How naval rank insignia evolve

How did navies acquire their different gold braid and rank insignia?

They evolved over time as navies created or replaced ranks and adapted existing symbols to new organizational needs.

Naval insignia develop over time as services create new grades, replace older ones, and carry symbols forward into changed organizations. The result depends on who designed a rank and what earlier visual language was already familiar to the service. A new title may inherit an older badge rather than receive a completely new system. Reading the braid therefore requires historical context as well as a current rank chart.