Diamond Engraving: A Quick Guide

Hello all, and welcome to another behind-the-scenes look at the diamond industry.

​Engagement and wedding rings are the most important pieces of jewelry most of us will ever own, so it goes without saying that both the givers and the recipients of these diamond jewelry pieces will want to make them as special as possible.

One customization method that has become more and more popular is to have the diamonds in one’s engagement ring and wedding band engraved. I’m talking about engraving the actual diamonds, not the metal in the ring. Today, about 5-10% of the diamonds we ship from Ritani are engraved. Diamond engraving is an intricate process that will make the diamonds in your jewelry truly your own.

Why do people choose engraved stones?

Everyone has their own jewelry story, but I’ve broken it down into two main categories: people who want to personalize their diamond, and people who want to secure it.

Many couples engrave a personal message on their diamond to symbolize their love and commitment to each other. The most common personal diamond engravings I see are proposal dates, intimate inside jokes, or references that only the couple will know.

Here’s a magnified look at a diamond engraved with a simple “I love you”:

On the other hand, you could have your diamond engraved with a certification number from the laboratory where it was certified. A certification number is the most common diamond engraving, because every diamond under .50 carats comes with one.

For smaller diamonds like these, the GIA creates a dossier that includes the stone’s certification number. Then this number is engraved on the diamond’s girdle. This makes it incredibly easy for any gemologist or jeweler to spot the number and identify the diamond if it is lost or stolen. This is what an engraved diamond certification number looks like under magnification:

 How are diamonds engraved?

The technology has changed over the years, starting with hand tools. These can produce simple engravings such as initials, but no complex designs or images. Next came engraving machines, which were more accurate.

Today, the leading technology is laser diamond engraving. This requires a huge, high-powered laser that requires an entire room to itself and many, many rounds of testing. With our laser, you can see all of Ritani’s diamond engraving at 10x magnification. The girdle of a diamond can be extremely thin, so we have to constantly make sure the engraving laser is functioning properly.

I’m always amazed at the sharpness and clarity of our laser’s engravings:

Josh’s Diamond Engraving Dos and Don’ts: 

• DO consider your ring setting before having a diamond engraved. There’s no sense in having a diamond engraved with something your significant other will never see. Certain rings – such as halo and bezel settings – will cover the diamond’s girdle, which is where engravings are located. For a prong setting, you should make sure the engraving is located between the prongs so it’s still visible.
• DO keep it short and sweet. Try and keep your engraved message to about 50 characters in length. Otherwise, you run the risk of your engraving wrapping around itself.
• DON’T believe every myth you hear about diamond engraving. There’s a rumor out there that having your diamond engraved with something personal will cause the stone’s value to plummet. In the unlikely event that you have to resell, don’t give this a second thought when you buy a ring from Ritani. If you no longer have a use for your Ritani diamond, just send it back to us and we can laser off any engraving.
• DO get creative with your engraving. Our high-powered laser can engrave designs, pictures, and symbols as well as text. If there’s a design or symbol that is significant to you and your partner, we can engrave it on your diamond for you.

Do you have questions about diamond engraving or an engraved diamond that you are dying to show off? Let us know!

Interested in Diamond Engraving?

Contact us at [email protected] or 1.888.9RITANI (1.888.974.8264) if you’re interested in customizing your diamond with an engraving.