Wedding rings are considered a big purchase as one would wear them for a lifetime.
From design to gemstones, there is much to consider when deciding on your wedding ring.
Choosing your wedding ring could leave you wavering time and time again. Nonetheless, it is an exciting process most of the time.
When choosing a wedding band, one should look at the material, ring widths, design, and finally the contents of your engraving.
In fact, engraving is also something many would ponder over.
Below are some pointers on deciding on your engraving for your wedding bands.
How Do You Begin Engraving?
There are several methods of engraving on wedding bands.
Laser Engraving
As its name suggest, this engraving is done using a laser machine.
Many stores provide this engraving method. The engraving content is prepared on the computer, giving a neat look.
At MITUBACI, we provide several laser engraving fonts for you to choose from.
Original drawings and handwritten texts can also be done by laser engraving, as long as they can be read on the Illustrator software.
Please read this article for more details about laser engraving.
Metal Stamp Engraving
The metal stamp engraving is achieved by hammering metal stamps one by one onto your jewelry.
It is usually done by the customers themselves, and the result is highly customized and filled with personalized flavors.
You can choose to engrave on your own ring or work on your partner's!
You may also adjust the height and spacing between each character! Every piece of hand-engraved jewelry is truly unique and one of a kind. Such is the charm of the metal stamp engraving!
At MITUBACI, please be assured that you will get a round of engraving practice on a silver board before working on the actual wedding band material.
MITUBACI also provides our original engravings. Please check them and try them out when you visit our atelier!
Machine Engraving
This method uses a special tool called an engraving machine.
Requiring hand-eye coordination, the engraving is achieved by 'scraping' on the metal surface with an industrial diamond tip.
This machine has a dial that comprises several characters and font types. By tracing the characters on the dial, the diamond tip follows the hand movement and carves on the surface of the metal. Spacing between each character is adjusted manually by the craftsmen. Symbols such as "&" and "♡" are also available.
Please also check out the other symbols available at our atelier.
Read this article for more information about machine engraving.
Engraving options introduced in this article may not be available at other stores, so please make sure to check what your jeweler has to offer.
Japanese Font Types Available!
MITUBACI offers six different fonts for laser engraving.
4 English font types: uppercase and lowercase alphabets
2 Japanese font types: Kanji, Hiragana, Katakana
Others: hearts, stars, &, custom engravings etc.
Calligraphy styles also look perfect on wedding rings!
Block typefaces are neat and easy to read.
English fonts may require the use of upper and lower case letters, depending on the font of your choice.
In English fonts, for example, it is more beautiful to capitalize only the first letter of the name and keep the rest of the characters in lowercase.
You may also choose to mix English and Japanese texts in the same font.
We also accommodate Kanji requests or a message in Japanese.
Popular Wedding Ring Engravings
Names + Anniversary
The most difficult part of engraving a wedding band is probably the content of the engraving.
One of the most popular choices our customers went with is the names of the couple and their wedding anniversary date.
Initials + wedding anniversary are also popular.
Or, one can choose to put only their partner's name + anniversary.
Engraving anniversary also help one to remember the dates better!
Try out a few arrangement and see which sequence you like best!
Anniversary Only
Many couples choose to have only their wedding anniversary engraved. There are also many ways to write the date:
YY/MM/DD format → 2022.12.25
International format → 25.12.2022
Only the month is written in English → 25 December 2022
English abbreviation for month only → 25 Dec. 2022
Japanese format → R4.12.25
When combined with your names:
Mitsuo & Hachiko 2021.12.25
so on and so forth.
What If My Marriage Registration Date Is Not Fixed?
If your marriage registration date is still undecided, here are some engraving ideas to consider:
- Only include the year you intend to register your marriage
- Wedding day
- The day you and your partner first met
- The day you started dating
- The proposal day
- A significant date for the both of you
Any particular date or year of significance to you will work.
What If I Still Want To Engrave My Marriage Registration Date?
If you place an order-made ring, engraving on the ring is usually the last step in the jewelry-making process. Usually, you could request your wedding band jeweler to engrave after placing an order. For handmade wedding rings, engraving is done at the initial stages of the ring-making processes. If you decide to handmade your wedding bands but have not finalize your engraving details, engraving will be done by the craftsmen instead.
For rings made at MITUBACI, we will advise accordingly after looking at the condition of your ring.
A Message to Your Significant Other
It would also be nice to engrave a message to your partner on their ring!
Here are some examples:
- Home is where you are
- Better together
- Always with you
- I love you with all my heart
You may also consider engraving handwritten messages!
Meaningful Phrases from Movies, Music, Poems etc.
Some people find words from music lyrics, movies, and other sources meaningful and want them engraved on their rings. In this case, laser engraving is recommended for longer phrases.
For instance, Olaf's line from the movie Frozen:
"Love is putting someone else's needs before yours."
Such phrases are popular as they extend beyond the love for each other to everyone they hold dear.
You may also consider other languages such as "L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux."
Translating from French, it means "What is essential is invisible to the eye."
This phrase is derived from the book The Little Prince.
Do you have a favorite movie, music, poem, or saying that expresses your feelings for your partner?
Single-Word, Single-Symbol Engraving
Some words may sound unnatural in Japanese (or other languages) but sound natural in another language or representation.
