The line inside a wedding band is read by two people in the world. Everyone else sees gold, you see a date, a name or a single word that means something only to you. It is the quietest form of personalisation jewellery knows, and the one that lasts longest, because it is not stuck onto the metal but cut into it. We engrave free of charge with every order, and in Kraków and Warsaw you can see for yourself how the lettering sits on a particular model.
What is engraving and what actually stays in the metal?
Engraving is lettering cut into the surface of the metal, so it is neither a print nor a coating and it does not wear off with use. The letter is made by removing material, which is why it lasts as long as the piece itself. Solid metal matters here more than people expect: our jewellery is filled with gold or silver all the way through, it is not hollow sheet with air inside, so there is something to cut the letter into.
Letter size is chosen to suit the object, not the other way round. The narrow shank of a ring, a wide wedding band and the back of a pendant are three different surfaces, and lettering that reads well on one becomes illegible on another.
How much does engraving cost at BELLER?
Nothing, we engrave free of charge with every order. It is not a promotion or an extra reserved for selected collections, but a permanent part of the purchase, just like the numbered certificate that comes with every piece.
The rest of our after-sales care follows the same logic: cleaning and polishing are free for life, and the first resizing is free too, though its exact scope depends on the model, for instance on whether stones are set all the way around the band. We covered this in our piece on the jewellery service at BELLER.
Where in Kraków and Warsaw can you order engraved jewellery?
In two boutiques: in Kraków at Szczepańska 9 in the Old Town and in Warsaw at Mokotowska 71 in Śródmieście. Both are open Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 19:00, and a visit needs no appointment, you can simply walk in.
In the boutique we put the piece in your hand, show the real size of the lettering on that particular model and say plainly how much room is left. You will find addresses and directions on the pages of our Kraków atelier and Warsaw atelier. Kraków: +48 798 011 311, Warsaw: +48 731 091 091, shared address atelier@beller.pl. If you cannot travel, we will advise you by phone and show you video of the models. What else you can see on site is described in our piece on where to see jewellery in Kraków and Warsaw.
Which pieces can be engraved and which cannot?
We can engrave wherever there is a smooth, free surface, and that means far more models than people assume: the inside of a wedding band, the inner side of a bangle, the back of a pendant, the shank of a ring.
Three examples from our catalogue show how different the conditions can be. The gold Soulmate N°4 band is 4 mm wide and weighs around 3.18 g, so its interior is the most comfortable surface there is. The silver Round N°1 bangle at 750 zł is 3 to 5 mm wide and weighs 4.67 g, and we engrave it on the inside, where the lettering stays invisible to everyone else. The gold Twirl N°5 ring at 1 250 zł has a shank from 0.5 to 3 mm and weighs 0.72 g, so there really is very little room.
There are exceptions and we say so honestly. Some models with unusual shapes do not qualify for engraving, because the work would destroy what is best about them. In that case we will suggest another solution.
How long an inscription fits on a band, a bangle and a pendant?
As much as the available surface allows, which is why we settle the length on the actual model and never in advance. We do not quote a single character count for the whole shop, because for most designs it would simply be untrue.
Two things decide it: the circumference, meaning how far the lettering has to travel, and the width of the surface, meaning how large the letters can be so that they are still readable in ten years and not only on collection day. A bangle gives more freedom than a narrow ring shank, while a pendant is a small but flat surface where a short word or a date reads clearly. If you want a longer sentence, say so at the start and we will choose the object to fit the words. We wrote about the wording itself in our piece on engraving on wedding bands.
Can engraving be added to jewellery bought earlier?
Yes, if it is BELLER jewellery. Engraving is one of the services we carry out in our boutiques, alongside resizing and polishing. Wedding bands bought a year ago can be brought to Kraków or Warsaw and collected once they are ready.
Our service covers BELLER jewellery only, and that is a deliberate decision: we can vouch for the quality of the work only on our own designs, whose construction we know down to the last gram. More on why personalisation stopped being an extra is in our piece on engraved jewellery.
How long does it take and will we make your date?
Normally 3 to 5 working days, and never more than 7 working days from order confirmation. Engraving fits inside that window, because it is part of the work on the piece rather than a separate stage tacked on at the end.
We also take express orders and can help when the calendar is tight, once the date has been agreed with the workshop. If your date is already fixed, an anniversary, a wedding or a trip, tell us at first contact.
Does engraving affect resizing and the lifetime service?
It closes neither door, but resizing has to be discussed beforehand. Adjusting the circumference touches the very place where the lettering sits, so before we start we say plainly what will happen to it and what the options are.
Polishing and cleaning are no threat here, because they work on the surface rather than in the depth of the letter, so the piece comes back with its shine restored and the same words inside. On selected bangles we also adjust the circumference, and how to choose yours is described in our piece on bangle size.
Start with the object, not the sentence. You will find the choice in our collections of wedding bands, gold bracelets and gold pendants, and if no ready model is the one, we make jewellery to individual order, in three colours of gold and in 585 or 750. Lettering cannot be judged from a photograph, you see it only on metal, in daylight, on your own hand. Come to Szczepańska 9 in Kraków or Mokotowska 71 in Warsaw, and if you would rather be sure we have a particular model at hand, arrange a meeting.
Frequently asked questions about jewellery engraving
Is engraving at BELLER paid for?
No, we engrave free of charge with every order, whatever the collection and the value of the purchase.
Can I order engraving in the Kraków and Warsaw boutiques?
Yes, in both: at Szczepańska 9 in Kraków and at Mokotowska 71 in Warsaw, Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 19:00, with no appointment needed.
How many characters fit in an engraving?
It depends on the model, because circumference and surface width decide it. We settle the length on the actual piece so the letters stay readable for years.
Can jewellery bought earlier be engraved?
Yes, if it is BELLER jewellery. Engraving is one of the services carried out in our boutiques, alongside resizing and polishing. Some models with unusual shapes may have limits, which we assess on site.
How long does an order with engraving take?
From 3 to 5 working days, never more than 7 working days from order confirmation. We also take express orders, once the date has been agreed with the workshop.