It is undeniable that custom jewelry is one of the trends of the moment. Probably you have ever wondered about the difference between the types of engravings used in jewelry. Therefore, in Planderful we will explain in detail each of them to serve you as a reference to choose the right technique for your preferences.
Types of engraving
In the market, there are different engraving techniques and therefore different types of finish. Among the most functional ones for jewelry engraving are "Laser" Engraving and traditional Diamond Point Engraving, commonly called "Jewelry Engraving".
Laser Engraving
This technique is the newest and simplest for jewelry engraving. This type of engraving is mostly used for personalized jewelry with phrases, initials, or fine-line drawings. It allows quick engraving and therefore, it is cheaper.
One of the most demanded services is usually laser engraving since it offers the possibility of working with an endless number of shapes and materials. It is usually a very precise, durable, and sharp-looking engraving, which is why it is preferred by many people.
This engraving offers non-contact, abrasion-resistant, and permanent laser marking on almost any type of metal. On some pieces, you can easily recognize it by the color of the engraving which is black, and this contrast with the color of the metal (either silver or gold) makes it especially striking.
With laser engraving, you can engrave on any piece of jewelry with the reproduction quality that only laser engraving can offer.
Jewelry engraving or diamond engraving
For this type of engraving, an automated engraving machine is used to generate the design from the computer, and thus use different typographies or decorative motifs. Through diamond points it generates shallow grooves in the pieces, achieving a shiny, light effect with a very fine and delicate result.
It is also called traditional engraving.
What materials can be engraved?
Laser Engraving is highly recommended on porous materials such as Zamak and Brass as the laser has more impact on the piece. However, it can also be used on materials such as silver and steel with very good results. The duration is the same as jewelry engraving, the difference lies only in the type of finish and the resolution of images or drawings that will always be better in laser engraving.
It is advisable to engrave with Diamond Point or Jewelry engraving shiny materials such as sterling silver or steel, so the durability in the engravings will be greater than the laser because over time these types of pieces end up "clarifying". As limitations, we could mention the designs to be engraved, which would be limited to simple characters and images, and the size of the piece must be larger than 20 mm.
In both techniques (Laser Engraving or Jewelry Engraving) we can engrave in metals such as silver, zamak, brass, steel, and aluminum. But according to the type of design to be engraved, there are some limitations with the engraving technique used that you should take into account.
What can I engrave?
With both laser and jewelry engraving, you can engrave characters, vector images or icons, drawings or signatures, and logos without any problems. In the case of laser engraving, you can also engrave photographs. This last point is very special.
To be able to engrave this type of design in any of the two techniques, the files to be sent must meet certain conditions:
- Use flat black-and-white images (no grayscale).
- In the case of signatures, marker or thick pen.
- Use white background, and do not use gridded backgrounds.
- Use jpg or png image format.
- Preferably the image should have a resolution greater than 1,000 pixels.
Source: https://www.jewelrykeepsakes.com/photo-jewelry-buying-guide
Shoot it yourself at home
So far we have talked about two engraving techniques: Laser and Jewelry, but what if we told you that you can make your own engravings at home? Many jewelry stores offer engraving services with laser and diamond tip machines, but you can also choose plain pieces and buy the tools to engrave them yourself.
These are the tools you need to engrave yourself at home:
- Micro engravers
This is another friction engraving system. The micro engraver is very easy to use, you just have to write on the metal as if you had a pen.
- Stamping Kit
To stamp with the stamping kit you only have to give a sharp blow to the burins of names and drawings of your choice.
Other known techniques
Burin engraving
Burin engraving on metal or sweet engraving was discovered around the middle of the 15th century. It is a very difficult technique that requires a long apprenticeship and demands a lot of meticulousness and patience during the realization of the plate or matrix.
With this technique, beautiful effects and a rich extension of shades are achieved. The shadows are achieved by interlacing lines: the closer together, the more shaded the image. This is the most artisanal jewelry engraving process that exists.
With this type of engraving what you get is a handmade and very artistic finish.
Fräsgravur
This type of engraving molds a selected motif into the metal using a computer-controlled machine. The erosion penetrates very deeply. For this reason, the individual motif appears in the color of the respective metal core (z.B. in gold color for brass). However, milling engraving is only recommended for simpler motifs.
Handmade engraving by hand
The most artisanal engraving is done by the jeweler himself in his own handwriting. It would be like writing with a ballpoint pen, but on metal: instead of a pen, a milling cutter and a hand motor are needed. The main advantage is its warmth, as it reflects the craftsman's hand and stroke.
Its main disadvantage: imperfection. If you consider imperfection to be a disadvantage, it is best to avoid this type of engraving. If instead, you think that a hand engraving by the artisan can be a good finishing touch to a piece of jewelry, it may be the best solution.
Source: https://www.stylecnc.com/blog/jewelry-laser-engraver.html
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