Bespoke engraving styles
With some of the earliest known engravings dating back to more than half a million years, engravings have always been an important way to communicate and tell stories. And at SMITH/GREY we love to think that each personalised piece of jewellery is telling its own story.
When commissioning an engraved signet ring, we either start working with an existing design or create something completely new and personal, tailored to your taste and needs. And you can be assured that each engraving design is as personal and special to us as it is to you.
“We have spent a long time collecting and building a large library of visual reference for any type of engraving design. This library includes everything from classic British family crests and type designs, to Arabesque and Japanese Monsho.
With this library we have created a holistic reference base to design the engraving design and style you wish for.”
Crest engravings
Crests often feature a visually rich and intricate design that embodies the virtues of the the wearer. Any newly designed crest are drafted with respect to the classic heraldic rules.
This ensures your crest will not only be a personal reflection of you and your heritage but also a beautiful beginning of a family tradition.
Monogram engravings
Monogram engraving is the art of combining two or more letters to form a new personal symbol. Our monogram engraved signet rings are particularly popular with clients who prefer a timeless and very personal design. Entwined monograms may also symbolise married couples, siblings or family ties.
Symbol engravings
Additionally we offer symbol engraved designed that are a visual representation of the wearer. The motifs of symbol engravings often include spirit animals or trade related symbols, both in an abstract or figurative way.
The different engraving styles
Surface engraving
Surface engraving is a classic technique to translate simple as well as more intricate design drawings onto material by pushing gravers through the metal’s surface.
This technique is well suited for monograms and initial engravings and can be done with either simple lines for a modern and clean look or with hatch shading which gives additional depth to each part of the design. This type of engraving creatures and even look with equal depth compared to seal engraving, described below.
Deep seal engraving
The stunning technique of deep seal engraving means that the chosen motif is always engraved in reverse and much deeper than traditional surface engraving. This is done by hand and requires a very skilled craftsman to ensure the final impression will produce an accurate 3D representation of your personal design.
Your seal engraved signet ring comes with its very own wax impression, showing the skilled attention to fine detail, high quality workmanship and time that has gone into crafting your piece.
Relief design
In addition to the two classic engraving styles we also offer relief design. Reliefs have been an important sculptural technique for many thousand years and can be found in many cultures around the world. This technique is particularly beautiful when your design features ornate and intricate details which needs to stand out.
To achieve an incredibly high amount of detail we use digital sculpting tools to enable unprecedented control over the look and feel of the final piece. And as a final touch every relief design is inspected and further detail is added by one of London’s master engravers.
Want to know more?
If you would like to hear more about bespoke signet ring engravings then please get in touch and we will be happy to assist you.
