Signet ring with the Van Wijnbergen family arms

In the 16th century, seals were sometimes made of rock crystal. The transparency of this stone made it possible to include a coat of arms both in relief and in colour (on the back of the stone). The one here – three black wheels with five spokes in a field of silver – belongs to the Van Wijnbergens, a noble family from the province of Overijssel. Accordingly, this ring was most likely made in the northern Netherlands.