A buyer in Stockholm sent a ring back after engraving: the inside band had been cut to a depth that thinned the shank by 0.2 mm, and the piece now rang hollow when tapped. The engraving looked fine; the structural wall under the letters did not. Engraving is a machining operation, and on a custom moissanite ring the shank is often 1.6 to 2.0 mm wide. Cut too deep and the wall fails; cut too shallow and the letters fade in two years.
Below are the engraving rules we hold on every custom order: depth, font, character count, and the lines we will not engrave because they block a future resize.
Engraving depth: 0.08 mm is the working number
We engrave inside bands at 0.08 mm depth on a 1.8 mm shank. That is deep enough to read after ten years of wear, shallow enough to leave 1.5 mm of wall under the letters. On thinner shanks (1.5 mm and below) we drop to 0.05 mm and warn the buyer that the engraving will fade faster. On wide bands above 3 mm we go to 0.12 mm. We do not hand-engrave inside bands on custom production runs; machine engraving holds the depth to 0.01 mm tolerance across 100 pieces. Our inside band options overview lists the same depth bands.
Font and character count
We default to a 1.2 mm serif (similar to Garamond) for inside bands. A 1.2 mm letter reads clearly at arm's length and fits about 22 characters across a 15 mm inner circumference. A 1.0 mm script fits more characters but blurs on 14K gold because the lines are thin. We quote 20 characters as the free engraving line; every character above that adds USD 0.20. Our font guide shows the six fonts we keep in the machine.
The resizing problem: engrave below or above the resize zone
A ring resize cuts and re-solders the shank at the bottom of the band. If the engraving crosses that cut line, the message is destroyed on resize. We ask buyers to position engraving on the upper half of the inner band (toward the stone head), not the lower half. We draw the resize zone on the render and ask the buyer to confirm the engraving sits outside it. Engraving across the resize zone is the number one reason a custom ring comes back for re-engraving after a size change.
Outside engraving, hand engraving and logos
Outside engraving (on the shoulder or the band face) is a different operation. We use hand engraving for outside flourishes because the surface is curved and polished; machine engraving on a curved face catches light unevenly. Outside hand engraving runs USD 25 per piece and adds three working days. Logos and maker marks are machine-engraved at 0.15 mm depth on the outside, consistent with the alloy stamp. Our casting and finishing write-up shows where the maker mark sits on the finished piece.
What we will not engrave
We will not engrave across a solder joint, across a hidden-set stone gallery, or on a shank thinner than 1.4 mm. We also will not engrave messages longer than 40 characters on a full circumference; the letters overlap at the back and read as a solid band. Buyers who want longer messages should move the engraving to a pendant tag or a bracelet plate. We reference the engraving overview on Wikipedia only for terminology; the depth and wall numbers above are ours.
Proofing the text before machining
Every engraving line is added to the render as a text layer, not guessed at on the bench. The buyer confirms spelling, capitalisation, date format and the ampersand style on the render. We have had buyers request "06.14.26" and receive "06-14-2026" because the date was not proofed; that rework is a paid service. The proofing step takes one working day and saves the re-polish that follows a misspelled engraving on a finished ring.
How long does engraving add to lead time?
One working day on inside-band machine engraving, three working days on outside hand engraving. We engrave after final polish, so the letters stay sharp.
Can I engrave after the ring is delivered?
Yes, but the ring must come back to us. On-machine engraving on a finished ring risks cracking the shank; we prefer to engrave before the stone is set, which is how production runs are scheduled.
Do you engrave on platinum and 18K?
Yes. Platinum is denser so we drop the depth to 0.06 mm; 18K is softer so we hold 0.08 mm. The machine bit changes per alloy; we quote that on the proforma.
Can the buyer approve the engraving wording before machining?
Yes. We add the engraving text to the render and ask the buyer to confirm spelling, capitalisation and date format. A misspelled engraving on a finished ring cannot be corrected; it has to be re-polished out and re-engraved, which is a paid service.
Send us the engraving text, font choice and the shank width. We position the letters on the render outside the resize zone and confirm depth before machining. Ask us to engrave your next custom moissanite ring order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is moissanite a good diamond alternative for retail buyers?
Yes for price-sensitive customers who want brilliance and hardness. Moissanite ranks 9.25 on the Mohs scale, holds up to daily wear and costs a fraction of a natural diamond of the same size, so it resells fast in bridal and fashion lines.
What is the minimum order for wholesale moissanite?
MOQ starts at 50 pieces per design for stock items. Custom cuts and private-label settings usually start at 100–300 pieces depending on the mold.
Do you provide certificates with moissanite stones?
Yes. Every parcel ships with GRA or IGI documentation listing carat weight, color grade and cut. We recommend passing the certificate to your end customer for trust.
How long does sample and bulk production take?
Samples ship in 3–5 days. Bulk runs take 15–20 days under 500 pieces, and 25–30 days for custom work.
