Have you ever wanted your own coat of arms? Some heraldry to proudly hang above your door or print on stationery? Here in Melbourne / Naarm, there’s a dearth of both castles and elaborate Medieval Gothic family crests and I feel like we’re missing out. Maybe large tapestries or grand carved stone fireplaces are impractical, but a small custom insignia in the form of jewellery might be more attainable.
If you are fortunate enough to have a family coat of arms stretching back centuries, chances are the symbols and motto aren’t quite so relevant as they once were. Amongst many of the European Arms there’s a tendency toward featuring a Latin declaration exalting truth, pride or victory in some form (usually by God’s grace) accompanied by some kind of disfigured animal. My own Davidson family crest features a stag and the motto ‘sapienter si sincere’ (wisely if sincerely). It’s a lovely sentiment and the stag is rather majestic, but the point is that while I’m sure it was pertinent to one of my very distant ancestors, I can’t say it accurately depicts my interests and values. So what if I had my very own personal coat of arms? Perhaps one that doesn’t celebrate being a man hunting other men or animals…
Pick your favourite symbol
Picking a symbol and frame
There’s nothing better than personalised jewellery, whether for yourself or as a gift. To have a keepsake that you know is the only one in existence and represents you as a person is a rather special feeling. Having said that, when commissioning such a piece, starting from scratch with no idea what speaks to you can be intimidating! And so when it comes to building your very own coat of arms I decided to create some options.
Firstly you need a frame for your shield, some noble creatures or decoration. In this case you can choose from wolves rampant, cats rampant, foliage or gryphons rampant. Then you get to pick the symbol you feel best illustrates you. Perhaps it embodies your occupation, interests or personality? So far I have a crown, castle, rose, axe, hammer, anvil, sword, goblet, book, cat, snowflake, candle and key. Of course I’m also open to suggestions!
Make up a motto
Now this is the tricky bit! Under the shield is a banner designed for a hand engraved motto. So what few words describe you? Not such an easy task is it? When trying to think of something for myself I suddenly had a lot more sympathy for those medieval meathead knights and their formulaic ‘conquer or die’ maxims. Of course if you don’t have a catchy phrase, provocative proverb or clever expression, you could use that space for a name, date or location. Hell, you could choose a series of emojis if it feels right (maybe not dancing girl or something equally detailed, it’s a small space)!
And that’s all there is to it! Just 3 simple choices and you have your very own one of a kind silver keepsake perfect for yourself, as an heirloom or a personal gift which is sure to impress.
If you have a different idea for the frame or symbol or maybe you’d prefer the coat of arms to take the form of a necklace or ring, just fill out the custom request form so we can discuss the possibilities.
– Clare
Check out these other customisable pieces
Custom Monogram – Ring
Medieval Manicule – Necklace
Illuminated Manuscript – Necklace
Hi Skadi , I was lucky enough to receive one of your beautiful necklaces from my husband , Roger . We are in England – and it was extra special to have a gift of such creativity and skill all the way from Australia !! I really love all your work !!
I would love to purchase a coat of arms for our son , Owen . Would it be possible to have it as a tie pin or lapel pin ?
Owen is a sailor so I wonder if there could be an anchor in the middle , and I was unsure what you could do for the side pieces – do you think ropes , or shells or sails ?
I would love the lettering underneath to be ; FULLER FORTIS
Owen once did a tiny pottery coat of arms , when he was very young , and he put FULLER FORTIS on it , as the strength of the fullers !
I wonder if I could pay you by debit card ?
I do hope all this makes sense – and I look forward to hearing from you , With kindest regards from , Lizzie .
So sorry for the delayed reply Lizzie! I’ve been overhauling the website and in all the confusion I didn’t get a notification for your message. I’ve replied to your Facebook message so we can discuss your design further there. Looking forward to it π