The regular regalia which identify a bishop are the pectoral cross and the ring. The word pectoral derives from the Latin pectus , meaning A breast. In the earliest times, the pectoral cross contained a relic of the True Cross or even of a saint. While not all pectoral crosses today continue to contain a relic, the tradition remains. Interestingly, in 1889, the Holy See recommended that the pectoral cross of a deceased bishop which contained a relic of the True Cross be given to his successor.
Bishops also wear a ring.
Also, the ring would be used, at least in days long ago, to make the imprint of the bishop ' s seal in the hot wax to authenticate documents. The word mitre derives from the Greek mitra , which signifies a headband or diadem. Exactly when the Church adopted the mitre as part of the vesture of bishops is hard to pinpoint. Of course artists have taken the liberty to depict the apostles and the earliest saints who were bishops as wearing mitres. By 1100, a bishop customarily wore a mitre.