Hand Engraving - Patterns & Motifs

Hand Engraving

Hand engraving is the next stage of many of our designs. Engraving is when one cuts Patterns, Letters or Motifs metal directly into the metal. (Often confused with Carved patterns, which are produced in the wax or resin model and cast into place.) Hand engraving is commonly finer and much more detailed & delicate than cast patterns. We use both techniques, often on the same piece for different effects.

The Difference Between Hand Engraved and Cast Patterns

Hand engraved patterns are cut by hand when a piece is nearly complete, whereas carved patterns are part of the model at the very beginning & cast in place.

Hand Engraving

Hand engraving is the done by cutting the surface with finely prepared tool steel or carbide gravers. It’s one of the very last steps in creating a custom ring, so we can add engraving to existing pieces any time. Our master engravers cut every line by hand, and create the most detailed designs imaginable.

Cast Patterns

Carved & cast patterns usually have more depth and are part of the wax model, integrated right into the piece to ensure bolder, deeper elements that last for a lifetime. While hand engraved patterns can be so light and delicate that only a sketch can accurately preview what they’ll be like on a finished piece, carved elements are generally in the CAD rendering & wax or grown model. This gives the opportunity to modify the design if it's not "just right" before it is cast & finished.

How it Works

While not all patterns can be modeled in a virtual 3D environment, be they carved or engraved, many can. See your pattern evolve from rough sketches to photorealism before your project moves on to a physical model and finally into casting.

All of our artists do their engraving work under bench microscopes and use perfectly honed carbide & hardened steel gravers. Graver preparation (& a steady hand!) makes the difference between top notch engraving and poor quality, muddy looking work. It is the hallmark of a true artist, and is performed under a bench microscope with carefully prepared and sharpened gravers.

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