Wax Sealing Letters

The use of seals, in wax, or embossed on paper, was to authenticate documents, it is a practice as old as writing itself. Seals were applied directly to the face of the document or attached to the document In the other cases, although a forger could remove the seal intact by ripping the cords from the paper, he would still have to separate the cords to attach it to another document, which would destroy the seal as well because the cords had knots tied in them inside the wax seal. Most governments still attach seals to letters patent. Seals were also applied to letters and parcels to indicate whether or not the item had been opened since the seal was applied. Seals were used both to seal the item to prevent tampering, as well as to provide proof that the item was actually from the sender and is not a forgery. To seal a letter, for example, a letter writer would compose the letter, fold it over, pour wax over the joint formed by the top of the page of paper, and then impress a ring, metal stamp, or other device.

Signet rings Signet rings, bared a coat of arms, they were made by intaglio engraving, either in metal or gems Metal signet rings could be cast, which is cheaper but yields a weaker material. The wearing of signet rings is a longstanding tradition among nobles in European and some other cultures. In contemporary usage, the signet ring is typically worn on the little finger of either the right or left hand (depending on the country), although some countries have different customs (French and German noblemen, and some Spanish nobles wear it on the ring finger of their left hand; Swiss wear it on the ring finger of their right hand). In the United Kingdom, signet rings are typically worn on the little finger of the left hand of the bearer and tend to be cast of gold. The ring should be worn with the seal facing outwards to enable wax impressions without removing the ring.

With the invent of email, I hope you girls are still trying to write letters and cards. I sure miss the post. I myself still have a cartridge pen, beautiful stationary and wax seal......I hope you do too!!