02/24/2022
Is hand-stamping different to engraving ?
Engraving is the process of etching a design or letters into a piece of jewellery most commonly using a laser engraving machine. The engraving is first set up in a piece of software and is then etched into metal by laser or other machine process to ensure an even and consistent finish. Engraving is also sometimes done by hand by specialist artisan engravers, using tools called gravers. It is an artisan jewellery skill that takes years to master and is passed on through the jewellery trade. Artisan hand-engraving may be used for a piece of jewellery that will be reproduced by casting such as our A Heart of Gold pendant. Engraving is achieved by removing metal from the surface of a piece of jewellery to etch a pattern, word or design.
Hand-stamping is a different method of personalising jewellery to engraving, as it involves impressing a character into the metal without removing any actual metal from the jewellery. Engraving etches or removes metal from the surface of the jewellery to create the pattern or word.
So what exactly is hand-stamping ?
Hand-stamping is the process of marking a piece of metal with an metal stamp by simply striking the top of the stamp with a hammer to impress a mark into the metal. The metal stamp will have a raised letter or symbol on the end. Metal stamps are often made of stainless steel and the hammer is usually made of a softer metal, such as brass, so that it doesn't damage the stamp when it is struck (resulting in some very mangled looking hammers over time) ! It's a slow, old-fashioned process that relies on hand and eye and that's a lot of the reason we like it.