There are over half a million European surnames, but not all are associated with an heraldic crest.  Most are, but we cannot guarantee the existence of a Heraldic Crest for your surname.

Heraldic Crests (Coats of Arms) are granted to individuals and families by The College of Arms, in Queen Victoria Street, London.  A tradition, dating back to early Medieval times, Knights wore their Arms on their shields and Crests on their helmets.

Two examples of Heraldic crests ready for engraving, we can source many more!

Having completed our research, our artist then extracts the Shield from the crest and draws the contents.  Chevrons, Lions Rampant, Unicorns - there are an untold amount of different Heraldic symbols inside the different shields.

The shield is then placed inside our generic surround.  This consists of a Knight's helmet, complete with feathers and armorial emblems.

The resultant artwork is then converted into a 'mask' (stencil), using high quality glass engravers light sensitive films.  The mask is adhered to the glass and we sandblast, using fine grit, to achieve optimum detail.  When the mask is washed off, every part of the artist's original work is deeply engraved into the glass.

Scottish Clan Crests

A Crystal Book with 2 Clan Crests to commemorate a wedding day.

There are approximately 150 different Scottish Clan Crests.  Each is associated with a clan surname - and usually also has a number of 'Septs'.  A 'Sept' is simply a different surname, which has been granted use of the crest at some point in history.  Typical examples of Septs are the surnames Miller, Smith and Fletcher, because historically, every clan had a Miller of Flour, a Smith or Blacksmith and a Fletcher of Arrows!

The Court of The Lord Lyon is the official body in Scotland, responsible for Scottish Heraldry.  Scottish Heraldry is not as old as one may suppose and generally dates back to Victorian times.  Scottish Clan Crests are, in fact, Crest Badges, worn on the bonnet.

Only the owner, usually the Clan Chief, is entitled by law to wear the original crest and motto of the Scottish Clan Crest, inside its original, plain, circle.  It is accepted that even people not directly associated with the clan are allowed to wear the crests of Scottish Clans, if the heraldic symbol and motto are encircled by a belt and buckle!

Two examples of Scottish Clan crests ready for engraving, with more available for engraving. Contact Us to find out more about engraving your Clan Crest!