Civic and Society Regalia
Selcraft designs and manufactures bespoke civic regalia and society regalia for councils, professional bodies, societies, associations, charities and fraternal orders across the UK and internationally. Neck jewels, breast jewels, medals of office, presidents’ medals and commemorative medals, each made to your design and available with a fitted presentation case.
For over 50 years we have worked with chartered institutes, agricultural societies, chambers of commerce, town councils, livery companies and voluntary organisations that need regalia reflecting their heritage and values. Our work marks office, service and achievement for presidents, chairmen, mayors, secretaries and the members who give their time.
What Is Civic and Society Regalia?
Regalia is the worn insignia of an organisation. It identifies the office a person holds, records their service, or commemorates an event in the life of the body itself.
A jewel is worn at the neck on a ribbon or at the breast, and usually passes from one holder of an office to the next. A medal is awarded to an individual and kept by them. Both usually carry the organisation’s crest, emblem or arms, and both can be engraved with the holder’s name, office and dates. Many organisations adopt both, with a jewel for the office and medals for those who have held it.
Medals of Office
Medals of office are ceremonial items awarded to individuals who have held positions of responsibility within an organisation. They serve as lasting recognition of service and are presented to mark significant roles and contributions within an organisation.
These medals carry the organisation’s crest, emblem or logo and often include the recipient’s name, position held and dates of service. They may be worn on formal occasions or displayed as a permanent record of the holder’s contribution.
Medals of office are superior items crafted from quality materials. They are designed to be kept and treasured, representing both personal achievement and the traditions of the organisation itself.
Neck Jewels and Neck Medals
Neck jewels and neck medals are the senior pieces of civic regalia and society regalia, worn on a ribbon or chain by the president, chairman or mayor of an organisation. They identify the holder of the office on formal occasions and usually pass from one holder to the next.
Most are made in gilt or silver finishes with the organisation’s arms or emblem in enamel, in a shield, oval, circular or custom shape. A past holder’s version can be engraved with their name and years of office.
Breast Jewels
Breast jewels are worn on the chest, suspended from a ribbon, and are presented to mark office, membership or an anniversary. They are widely used by fraternal societies, provinces and orders, and by associations that present a jewel to each past president.
A breast jewel often has a top bar above the ribbon carrying the organisation’s name, a date or an anniversary. Where an organisation has an established pattern, each new jewel is made to match those presented before.
Presidents’ and Chairmen’s Medals
Presidents’ and chairmen’s medals are presented to the incoming president or chairman of a society, institute or professional body, and a past president’s medal is often presented when the term of office ends. They mark the holder’s term of office.
These medals are usually produced as matched sets, so that each holder’s medal is identical to the last apart from the name and dates engraved on the reverse.
Commemorative and Centenary Medals
Commemorative and centenary medals mark a milestone in the life of an organisation, such as a centenary, an anniversary or a notable event. They are presented to members, officers and supporters as a record of the occasion.
The dates of the anniversary usually appear on the medal or on a dated top bar. A matching lapel badge or miniature can be produced for everyday wear.
Volunteer and Charity Awards
Volunteer and charity awards are medals presented by charities, voluntary services and conservation bodies to recognise long service, exceptional contribution or achievement by their volunteers. They are often the only formal recognition a volunteer receives.
These awards are usually medals worn on a ribbon, with a matching ribbon bar for everyday wear where required, in a choice of finishes.
Why Choose Selcraft for Civic Regalia
When you work with Selcraft, you work with craftsmen who know how to take a design from paper to the finished piece. We call this “Product Compatibility”. It is the ability to take any crest, logo or concept and produce a manufacture-ready design that works in metal, enamel and the other materials that make up the piece.
Your design source can be a formal heraldic crest, a contemporary logo, a hand-drawn sketch, an old photograph or an existing jewel or medal you wish to replicate. Our designers interpret it faithfully and work with you until the artwork is right.
We have been designing and manufacturing regalia, medals and insignia in the UK since 1973. We build lasting relationships with our clients. Many return to us year after year for their ongoing requirements because they trust our reliability and attention to detail. Our comprehensive record-keeping means we can process repeat orders quickly and maintain consistency across production runs.
Organisations We Serve
We design and manufacture civic and society regalia for a wide range of organisations. Our clients include:
Professional Bodies
Chartered institutes, professional associations and regulatory bodies in accountancy, actuarial, legal, medical, engineering and technical disciplines. We produce chartered institute medals, presidents’ jewels and other regalia recognising leadership at global, national and local level.
