The practice of making jewelry is as old as the first recorded presence of humans on the planet and the engraving of these items can be dated all the way back to prehistoric times. The first documented examples of engraving were basic scratching and designs put on decorative rocks and stones. Engraving on metal was first really becoming poplar in the early to mid-15th century and soon became a popular way to leave messages, add meaning, and designate certain items as belonging to a particular individual. This was the start of what we call traditional engraving, and for centuries it was relegated to just a handful of metals that were easy work with- mostly gold, silver, copper, and platinum.
With the rise of new technology and the development of high powered laser engraving, however, harder materials can now easily be engraved and a much finer detail can be achieved as well. Now we can enjoy the benefits of using laser engraving on many items such as rings, pendants, bracelets, earrings, and watches to just name a few.
Laser engraving, which often is called laser etching among consumers, is a highly developed process of "ablating" the chosen metal by removing upper layers of the metal to create an image- and it can be done with great precision and a high level of detailing.
Laser marking does not remove any of the material to create the image but rather uses an annealing process, which uses heat to change the color of the surface layer of the metal- this provides an image while maintaining a smooth and solid metal base.
Engravings made with a laser are made with a clean, environmentally-friendly system that is chemical and residue free and does not pose a risk for the other parts of the jewelry- such as gemstones and watch faces- being damaged during the process.
Laser technology allows highly skilled and talented jewelers the opportunity to create exquisite designs with little to no risk of damaging the item itself the way impact engraving and other hand fashioned working might.
Laser marking offers the very finest in precise detail and allows virtually identical duplications to be made when necessary without worry over imperfections and changes in the design- making it perfect for marketing materials.
Engravings done with modern laser technology yields stunningly beautiful work which lasts longer than traditional engraving and also can be done on a wider range of metals and on everything from small ring to large pendants and plaques.
It's possible to engrave just about anything into the metal of your choice- text or graphics- and you can also set the deign so it is engraved at very specific depths, allowing for single or multiple dimensional engravings to be made with ease.
One of the big benefits of laser engraving technology and equipment, aide form the stunning product it generates, is that is an affordable and environmentally conscious way to personalize jewelry and create stunning pieces. "Fiber laser engraving systems are ideal for the engraving of jewelry. The machines use a laser beam delivered in short pulses needed for quality ablation and annealing.
The equipment generally lasts for more than 35,000 hours of life and uses little in the way of consumables. Choose a laser engraving system that comes with laser engraving software containing a wide variety of fonts and images, which will enable you to perfectly personalize any jewelry items" (LaserStar).
For those looking to get engagement rings engraved, create a special necklace for a special someone, or commemorate some big moment in life with a personalized piece of jewelry, it is easy to see where the benefits of using laser engraving is gaining popularity.
Here at Karat Jewelry, we are proud to offer the finest in laser engraving for all your jewelry personalization and customization needs. Call us today to learn more or come by and see the results for yourself!