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Laser Engraving

Laser engraving is suited to a wide range of items.

At the Goldsmiths' Company Assay Office, we are experts in using the latest laser marking techniques - not just for hallmarking purposes, but also to enable customers to add their own personalised touch. We now also have the capability to laser-cut punch designs in house.

Using a very fine high-powered laser beam, we are able to create a highly detailed hallmark. Laser marking is suited to a wide range of items, particularly thin or hollow pieces.

In addition to hallmarking, this specialist service is ideal for your short lettering, serial numbers, logos etc. - on individual pieces as well as on bulk runs. We can only apply 1 application of engraving as extra per piece.

Leopard Cufflinks with 3D Laser Engraving

Leopard Cufflinks with 3D Laser Engraving

As well as hallmarks, our lasers can be used to create:

  • Logos
  • Trade Marks
  • Stone weights
  • Serial numbers
  • Short Lettering
Available fonts for engraving

Available fonts for engraving

For further information please contact us. We can recommend the laser technique most suited to your pieces, and advise on achievable results.

We are able to apply text to your items in only two fonts; Times New Roman and Arial. State requirement in the Laser Engraving Attachement form - downloadable above.

We can also apply a simple image or branding to your items. Please note we are unable to laser engrave complex drawings and pictures or fingerprints. For this please send a vector file as in an Encapsulated PostScript file (.eps), an Adobe Illustrator file(.ai), Scalable Vector Graphic file (.SVG),  or very high resolution .jpeg, usually 1MB or higher depending on detail, to us here. This should be a black and white image. Please note if you can zoom into the file and it is blurry then this will not be a suitable file. We will upload the image to the lasers to make sure the image is suitable. Please see Price List for set up fee, and application charges. 

Please note, while we endeavour to meet your requested turnaround time for laser engraving it's not always possible to complete during a Priority Hallmarking Service timescale. Packets which contain laser engraving are also likely to take longer than packets which only contain hallmarking requests. Please bear this in mind when you make your engraving request.

Laser Engraving requirements

We are only able to apply Simple Engraving.

What is a simple laser engraving? 

Engraving which is:

  • One logo, or a small quantity of characters, e.g. for carat weights, stock/SKU numbers, date, name or initials
    • No sentiment engraving, paragraphs, multiple words, lines of text in a curve
  • Applied in 1 area in 1 straight line application per item in addition to the hallmark application
  • A logo or characters 6mm maximum in height
    • NOTE that an increase in height will increase the width, so we will apply the request at a smaller height to suit the width available, allowing us to apply your request in one application unless this makes the text too small in our opinion
  • Applied to a flat surface at a maximum width of 60mm or applied to a curved surface at a maximum of 5-8mm wide on average, range will depend on curvature
  • Arial or Times New Roman font for characters

If your request doesn’t meet these criteria, we will return your item and you will not be charged.

Requirement Yes it can be done No it can't be done
Font requirement Arial or Times New Roman Any other Font
Width of text/logo on flat surface Anything less than 60mm Anything over 60mm
Width of text/logo on curved surface Anything less than 5-8mm depending on curvature Anything over 8mm on average depending on curvature
Height of text/logo Anything 6mm or less Anything over 6mm, or a height which makes width too wide
Line formation Straight line Curved or multiple lines
Amount of text characters on flat surface Any amount providing text is not wider than 60mm Any amount which makes text wider than 60mm
Amount of text characters on curved surface 2-5 characters depending on height of text & curvature Over 5 characters depending on curvature & height

What is a Laser Engraving Application?

Our state of the art laser engraving machines cut the required images or text on to your items. Lasers only cut at the same, or similar, focal distance from the lens and within a defined field of vision.

So if your item is not flat then the image required for engraving may need to be broken down into separate images and applied in multiple applications to go around a curve. The tighter curvature the greater amount of applications required.

Essentially an "Application" is how many times we have to break down and mark part(s) of your required engraving.

Examples of this include engraving on the inside and outside of rings, on the outside of a trophy, teapot, napking ring and a large image bigger than the field of vision which is around 60mm x 60mm.

Laser Engraving on curved surfaces

Laser Engraving on curved surfaces

What we can laser engrave

Above shows areas we are able to engrave as they can be applied in one application, simply

Above shows areas we are able to engrave as they can be applied in one application, simply

What we are unable to engrave

Above image shows areas we are unable to engrave around as they are not classed as simple

Above image shows areas we are unable to engrave around as they are not classed as simple

Logos larger than 6mm in height can no longer be applied

Logos larger than 6mm in height can no longer be applied

Lettering applied in area larger than field of vision, curved lines of text and/or in multiple lines will no longer be able to be applied from 1st April.

Lettering applied in area larger than field of vision, curved lines of text and/or in multiple lines will no longer be able to be applied from 1st April.