When you purchase an engagement or wedding ring, you will want to choose the jewelry pieces that makes your heart sing. Your own personal taste is very important when selecting the rings that you’ll wear forever, and a ring can be as individual as you are. However, for a truly unique piece, many couples also decide to have their rings engraved.

Ring engravement has been around as long as rings have! These days, engravement can be done professionally and with pristine care to ensure you get exactly what you want, in the style you want it.

Ancient History

The practice of jewelry engraving can be traced back to the first centuries BC in Italy and Egypt. Gemstones were carved to create cameos of ancient leaders including Alexander the Great. The engraved jewelry was owned by those who were wealthy and influential and was probably considered to be a symbol of status.

Today, engraved jewelry remains popular. This is especially true for jewelry with sentimental value including mother’s rings and wedding jewelry.

Why Engrave Wedding Rings?

On your wedding day, you will begin wearing the ring that you’ll continue to wear for the rest of your life. You may have spent days, or even months, searching for the perfect rings that symbolize the love you have for each other.

Engagement and wedding rings can be engraved on the inside surface. This means that the engraving will not be visible when wearing the ring, but you and your partner will always know that the inscription is there. Although some couples choose to share their choice of engraving with family or friends, others keep it to themselves. If you are having a large wedding, it may be appealing to keep just one or two secrets between the two of you!

A ring with a flat inner surface is likely to show inscriptions more clearly. The flatter design of the rings in our Inside Out collection represents a good choice if you are considering an engraving.

What Do Couples Have Engraved?

In short, you can have whatever you like! The rings are yours, and so choosing the engraving that suits you and your husband- or wife-to-be is very important.

Many couples choose to have their partner’s name and the date of their engagement or wedding day, inscribed inside the ring. The rings may then truly feel like they are a symbol of your love for each other.

However, the sky is the limit and some couples opt for even more personal symbols, script or monograms for the inner surface of their engagement or wedding rings.

Geographical Co-ordinates

Many couples have locations that are symbolic to them. The geographical coordinates of a favorite vacation destination, the location of your first home together, or the place where you got engaged could be engraved onto your ring.

Different Language

If you have enjoyed time together abroad, you may choose to have a simple word or phrase engraved in the language of that country. You could consider “forever” in Italian or “I love you” in Swahili, for example. Please make sure that you get a native speaker to check your wording before you ask for the engraving. You cannot be sure that Google translate or any other translation service is 100% accurate. The last thing you want is an embarrassing faux-pas on your ring!

Song Lyrics and Film References

Perhaps you have always known what your first dance will be. Or you have a ‘couples’ song’ that is meaningful to you both. You may wish to engrave a line of this song or the song title into your wedding rings.

For film fanatics, choosing something from a favorite film may be the right choice. Perhaps your first date was at the movies and you’d like to honor that with a reference on your ring? Fans of Lord of the Rings may choose to honor the film by using Tengwar characters inside their ring. Anything goes!

Religious Verse

If you are religious, you may choose to have a line from your Holy book with you at all times as an inscription. Lessons of love, kindness and faith all work well and will have a special spiritual meaning for you and your partner. Please make sure that you have checked any translations if you are copying from a different language. Even a page number or verse number can be enough to reference your favorite text. Similarly, there might be a religious symbol, such as a cross or a star, that you’d like to add to your ring.

Split Messages

Splitting a saying, message or line between your partner’s ring and your own is a wonderful way of connecting your two rings together. Consider engraving your rings with “to have” and “to hold”, or “forever” and “always”, or even split a private message between the two of you. Some couples with a naughty side may choose to engrave a secret risqué message split between their two rings. No one else needs to know what you choose to have engraved, so this may become one of the most personal choices you will make for your wedding day!

Children

Many couples have children before getting married, or even blend families during marriage. To honor this, some couples might have the initials or names of their children on their rings. They may opt for their child’s date of birth, nickname or a symbol that represents the entire family. For example, if you get married with children from previous marriages and become a family of 6, you might want something like ‘The 6 of us’ or ‘6 hearts as 1’ on your ring. This is an opportunity for the entire family to get creative and input ideas. Similarly, if you have a beloved pet together and want to mention them on your ring, this will also be an option.

Length of the Engraving

Before getting carried away, remember that the inside of a ring provides limited space for characters or symbols. Most rings may be able to accommodate up to 30 characters, depending on the size and width of the band. You’ll also need to allow for spaces; “I love you” is eight letters long but requires 10 characters including spaces. It is always a good idea to speak to an engraver about how many characters they would recommend for the rings you have chosen. Before doing anything, put your heads together and come up with a ‘mood board’ of words, symbols and phrases. Combine different words and symbols to see what might work best. Ask your friends and family for opinions if you get stuck.

Other Considerations

Depending on the intricacy of the engraving, and the metal to be engraved, the cost of engraving rings often ranges from $25-$75. You will need to get an individualized quote once you have chosen your rings.  At MADANI Rings, we include engraving with your purchase free of charge.

It is best to speak to an engraver prior to deciding on the inscription, as they will be able to offer advice on the best options for the ring you have chosen. If you have your heart set on an inscription, this may influence the style of ring you should ideally choose. You will also want to pick a metal that you can easily see the engravement on. For example, this men’s dome grooved black ceramic wedding ring can easily fit an inscription on the inside of the ring, and it’ll show up nicely against the rose gold coloring. Similarly, a simple wide ring like the men’s classic wide polished tungsten wedding ring has enough surface space on the outer metal to fit an inscription. It is best to choose a ring with minimal detail if you’d like the inscription to take center stage. Too much pre-existing detail could make it difficult if not impossible to customize.

Rings can be engraved when they are purchased, or at any time after this (including after your wedding). Rings must be resized before engraving takes place, otherwise the script or symbols are likely to become distorted. Please remember that in a hot climate your fingers are slightly more swollen than usual, so when getting a ring resized, ensure the climate is ‘typical’ rather than extremely humid. Otherwise, you might have to go back for a second time once winter hits! If you wish to have the engraving completed prior to your big day, make sure you enquire about the speed of turnaround. Some engravers may require a month or more, so it is important to remain organized. Take plenty of time to prepare this part of your wedding ceremony.

Madani Rings are handmade which gives them the individuality many couples are looking for. When the big day is over, your rings are the lasting symbol of your unending love for each other. Adding dates, a favorite quotation or even something a little naughty will make your rings feel as individual as your marriage. As you officially begin your lives together, an engraving ensures you’ll love your rings forevermore.