Gravotech - jeweller burning gold ring

Jewelry engraving: which solution to engrave your jewels?

Jewelers, you have to offer jewelry customization to your customers. But, what are the benefits of using laser and mechanical engraving for jewelry personalization services?

Personalized pieces of jewelry are unique symbols, commemorating significant life events. Offer your customers unforgettable memories and priceless emotions through custom jewelry, and significantly increase your revenue. Mechanical and laser engraving machines are the best solution for jewelry customization.

Our jewelry engravers allow bespoke engraving on rings, bracelets, and pendants crafted from precious bands of metals like gold, silver, and various alloys. You can engrave text, logos, pictures, or fingerprints, or reproduce handwritten messages from your customers.

Our engraving solutions are designed to be fully accessible. This allows customers to watch or even participate in their jewelry engraving and personalization in your retail store or workshop.
 

What are the best machines for jewelry engraving?

Our rotary jewelry engraving machine is compact, quiet, and adapted for in-store use. They are compatible with diamond engraving and can be upgraded with a spindle. All precious metals can be engraved. 

The M20 X Jewel is a versatile engraving machine for jewelry cutting, ring engraving and flat engraving of bangles, pendants, medals, watches and more. The M20 X Jewel can be upgraded into a M20 X Jewel Cube by adding an external transparent casing, designed for in-store use. 

Learn more about jewelry engraving solutions in our dedicated jewelry leaflet.

Our laser jewelry engravers are silent systems capable of cutting and engraving simple and complex designs on rings, bracelets, pendants, medals, watches and more. 

The compact and sleek design of our WeLase™ laser station makes it the ideal solution for in-store use. The LW2 is a highly productive system that will fit in your workshop.

All precious metals can be laser engraved, but the engraving effect of your creations varies depending on the laser source.

Learn more about jewelry engraving solutions in our dedicated jewelry leaflet.

What is the difference between mechanical and laser engraving for jewelry?

Jewelry mechanical engraving

Mechanical engraving is preferred for the tone-on-tone, authentic and sophisticated effect it gives to jewelry and other items. Diamond engraving provides the thinnest and most elegant grooves. The diamond tip can be used in rotation to achieve a smoother effect without altering the groove thickness. A cutter allows for deeper engravings and jewelry cutting.

The rotary device enables inside and outside bangles and ring engraving (M20 X Jewel).

Many fonts developped by Gravotech are available on our software. They are optimized for rotary engraving as the differents tools can follow the engraving outline. Some fonts have two to three strokes to make the characters wider, while keeping a high quality engraving.

Learn more
Gold heart-shaped charm engraved with a date, shown on a chain for jewelry customization

Jewelry laser engraving

Laser (WeLase™) is a very fast engraving technology that can achieve both light and deep engraving. 

It produces natural contrast, either black or white depending on the laser source: 

  • A Fiber laser source is recommended for jewelry deep engraving and cutting.
  • Hybrid and Green sources provide a thin engraving and generate very little dust. 
Learn more
Close-up of a metal personalized ring with exterior engraving reading ‘Love always’
 Mechanical Jewelry EngravingJewelry Laser Engraving
Core technology
  • Uses rotating cutter, diamond-tip or milling tool to physically remove material (or scratch) the surface
  • Uses a focused laser beam to vaporise or thermally mark the surface (non-contact)
Typical Aesthetic / Finish
  • Tone-on-tone engraving effect, subtle and traditional, especially on precious metals
  • High contrast finish (black, white or grey) possible; good for logos, photos, contrast engravings
Production Speed / Volume
  • More manual/clamp setup, slower, especially for high volumes
  • Good for bespoke/personalisation in smaller batches
  • Faster throughput, especially suited for higher volumes, quick turnaround and series production
Price$$$ / $$$
Ultimate guide eBook - How to choose the best jewelry engraving machine?

Want to learn how to choose the best jewelry engraving machine?
Download our guide and discover +15 criteria !

 

What are the differences between mechanical and laser jewelry cutting?

Cutting with a mechanical solution

The M20 X Jewel can cut any precious metal in several passes, ideal to create small shapes like hearts or names. Our cutting table specially designed for the M20 X Jewel ensures the gift or jewel is held in place for stable and smooth cutting.  Lubrication is facilitated by the rising edges of the table to prevent the work area from becoming dirty.

