The crest can be used alone as a symbol for the holder/family or a shortcut for the coat of arms. Crests alone were used to identify and decorate things, such as the handles of family cutlery ...

Crests hold more historical significance than you might think. In medieval countries with a monarchy, the king would bestow a family crest or coat of arms on higher-class families and his knights.

After discovering that her ancestor had invented his own coat of arms in the 16th century, Mattie Kahn enlisted jeweler Briony Raymond to turn the family crest into a modern heirloom.