The Hand
Engraving Process
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Hand
engravers use a tool called the graver. It is a piece of rectangular
steel rod with one end sharpened and the other end finished
with a rounded wood knob that is cradled in the palm of the
hand
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The graver
is pushed along the surface of the metal leaving an angled groove.
The cut is very bright and shiny and makes for a very crisp line.
Gravers can have different shapes on the cutting end for a variety
of decorative techniques. The shank of the graver can also be
bent so it can used on the inside of rings.
Hand engraving
is different from other decorative techniques in the sharpness
of the lines and its permanence. Rings engraved in
the 1500s still look great with a clear image of the pattern. Machine
engraving cannot cut as deeply as the hand technique. Stamping
and etching are sometimes confused with hand engraving, but the
result is not as sharp. Lasers and die cutting can also be used
to cut into metal but the results look machined rather than finely
crafted.
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An engraver's block is used to hold many types of jewelry and silverware for engraving. Pins with different types of heads are inserted the the holes in the split, flat top of the block. The pins are shown slightly enlarged here. The two top halves are screwed closer to together so the pins hold the piece to be engraved.
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Eric Margry is shown here engraving the bottom of a cup using an engraver's block. If he were working on a ring, most of the action would be covered up. He begins with drawing the design onto whatever surface will be engraved. A special white paint lets him lay out a visible pattern. Details are especially important in this type of work and he is adept at condensing designs and adapting them to the scale of jewelry and small objects. |
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Continue reading to learn about techniques specific to Family Crest Rings or if you are interested in monograms and other designs,
then return to other engraving work.
Hand engraving a Family Crest Ring is a specialty of Eric Margry. Few are proficient in this time-consuming,
arcane craft.
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Heraldic symbols that used to cover a Knight's shield must be reduced to the size of a ring. Plus the end result is not just an outlined drawing , but the ring must be able to leave a raised impression when pressed
into hot wax.
In the Middle Ages, a visual system was set up to represent the colors of the Coat of Arms by patterns. On this emblem, the dots on part of the mantle (the rippling fabric) let us know that its color is gold. The vertical stripes on the shield mean the background is red.
This is the same heraldic emblem shown in the History section, but as a mirror image. It must be engraved in reverse for it to read correctly when the family crest ring is pressed into wax. This type of ring was originally made to put an image into sealing wax that would authenticate
any document
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To
end up with a 3-dimensional image in the wax, the parts of the
emblem must be engraved at different depths. The animals or objects
on the shield are cut into the metal the deepest so they are raised
on the shield in wax. The shield is engraved so it will be set
off from the background. The helmet is engraved concave so it
appears rounded and slightly in front of the shield surface. The
mantle varies in depth as cloth would twist and turn. This complex layering can only be achieved with hand engraving.
A family crest ring that is executed in the opposite way (with
the parts raised instead of cut in) cannot be used to press into
the wax and is not in the true tradition of family crest rings.
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Eric
Margry follows the standards and methods that were established during
ancient times. His old world craftsmanship results in an heirloom
worthy of royalty.
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©Eric
Margry Family Crest Ring 2009
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