Enhance the quality of your engravings while reducing tool wear by using a lubricant. Our Engraving Gel is a non-irritating, odorless lubricant that is easy to use and won’t disrupt your customers’ experience. It is ideal for an in-store environment. 

Contact us
Gold-colored metal cutout reading "Adeline" with a heart shape, made for jewelry customization

Cutting with a laser solution

The WeLase™ Fiber enables cutting up to 1mm of material.

The wobbling cutting method increases the thermal radiation of the laser beam, thereby improving its efficiency. For instance, when working with a 0.5mm thick brass, this method reduces the processing time by 5 compared to traditional vector cutting.

The pin table facilitates material elevation during cutting, preventing deformation and color degradation caused by material overheating. 

Contact us
Laser-cutting of the name "Tayla" in metal in a handwritten style, used in jewelry personalization
Jewelry jigs used for object positioning during engraving on watches, tags and bracelets

Engrave all kinds of jewelry

Dedicated jewelry customization kits

Rings, signet rings, bangles, bracelets, curb chain bracelets, pendants, watches… Jewelries come in all sizes and shapes. 

We provide an extensive range of jigs that are compatible with our M20 X Jewel, WeLase and LW2 jewel engraving machines. 

Gravotech offers the widest range of jigs dedicated to different jewel shapes and materials, find out more about our dedicated kits in our online catalog.

For an even more unique personalized jewelry, dedicace allows customers to engrave their handwriting or drawing, through a graphic tablet, creating one-of-a-kind gifts for special occasions.

Discover our jewel kits
Icon tips

FAQ: The 6 questions most frequently asked of our experts

🔽How do mechanical and laser engraving work on jewelry?

Jewelry laser engraving uses a laser beam and provides a natural contrast finish, while mechanical engraving uses a diamond tip for a natural, tone-on-tone finish, similar to hand craftsmanship. 
Both offer fine, high-quality engraving for your rings, bracelets, and pendants.

🔽What is the best machine for jewelry engraving?

The best jewelry engraving machine for your business depends on your needs. The best three machines for professional jewelry engraving are:

  • M20 X Jewel is a versatile mechanical engraving machine for all materials. It includes the Rotary device for inner/outer ring engraving.
  • WeLase™ is a laser machine (Fiber or Green source) adapted for in-store custom services.
  • LW2 (laser Fiber source) is a laser engraving machine for back-office, higher-production needs.

🔽How do you engrave on the inside of a ring or bracelet?

For rings, a rotary device, available on jewelry engravers like the M20 X Jewel and WeLase™, ensures precise inner and outer engraving. For bracelets and other jewelry, jigs are used on these machines to hold the piece stable, ensuring a high-quality, tremor-free mark.

🔽Can all types of metals and materials be engraved for jewelry?

All materials can be engraved for jewelry! This includes precious metals like gold or silver, as well as stainless steel or brass. Both laser (Fiber, Green source) and mechanical engraving work well.
Trendy materials like wood and plastic can also be engraved, typically using CO2 laser for wood and Fiber/Green for plastic.

🔽Is it possible to engrave a custom design, such as a signature or a logo on a jewel?

Yes, custom jewelry engraving is a key part of personalized services. You can import your bespoke design, signature, or logo via Gravotech’s software, or in some cases, use a graphic tablet (like Dedicace™) to capture a hand-drawn design. This is a perfect option for personalized gifts or brand creation.

🔽Does custom jewelry engraving devalue or damage its quality?

No. When performed with expert-tested parameters (laser power, mechanical pressure, speed of the diamond tip's rotation) the engraving will not devalue or damage your jewelry. Our parameters ensure a clean, precise mark without compromising the jewelry's integrity: your luxury item remains in pristine condition!

Gravotech - Key Accounts

Elevate the experience

Tailored solutions for global brands

You are a luxury brand or an international brand, and you would like to develop an exclusive in-store customer experience for your clients, on your e-commerce site or during an event?

Gravotech offers tailored solutions that will meet your needs. A dedicated project manager will guide you throughout the collaboration: discussing requirements, running samples on your products, selecting the best-suited personalization technology, solution deployment, and user training.

Find out more