Signet ring with the Van Wijnbergen family arms, anonymous, c. 1535
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.