April 29, 2022

Personalised Stamped Jewellery

When I started Louy Magroos my range of Personalised Stamped Jewellery was my first big hit, it was really popular amongst people looking for thoughtful gifts that celebrated their handmade nature.

Over the years hand stamped jewellery has become increasingly popular, and although it is no longer a focus of my new collections, my longstanding range of hand stamped cufflinks, bracelets, necklaces and tie clips continue to prove very popular! I’ve written this short blog for anyone who wants to know more about hand stamped jewellery.

How is Hand Stamped Jewellery Made?

Stamping jewellery is a relatively straightforward process. It essentially involves a stamp, a hammer and the piece of jewellery that is being personalised. The stamp is placed in the right spot and then striking it with a hard blow of the hammer. The steel stamp is much harder than the Silver or Gold and therefore leaves the desired imprint on the jewellery piece.

Depending on the desired look, the stamped imprint can be accentuated using oxidisation to blacken the imprint and make it really stand out.

All of my jewellery is hand stamped in this way, the skill is in getting it lined up, hitting it with the right force (especially when stamping multiple imprints on the same piece) and choosing the right font style and size for the right piece.

The stamping is one of the first parts of the process, once that has been done the piece can be shaped, soldered and finished.

How does hand stamping differ to Laser engraved jewellery?

Hand stamped jewellery is just that – stamped by hand and therefore it is much less uniform than a piece that has been laser engraved. It has a very natural look and comes out slightly unique each time.

Laser engraving is created using a laser that burns into the Silver or Gold to reveal the desired imprint/pattern. It is engraved from an artwork file and therefore will come out exactly the same each time. It provides a very different look to hand stamped jewellery, very precise and uniform and you aren’t limited to specific fonts, or styles – literally anything can be drawn up and then lasered onto the piece.

In my opinion there is a time and a place for both. I love the unique, handmade look of hand stamped cufflinks, it celebrates the time and craftsmanship that went into creating the piece and creates a really personal, thoughtful piece.

By contrast, I also work with a laser engraver on my Signet rings and my range of Sunburst Jewellery, I absolutely adore the uniform lines and precision that it creates, it exudes luxury and is so important to the Art Deco vibe that I was looking to achieve.

Other engraving processes also exist - hand engraving can be carried out by a master engraver, its a bit of a dying art, an incredibly highly skilled job that takes years of training and practice to master. Machine engraving is another form - this uses a computer to engrave by scratching the surface of the metal.

What does Hand Stamped Jewellery look like?

Hand stamped jewellery has an inherently handmade look, even the exact same piece with the exact same stamps will look slightly different each time it comes off the jewellery bench.

Personalised hand stamped wedding cufflinks

There is a romantic individuality to the look, you can see the craftsmanship that has gone into it and the imperfections are there to be enjoyed. It is a beautiful way to create a truly unique piece of personalised jewellery.

Many of my most popular cufflinks have a secret message hand stamped to the reverse that creates a thoughtful personalisation that is only known to the wearer.

What can be Hand Stamped on Jewellery?

Almost anything – however as a maker I am limited by the stamps that are available for me to buy. I stamp a variety of fonts, in a variety of sizes and I also have other stamps, my collection includes: Numbers, Letters, Bikes, Cars, Skull & Crossbones, Cameras, Infinity Symbols, Boats, Motorbikes, Stickmen and even a Moustache!

I always design my personalised stamped jewellery in coordination with the stamp, each piece is designed to ensure the stamp will suit it or I will ensure I can source a suitable stamp to add to my ever expanding collection