The military and aristocratic family came from Trebizond (see H Bartkiian, Les Gaurades travers les sources armniennes, in L'Armnie et Byzance, Paris 1996, 19-30). The most famous was Theodore, a hero and martyr in the struggle against the Turks. His son, Constantine, succeded as duke of Trebizond, but in 1126 he rebelled against John II Comnenus and maintained an independance until 1140. There is another seal with this name and the title protonobellissimos, which could refer to the same Constantine, while he resided at the court of Alexis Comnenus, or could refer to a younger namesake.
As this group of seals shows, the Gabrades had a predilection for monograms on their seals.