Process of Hand Engraving

The Hand Engraving Process
for Family Crest Rings

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

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. Family crest rings engraved in the 1500s still look great with a clear image of the emblem. 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.

In the creation of a family crest ring, the design is first drawn on the surface. A special white paint is put on the flat top of the ring so that a pencil drawing can be made on the metal. The full heraldic emblem must be sized and shaped to fit the piece of jewelry. Since the coat of arms was always in color, a system was developed to represent the colors by patterns. On this emblem, the dots on part of the mantle (the rippling fabric) let us know that its color is gold. Horizontal stripes on the underside of the mantle stand for blue. The vertical stripes on the shield mean the background is red.
This is the same heraldic emblem shown in the History section, but here the image is reversed. That is because in order for the image to be correct, the engraved image must be reversed when the family crest ring is pressed into wax.

An engraver's block is used to hold many types of jewelry and silverware for engraving, including a family crest ring. Pins with different types of heads are shown here to the right. They are shown slightly enlarged, in relation to the block. They are inserted the the holes in the split, flat top of the block. The two top halves are screwed closer to together so the pins hold the piece to be engraved.

Eric Margry is shown here engraving the bottom of a cup using an engraver's block. When he is engraving a ring, his hands cover up most of the action.
Hand engraving a family crest ring is the most difficult and time-consuming type of engraving. Images that would cover a shield must be reduced to the size of a ring. Plus the end result is not just a drawing outlined on a ring, but the ring must be able to leave a raised impression when pressed into hot wax. The whole reason a family crest ring was made was to put an image into sealing wax that would authenticate any document.

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.

Eric Margry follows the standards and methods that were established during ancient times. His old world craftsmanship results in an heirloom worthy of royalty.