Sterling Silver Badger Pendant, Let the Truth Guide Me Motto, Heraldic Button Jewelry, History Lover

"Let the truth guide me." In Latin, "Veritas me dirigit." A simple yet powerful phrase.

Truth as a guiding principle has a long history in heraldic tradition. Latin mottoes invoking truth appear across British and European coats of arms from the medieval period onward. A family that put truth on their livery button was making a public statement about what they valued: not strength, not fortune, not conquest, but integrity and the discipline to follow where the truth leads, even when it doesn't go where expected.

The badger sits beneath oak leaves. In British heraldry the badger is an uncommon charge, and a typically English one: an animal known for tenacity, ferocious defense of its ground, and the kind of stubborn persistence that outlasts more dramatic opponents. The oak above it carries its own tradition: strength, endurance, and the deep-rooted wisdom that comes from standing in one place long enough to understand it.

The pendant is cast from an antique livery button. These buttons were worn in the 18th and 19th centuries by soldiers, household staff, and royal servants, each one bearing the crest or insignia of the family they served. The back of the button is marked Geo Turner and Son, London, a 19th-century button maker.

Cast sterling silver. Hallmarked Blue Piranha and .925.

This pendant measures 1½ inches (3.8 cm) long and 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, about the size of a U.S. quarter. Weight is 6 grams.

Each pendant is available without a chain. If you'd like to add one, I offer several lengths and styles, please choose from the options at checkout. Every chain comes with a 2-inch extender so you can vary the length.

Your purchase arrives gift boxed, presented in a soft pouch with a story card.

Good for: the person who leads with integrity and knows what it costs. A gift for the journalist, the lawyer, the scientist, the one who does the work of finding out. A birthday for someone who doesn't take the easy answer. Self-purchase for the collector who pursues persistence and wisdom in service of truth.

Questions? Please message me. I'm happy to help.