Fine jewelry is always special whether you receive it as a gift, give it as a gift, or purchase it for a significant occasion. Custom jewelry, though, holds even more meaning. It contains the essence of your personality and style and is made with love. Engraving is a special way to customize a piece of jewelry, making it all your own and enhancing its heirloom quality.
Rings, in particular, have been engraved for centuries. Dating back to medieval times, when inscribed poems were engraved on promise rings and thought to make them magical, engraving engagement and wedding rings has been a popular choice for both men and women. See our engagement ring guide if you are looking for your very own magical engagement ring.
Whether you want to engrave a wedding ring, engagement ring, or another special ring for yourself or for a loved one, we’ll teach you how to engrave a ring so that it displays your chosen message beautifully.
How Ring Engraving Works
Whether you inherited a family ring or recently purchased an engagement ring, your jewelry is special to you. Ring engraving should only be done by a skilled professional experienced in handling precious metals and gemstones. There are a number of engraving methods including laser engraving and diamond-tip machine engraving, as well as hand engraving. Laser engraving is the most widely used today because it is extremely accurate and gentle on the metal so your engraving can be exactly as you wish without any risk of damage. Plus, it is powerful enough to be used on most metals.
There is also a plethora of engraving options to suit your unique style. In terms of placement, you can choose to engrave a ring on the inside or the outside of the band, or even around the gemstone or diamond. In terms of design, you can choose from a variety of fonts, ornate decorations, and combinations of letters, words, and numbers.
Why Engrave A Ring
There are plenty of great reasons to engrave your ring, particularly for sentimentality. Engraving on a wedding ring or wedding band can materialize your vows, wedding scripture, your wedding date or place, or even a nickname or quote that only means something to you and your spouse. On another type of ring, be it a family heirloom or a special gift, engraving a birth date, family name, coordinates of your hometown, etc. adds even more meaning to an already-special piece of jewelry.
Whatever engraving you choose, engraving adds a personal touch to a ring that makes it one-of-a-kind. There is nothing quite as special as a custom piece of jewelry that could only be yours. If unique is what you’re looking for, see our blog on how to make custom engagement rings.
Tips For Engraving Your Ring
There are a few important things to consider before you decide to engrave a ring, especially when working with such a precious piece of jewelry. Follow these tips to determine if engraving is right for you and how to go about it.
Make Sure You Have an Engravable Ring
If you already have the ring you wish to engrave or have already selected one, don’t get your heart set on an engraving before ensuring your ring can be engraved in the first place. A jeweler will be able to tell you whether or not the metal of your ring is sturdy enough for engraving and whether or not there is enough surface area on the ring to fit your engraving. If you know you want to have your ring engraved before selecting it, discuss the best rings for engraving with your jeweler first.
Thanks to modern technology, even the toughest of metals such as tungsten and the softest metals such as gold can be engraved. Keep in mind, engraving isn’t always easy to see, especially on highly reflective metals such as silver.
Determine Your Budget
Fine jewelry is created with high-quality materials and incredible care, which is why it comes with a high price tag. When you are choosing to invest in an heirloom-quality ring, customization will often come at an additional cost. Asking “How much does it cost to engrave a ring?” is important before you set your heart on a special inscription. Engraving fees are different everywhere, and may even be included in the cost of a custom-designed ring or if you purchase the ring directly from the jeweler who will do the engraving. Ask your jeweler if they offer a ring engraving service, and if so, what is included and how much it costs. Generally, engraving is a small fee ($50-100) compared to the cost of the ring.
Research Ring Engraving Ideas
The special aspect of engraving is that it is totally custom. You may already have an idea of what you want to be engraved on your ring, but researching engraving ideas could help inspire the design. If you don’t know yet what you want to be engraved on your ring, researching ideas will inspire not only what to engrave but also how you want the engraving to look.
Researching ideas will also help you keep your engraving within the character count as most rings can’t accommodate more than 30 characters. A few short and sweet traditional engraving ideas for wedding rings, in particular, include: “Always”, “Forever”, “To have and to hold”, “Mine”, “My one and only”, your wedding date, or both of your initials. There are also plenty of ideas for religious inscriptions, personal jokes, and even coordinating bands. With so much inspiration out there, you are sure to find something that speaks to you, but don’t be afraid to come up with something all your own, either.
Be Precise
Once you have researched ideas, it’s important to finalize what you want to be engraved on your ring and where you want it to be engraved. Having a precise vision will ensure the engraver executes it flawlessly. Double check the spelling and order of your chosen design before you send it off and always ask to see a proof to ensure everything has been communicated correctly.
How To Engrave A Ring
Engraving a ring is actually quite simple once you know what you want and that it can be done. Follow these steps to engrave a wedding band, engagement ring, or any other ring you want to sentimentalize.
Step One: Choose Your Engraving
The hardest part of engraving a ring is deciding what you want to have engraved in the first place. So, if you have already decided, the rest is easy! As we mentioned above, researching ideas is the best way to gain inspiration for your own engraved ring.
A few popular ideas for all types of jewelry include an inscription of a poem or scripture, initials, a special date, coordinates of a place, fingerprints, signatures, love quotes, and song lyrics.
Step Two: Partner with Your Jeweler
Once you have decided on your engraving, it is time to present it to your jeweler. Discuss your ideal font, size, and placement as well as the timeline and cost of engraving and when your dream will be ready. Remember to be precise and ask any questions you may have. While we’re sure it will turn out perfectly, it’s always a good idea to ask what their policy is if you don’t love your custom ring.
Step Three: Wear Your Engraved Ring
When your engraved ring is complete, it will feel even more special than before. You can finally put it on and never take it off. If you are gifting the personalized ring to a loved one, the hidden message and the thoughtfulness you put into engraving it won’t be lost on them. Whether you decide to keep your engraving secret or show it off, is up to you.
How To Find Your Ring Engraving Jeweler
Custom engraving isn’t available everywhere but with a quick search, you can find a talented engraver to bring your vision to life. Any jeweler should also be able to refer you to an engraver if they don’t offer the service themselves. Here at Diamond Nexus, we have skilled engravers at your service.
Engraving at Diamond Nexus
We believe that there is no better way to say “I love you” than with a custom piece of fine jewelry. With our custom jewelry, you can choose your favorite metal, stone or style to create a one-of-a-kind engagement ring or a memorable gift.
We guarantee you will love your personalized ring and that it will last a lifetime.
Sources:
Brilliance
The Knot
The Diamond Store
Larson Jewelers
Brides