Societies and Associations
Learned societies, trade associations, membership organisations and special interest groups. We produce jewels and medals for presidents, vice-presidents, past presidents and other officials who have given their time and expertise.
Chambers of Commerce
National, regional and local chambers of commerce, junior chambers and business networks. We produce chamber of commerce medals and jewels for presidents, chairmen and committee members.
Agricultural Societies
County agricultural societies, show committees and farming organisations. We produce agricultural society medals for presidents, show chairmen and long-serving officials.
Town Councils and Civic Bodies
Parish councils, town councils, court leets, freemen’s guilds and civic organisations. We produce civic medals and civic regalia including neck medals, freeman badges, past chairman medals and service awards.
Livery Companies
City livery companies, guilds and trade bodies with ceremonial traditions. Past master jewels, wardens’ badges and service medals form part of the regalia worn and awarded by these historic institutions.
Charities and Voluntary Organisations
National and local charities, voluntary services, conservation bodies and community organisations. We produce volunteer awards and service medals that recognise those who give their time.
Fraternal Societies and Orders
Provinces, councils and chapters of fraternal and benevolent orders. We produce breast jewels, past officers’ jewels and commemorative medals to the order’s established pattern.
Other Organisations
Sporting bodies, educational institutions, emergency services associations and any organisation that wishes to mark office, service or achievement with a lasting piece of regalia.
Bespoke Medal and Jewel Design
Every piece we produce is designed to your requirements. We work with you to create a design that captures your organisation’s identity within the technical limits of manufacture.
Design Elements
Your piece can incorporate your organisation’s crest, coat of arms, logo or emblem as the central feature. Surrounding text can identify the organisation name, the position held and any motto or strapline. The reverse can include space for engraving the recipient’s name, dates of service and any additional information.
Construction Methods
We produce jewels and medals using the die-struck method, which gives crisp detail in both enamel and metal relief and consistent reproduction across every piece in a set.
Shapes and Sizes
Pieces can be produced in traditional circular formats, or shaped to complement your design with oval, shield, cross or custom shapes that reflect your organisation’s heraldic traditions or contemporary branding. Sizes vary with the piece and the way it will be worn. Neck jewels are generally larger than breast jewels and medals. We advise on the size that suits each commission.
Materials and Finishes
We offer regalia in precious and non-precious metals with a wide range of finishes to suit your requirements and budget.
Sterling silver and gold pieces are available for organisations seeking the finest quality, with all precious metal items independently tested and hallmarked at the Birmingham Assay Office. Non-precious metals can be electroplated in various finishes to achieve the appearance you require. Enamel allows us to incorporate your organisation’s colours into the design, adding visual impact.
Presentation Cases
Regalia deserves proper presentation. We supply fitted cases that protect the piece and make the moment of presentation a memorable one.
Cases can be foil blocked with your organisation’s name, crest or emblem on the lid, in a choice of sizes, colours and linings to complement the piece inside.
From Concept to Finished Piece
We start by learning about your organisation, its history, the office or occasion being marked, and any existing regalia that the new piece must sit alongside.
Our designers then prepare colour artwork for your review. You see exactly how the finished piece will look before we proceed, with the opportunity to request changes until the design is right.
Once you approve the artwork, we move to manufacture. Every piece is produced to a documented specification, which we retain so that quality remains consistent across this order and any future runs.
Ongoing Supply and Reorders
Many organisations present regalia on an annual cycle or when officers change, and each new piece must match those that went before.
We keep records and tooling for every commission, so repeat orders are reproduced accurately. We can also take over an existing design from another supplier, match a piece to an existing set, or recreate a pattern where the original tooling or artwork has been lost, working from a photograph or a surviving example.
Request a Consultation
We offer free, no-obligation consultations and quotations. If you need civic regalia or society regalia for your organisation, have questions about our capabilities, or want to discuss your requirements, please get in touch.
We are happy to review any existing jewels, medals or designs, explore options for a new commission, and provide guidance on costs and production timescales.
What our clients say
Welsh Ambulance Service – Belt Buckle
Selcraft was contracted by the Welsh Ambulance Service to design and produce high quality, bespoke ceremonial belt buckles.
We wanted something unique to enhance our ceremonial uniforms at Welsh Ambulance, Our remit for Selcraft was to design a belt buckle to be proud of. Selcraft did this with outstanding communications throughout. The quality and standard of items supplied fulfilled our expectations and more. We totally recommend Selcraft. We are hoping to use their services again.
Contact Us
Please contact us to find out more about how we can help supply your organisation with the highest quality items of insignia and uniform accoutrements.
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