A few years ago, style icons like Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw with her “Carrie” necklace drove a trend toward message jewelry that screamed. Today, however, messages in jewelry are quieter.

Like age-old ring inscriptions, these messages are meant only for the wearer, whether from herself or from the special someone who gave the jewelry as a gift. Roberto Coin uses his hidden diamond as a signature inside his jewels, and Taköhl has developed a huge following for the hidden-message treasure ring, in which a message is contained inside a ring shank that opens.

Sometimes the messages are as literal as these, and sometimes designers use subtle motifs to portray a message. Either way, in an industry based largely on emotions, these jewels pack an extra-sentimental punch.