All You Need to Know About Laser Engraving
Engraving offers the perfect solution to make a piece of jewelry more special by adding a custom message somewhere on the ring, bracelet, or necklace. However, wedding bands are especially suited to customization, as these are the symbols of marriage and everlasting love. Adding a meaningful message on a wedding band can make it one-of-a-kind as well as uniquely yours.
Engraving can be done either on the inside or the exterior of the ring. While gold and silver rings are customized with classic engraving, for tougher materials like tungsten carbide and ceramic jewelers use laser engraving.
But what IS laser engraving? Read on to find out more about this modern jewelry customization method, the types of rings you can engrave, the various customization options that are currently available, the color of engraving that changes depending on the ring surface, and more.
What is laser engraving
For thousands of years, jewelers have been engraving jewelry by scratching, carving, or etching the surface of the metal. Soft metals like gold and silver are perfect for this type of classic engraving. With the introduction of extra-hard materials like tungsten carbide, jewelers had to adapt a new method of engraving. Tungsten and ceramic are incredibly tough and scratch-resistant, so they are not suitable for classic engraving methods.
Laser engraving provides the ideal solution to customize tungsten and ceramic wedding bands. While the name contains the word “engraving”, this method doesn’t actually “engrave” the surface of the material. Instead, a high-tech laser burns or marks the surface permanently. Even though the correct term would be “laser marking”, more and more people have been using the term “laser engraving” over the years. So much so, that it has become the preferred term for laser customization.
Using the superior power of laser engraving, jewelers can add names, messages, dates, symbols, and even images on the interior or the exterior of a ring. Unlike soft metals that scratch easily, tungsten carbide wedding bands and ceramic rings will keep their custom message forever. With laser engraving, the possibilities are almost endless, as jewelers can engrave anything, even images, if they are in the right file format. Get in touch with us today if you have any questions about custom laser engraving – we’d love to help!
Are engraved messages easy to scratch off?
As gold and silver are soft metals, any message engraved on their surface will inevitably scratch and fade over time, especially if they’re worn on a necklace. This is not the case when it comes to tungsten or ceramic rings. Thanks to their incredibly toughness and durability, these materials are very hard to scratch. As a result, laser engraving on a tungsten or ceramic wedding band will not scratch or fade in time.
Will laser engraving be visible on your ring?
As we already mentioned, laser engraving burns the surface of the ring material. The burned letters appear clearly on most materials and metals. On light silver gray surfaces like white tungsten, the laser engraved messages have a dark gray hue, while on intense black materials the letters appear in light gray or even golden hued colors. Only black ceramic rings differ, making laser engraving appear more subtle and refined.
Where should you engrave your ring?
Most customers prefer to engrave the inside of their wedding bands. That way, they not only ensure that the message remains hidden from the rest of the world, but they also keep the message close, touching their skin at all times.
Some people prefer to engrave the outside surface of their wedding band. It’s a great way to let the whole world see their engraved custom message. For more visual impact, we’d recommend using extra-wide rings for exterior engraving, of 10 mm and 12 mm. This gives more space for a custom message and ensures that it really stands out.
The engraving placement is a personal choice and we’re more than happy to assist you if you need any help deciding which option is more suitable for your ring. Please keep in mind that some rings are impossible to laser engrave on the outside of the ring. This includes designs with solid wood inlays, opal inlays, carbon fiber inlays, or mother of pearl inlays, to name a few. However, we can still engrave the inside of these rings.
Laser engraving options
The options for laser engraving differ among jewelers. We offer free laser engraving with any ring purchased from our site. Customers can choose between various fonts to find the perfect match for their custom message. The limit of 30 characters includes the spaces between words. Most messages chosen by customers are well within the 30 character limit.
Other laser engraving options include adding unique fingerprints, handwritten messages, or symbols on the inside or the outside of the ring. Even images can be engraved with a laser on a ring if an electronic image in the right format is provided.
Please contact our friendly team if you want to customize your wedding band with a special font or image.
Can tungsten rings be laser engraved?
Tungsten wedding bands are one of the most common types of rings to be engraved with laser engraving. After all, this method is especially suitable for extra-hard materials like tungsten carbide. Laser engraving can permanently mark a message on the surface of tungsten. As tungsten rings are extremely scratch-resistant, the letters will never lose their clarity.
Can ceramic rings be laser engraved?
