. The goal was not simply to reproduce the old coat of arms, but to preserve its heritage while incorporating the requested additional ancestral details.
Design Process
- Over the course of the project, the design team produced multiple proofs and took part in several rounds of consultation and revision.
- One design was refined step by step, with each stage bringing the final concept closer to the story the client wanted the pieces to tell. A distinctive design choice was the placement of the Viking name ANSKETIL and the date 1066 above the helmet at the top of the ring face, giving the design a powerful ancestral focal point.
- The proofing process also allowed the team to refine how the American ancestor details would appear on the shoulders of the ring. These names and dates needed to be meaningful, legible, and visually balanced within the traditional crest ring format.
- Through careful collaboration, the final proof brought together the family crest, Viking reference and ancestral dates into one seamless design.
Original client print
Client family print
Final proof
Once John approved the final proof, the jewelry pieces were produced in white gold. The completed set included a man’s ring and a pendant, each carrying the same custom family design.
Final Design
- The final design was both bold and elegant, traditional and deeply personal.
- The face of the ring honored John’s early ancestry through the name ANSKETIL and the date 1066, while the shoulders of the ring honored the family’s first American ancestors with their names and life dates.
- What made the finished pieces especially meaningful was theirextraordinary span of family history. The custom design honored ancestors dating back more than 1,000 years while creating new jewelry that could be passed forward to future generations. The result was not only a set of custom crest jewelry, but a tangible family legacy.
John was overjoyed with the approved proof and even happier when he received the finished jewelry pieces. He especially loved how the wording, imagery, and ancestral details came together in one seamless design. The finished set exceeded his expectations, and he has since ordered additional pieces using the same custom design.
This project is a strong example of how an inherited family crest can be transformed into meaningful modern heirloom jewelry. By combining an old family sketch with personal ancestral research and careful custom design, Heraldic Jewelry helped John create pieces that honor the past while giving future generations something lasting to inherit.
Bring Your Idea to Life
Start with a personalized consultation, sharing your vision and preferences with our expert design team. With over 20 years experience we have the knowledge and craftsmanship to create a unique piece of jewelry that will be cherished for generations to come.