Ring engraving

Inside engraving runs along the plain part of the band, against the finger: most of the way round on a plain wedding band, a little under half of it on an engagement ring, where it stays clear of the head, and less on a half or three-quarter eternity band, where the stones take the rest. The inside of a full eternity band is open under the stones; ask Sara about engraving it.

Outside engraving is for plain wedding bands, flat or comfort-fit, 4 mm or wider, where the letters can be larger and read from across a table.

There are three fonts, the set most engravers work in: Block, a clean sans-serif that stays clear at the smallest sizes; Roman, a classic serif; and Script, a flowing hand. Letters (accents included), numbers, spaces and the symbols . , & ' - / ♥ ∞ ° · can be engraved.

It is private: a date, two sets of initials, a place or a line that means something to you both, kept against the skin.

A hidden stone is the same idea in a stone: one 1.5 mm round set flush inside the band, facing the finger, under the center stone on an engagement ring or at the top of a band, so it never meets the engraving at the bottom. Natural or lab-grown diamond, blue or pink sapphire, ruby, emerald or aquamarine; a birthstone works well.

Space is real. Letters on a narrow band are small: 1 mm tall on a band under 2.5 mm, 1.3 mm up to 4 mm, and 1.6 mm on wider bands, with a little more on request from 3.5 mm. Script this small can soften, so Block or Roman read most clearly on a band under 2 mm.

A hidden stone needs a band at least 1.6 mm thick, and it is not offered on a full eternity band.

Anyone who wants the ring to carry something only the two of you know. Block for the clearest letters, Roman for a classic look, and Script for something more personal on a band wide enough to carry it.

How long a message fits is the plain inside arc divided by the space each letter takes: about three quarters of the letter height in Block, a little more in Roman and nine tenths in Script, up to 20 characters on a band under 2.5 mm, 25 under 4 mm and 30 on wider bands. A size 6, 2 mm engagement ring takes up to 20 characters; a size 6, 3 mm wedding band takes 25.

The Design Studio counts as you type and shows the message flat and to scale, against a ruler marking the band's usable length. Sara confirms the layout with you before anything is engraved.

Engraving and a hidden stone are small parts of a custom ring. What moves their cost is how much there is: the number of characters, inside or outside, and for a hidden stone, the stone you choose. Sara includes them in the quote after the consultation.

Clean the inside of the band like the outside, in warm soapy water with a soft brush, so the letters stay crisp and a hidden stone stays bright. Pacific Jewel rings come back to Sara for a clean and an inspection whenever you like.