Here are some examples:
永遠の愛 (Forever Love) → Forever
無限の愛 (Unlimited Love) → ∞
真実の愛・本当の愛 (True Love) → Beloved
Engraving in Other Languages
Engraving in languages other than English and Japanese is possible! It is common to have a meaningful engraving in a foreign word. Do remember to do plenty of research before diving into an unfamiliar language!
Engraving in Italian
(P.S. The brand name MITUBACI is derived from Italian!)
Instead of using "&" or "and" when putting your names together,
you could opt for the Italian "e" such that it will look like this:
Your Name e Partner's Name
If you want simple love-related messages,
you can consider incorporating "amore," which means "love" in Italian, in your engraving:
Amore Hachiko ♡
Engraving in Spanish
Spanish is a little like Italian. In Spanish, and is written with a "y".
It is pronounced "i".
you could opt for the Italian "e" such that it will look like this:
Mitsuo y Hachiko
It will be like that.
It is also nice and simple with just the initials.
H y M
The Spanish word Love is similar to the Italian word
Amor.
The pronunciation is not very similar, but the notation is similar.
Imprint in French
The French engraving is also stylish.
Je T'aime (I love you)
Imprint in Latin
Latin is not very familiar to Japanese people, but in some countries, Latin is studied in the same way that classics are studied in Japanese junior high schools. So if your partner grew up outside of Japan, Latin may be familiar to you and you may know some fashionable phrases.
Here are some examples:
"Pari Passu."
In Japanese, the word means to walk together.
Handwritten engraving that can include text or pictures written by the couple.
MITUBACI can laser-engrave the couple's handwritten details.
Simple illustrations can also be included.
A handwritten smiley face, a musical note to celebrate their musical hobby, a cherry blossom petal to match the season...
First, hand-draw in a sketchbook or other medium and discuss it with us. If you have a drawing mind, you may try to draw a portrait of the two of you.
The design is also wonderful, as when the two rings are stacked on top of each other, they form a single picture.
Handmade wedding rings with hand-drawn illustrations
Can you make an original engraving?
MITUBACI also offers the production of original pixel art engraved bodies.
Please feel free to express your favorite patterns on the 16 x 16 squares.
The engraving itself can be taken home, so you can bring the engraving with you to future anniversaries to make jewelry or stamp it on leather goods to add a pattern.
<For more information on pixel-art engraving, please visit our blog here.
Combination of birthstone and engraving
Birthstones and engraving can also be combined.
Here are some examples:
HACHIKO Sapphire MITSUO
How about adding a birthstone between the name and the name of the person? It may be difficult depending on the size and design of the ring, so please ask the craftsman in charge if you wish to have it done at MITUBACI.
I accidentally got it wrong! Don't let that happen... Be careful when engraving!
The most important thing to keep in mind when engraving is, as a matter of course, to make sure that the engraving is correct.
Anniversary
When engraving wedding rings, since it is often still before the wedding registry, we often consider the contents of the engraving tentatively, but do not accidentally tell the store as is.
In addition, when writing in English or other languages not used in daily life, it is necessary to check the writing style and order of dates.
Your Name
When writing in English, pay attention to the letters you extend and the way they are written, such as "TU/TSU" and "SI/SHI".
Especially when writing your partner's name, be sure to ask them to look at it as well, as even if they don't get the kanji wrong, it is unlikely that they will even check the English notation of the name they wish to use.
Can the imprint be removed or added?
Wedding rings are worn for years after purchase.
You may want to add or remove engravings.
If so, what will be the response?
If you want to add
I had only the name engraved, but I knew I should have added the date as well...
I'd even put my child's name on it!
Some people wish to add engraving for various reasons.
If you have a laser engraving, it is likely to be engraved if the space is available.
Generally speaking, it is not often the case that there is nothing at all inside a wedding ring. It is often composed of the following elements
Engraving indicating the material (grade) of the ring, such as "K18" or "Pt950
Logos and brand names of brands and stores
Engraving of names, anniversaries, etc.
Secret gemstones such as birthstones and sapphires
Holes that allow light to pass through the gemstone (if a diamond or other gemstone is fastened to the front of the wedding band, or if a gemstone is fastened to the front of the ring but there are no holes)
It's a small one, but it has quite a lot of information. If there is no space before or after the engraving, it would be difficult to add text engraving, but if there is space, it would likely be possible to add it.
MITUBACI would like to accommodate as much as possible.
It depends on the design and size.
If you want to remove the engraving
There are two main methods of removing engravings.
1. fill in the engraving by melting it with a laser welder
2. how to remove the engraving by shaving it off.
1. fill in the engraving by melting it with a laser welder
The laser welder melts the metal in the area where the laser hits, working in 0.1 mm increments.
(2) How to remove the engraving by shaving it off
If the ring has a certain thickness, it is possible to remove the engraved portion.
The amount of shaving may slightly reduce the grams of the ring or change its size.
The method of adding or removing engraving depends on the design of the wedding band and the engraving method, so we recommend that you confirm this in advance.
Do I have to have my wedding ring engraved?
At MITUBACI, more than 90% of our customers have their wedding rings engraved, but of course it is also possible not to have it.
There is no need to force them in if you do not wish.
Some stores may also charge for engraving. Since we understand that you have a budget, we may not include the text if you are not particularly interested in having it engraved. Also, there may be a limit to the number of characters, or the production time until delivery may be longer.
I urge you two to talk it over!
I hope that some of your questions about the engraving have been answered.
If you have any other concerns, contact the craftsmen at MITUBACI!