Yes, ceramic rings can be laser engraved with a custom message. In a similar way to tungsten carbide, black ceramic is extremely scratch-resistant. Any message will remain engraved forever, without fading. Plus, black ceramic rings also retain their color forever. Keep in mind that laser engraving appears less visible on black ceramic compared to black tungsten. However, many customers prefer the subtlety of a dark gray message on black, as the customized ring is more personal, elegant, and private.
The most common engravings on wedding bands
If you want to customize your wedding band, you can do so in many different ways. So what should you engrave on your ring? Well, the choice is yours. But if you have some difficulties picking the perfect option, we can help you decide with a few of the most common engraving requests we have received over the years. When it comes to wedding rings, some of these requests stand out among others.
Dates
Naturally, one of the most common and simple request for laser engraving is adding a specific date onto the wedding band. The date can mark a special moment in the life of the couple - the day the two of you met, for example – or it can signify something different. Here are the most common dates we have engraved on our wedding bands:
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The date of the wedding day
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The date of the couple’s first date
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The date of the proposal
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The day of a child’s birth
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The date the couple met – love at first sight
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Messages or quotes
Another extremely popular request is engraving a message on a wedding ring. Most people prefer to add the message on the inside of the ring, but some like to show off the customized ring to the world. Common message include personal quotes, nicknames, or loving pet names as well as quotes from famous movies. Along with engraving a special date, this type of laser engraving gives the most personal touch and the deepest meaning to a wedding band.
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A personal message with meaning for the couple
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A personal quote or favorite saying
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A Bible verse
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A famous quote from a movie
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A lyric from the couple’s favorite song
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A verse from a poem
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Symbols
Sometimes, a simple symbol can be more powerful than a longer message. The most popular symbols include the infinity symbol, which refers to eternal love, as well as the simple heart symbol. A message and a symbol can also be laser engraved together. If you want some ideas for your wedding ring, check out these options:
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The infinity symbol
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The cross or another religious symbol
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A heart
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An ampersand (&)
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A zodiac symbol (ex: Aquarius)
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Custom engravings
While not as common as the other types of laser engraving, custom engravings are still popular with some couples who wish to have extra-special rings. Custom options can include adding a fingerprint, a handwritten message, or an image on the ring. This laser engraving option is more complex than the others, as it requires a digital photo of the desired custom message or image. Please get in touch with us if you want to know more about custom laser engraving and how you can add an image to your ring.
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Handwritten messages
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Fingerprint
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An image
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Symbols relating to hobbies
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Fingerprint engraved wedding bands
Adding a fingerprint on a wedding band can make it extra special. After all, your fingerprint is unique and can make your wedding ring truly one-of-a-kind. This laser engraving method has become increasingly more popular over the past few years, as the technology became available to jewelers around the world. Indeed, it is now one of the hottest trends in the wedding ring manufacturing industry.
This is a romantic and personal laser engraving option. For maximum visual impact, the fingerprint should cover the outside of the ring. The true to size image will make it look like you have touched your ring and left your fingerprint on it in a darker color (on silver and white tungsten) or in a light gray hue (on black tungsten and ceramic rings).
Fingerprint tungsten and ceramic rings
Laser engraving makes it possible to customize tungsten and ceramic wedding rings with a highly detailed image, like the photo of a fingerprint. The high-tech laser will burn or mark the surface of the ring to recreate the intricate lines of a unique fingerprint. Depending on the color of the ring, the fingerprint will appear either light or dark. For example, silver tungsten rings will have a dark gray fingerprint, while black tungsten or black ceramic rings will boast the image in light gray.
How to engrave your ring with your fingerprint
Engraving a fingerprint on a tungsten or ceramic ring with a laser technique requires a digital image with a good resolution. To ensure a perfect result, you need to go through a few easy steps.
- Have an ink pad on hand
- Use the ink pad to ink your finger in a uniform coating
- Make sure the coating is even and thick enough to capture every line, but light enough to reduce the risk of smudging
- Touch your finger onto a sheet of paper gently, applying the right amount of pressure to ensure a perfect fingerprint
- After you create a quality print, use a high-resolution camera or smartphone to take a photo
- If the photo is clear, you can send the image to the jeweler
- Done! The laser engraving process can begin
Why does laser engraving has different colors?
Depending on the ring material, laser engraving will appear differently. For example, a black tungsten ring and a black ceramic ring may look almost identical, but the color of the engraved message will have a different color. On black tungsten rings, laser engraving appears as light gray or light gold. On ceramic rings, the laser engraved message has a dark gray color that gives the letters a soft look, making them appear visible in bright light or certain viewing angles.
The color of the laser engraved message depends on the composition of the ring material. To see what we mean, take a look below to see the color differences between different types of materials.
