9 Creative Custom Ring Engraving Ideas to Get You Started
As we mentioned in this post, poesy rings—typically silver or gold bands featuring an engraved message—were big in the 1600s. These rings were popular before the giving of engagement rings or exchanging of wedding bands had become ubiquitous, and they were often given as gifts to friends and family as well as lovers. Poesy rings often bore inscriptions taken from religious hymns or texts, popular poems, or family mottoes. French, being the language of the aristocracy in England throughout the Medieval era, was the most common language used in poesy ring engravings, followed by Latin, the language of the Church.
We’re doing our part to bring this meaningful, romantic, and personal touch back by advancing it into the future. With modern technology, the possibilities for engraving go beyond a word or a phrase. In the Design Center, you’ll find the option to add a custom engraving using the Engraving Creator app. These features let you add not just a message but an image or symbol to your ring to make it truly one-of-a-kind.
This article isn’t a list of phrases to get engraved on your ring. We can’t provide you with that—the actual message has to come from your heart. But we can get you started brainstorming the best approach to take. Here are a few ideas to help you use the app to create the engraving that perfectly encapsulates the special character of your love.
Reference your mutual faves. In the Medieval and Early Modern eras, hymns and poems were popular sources for the quotes engraved on poesy rings. Today, you might look to your favorite novels, TV shows, movies, or songs for inspiration.
What’s that song you always sing in the car together? What movie do you quote endlessly to each other? You might not know off the top of your head, but from the moment you start thinking about proposing, keep this question in your mind and the perfect quote will come to you when you least expect it. It’s kind of like looking for the scissors: when you’re actively searching, you’ll never find it. But as soon as you give up and say “forget it, I’ll just buy new ones,” you just randomly come across it under the couch cushion or in the wrong drawer you swear you searched already.
Fingerprints. What better symbol of your individuality than your fingerprint? Using the Engraving Creator mobile app, you and your partner can scan your fingerprints and have them engraved on your rings.
Audio recording. That favorite quote or line from a song? Instead of engraving the words, upload an audio snippet and the app will turn it into a soundwave. If you’re a musician, there’s nothing more romantic than writing a song for your love.
Names or initials. Sometimes the most powerful gestures are the simplest. Engrave both of your names or initials on both rings, or yours on your partner’s and vice versa. A simple design entwining your initials can give this idea creative, symbolic touch, representing the entwining of two souls in marriage.
Important dates. Honor an important moment in your relationship, whether that’s your birthdates, the date you met, the date of your engagement, your wedding date, or any other important moment in your lives. As an added bonus, if you engrave your wedding date on your ring, you’ll never forget your anniversary!
Pet names. Get your special names for each other engraved on your rings—even better if they’re the pet names you only call each other in private. It doesn’t just have to be a word, either. Is your partner your honey? Why not represent them with a little pot of honey on the inside of your ring? Same goes for sugar, doll, sunshine, princess, peanut, cupcake, muffin, pumpkin, or anything else you’re too embarrassed to admit you call the love of your life.
Coordinates. Did you pop the question at 48°51′29.6″N 2°17′40.2″E? If you did, you nailed it, good job. Immortalize that moment by engraving it on the ring!
A symbol of your history and identity. Wherever you’re from, your culture played a role in shaping you into the person you are today. If that culture is important to you, honor its role in helping you become the person your partner fell in love with, whether it’s a national flag, the outline of the state or country you come from, some cultural iconography, or a religious symbol.
Personal symbols or drawings. Have a talent for art or design? Design a symbol representing your relationship or create an illustration of your own. Engraving the coordinates above would be great for someone with a scientific bent, but if you’re more artsy or visual, you might go with a picture of what’s at those coordinates (the Eiffel Tower) instead.
Endless Ways to Express Your Love
In the same way that you want a bespoke custom ring to represent the uniqueness of your relationship, you want to choose an engraving that speaks to you, that symbolizes your relationship, whether it’s serious or playful, elaborately romantic or sweetly down-to-earth. Part of the fun in taking your time to come up with something special for your engraving is reflecting and reminiscing on the important moments in your relationship so far. You might even gain a deeper understanding of the bond between you and your partner in the process.
The only limitations here are your imagination and the size of the engraving—a ring is pretty small, after all, so you won’t want anything too packed with minute detail. Once you have something in mind, head over to the Design Center to see how the final product will look. You can take all the time you need to come up with the perfect message or design for the perfect ring.