The Etiquette of Engraving
LONDON — When Jessica McCormack was getting married, the jewelry designer took inspiration from a Georgian-era ring exhibited at the British Museum and had her husband’s ring engraved with the message: “Two Hands One Heart, Till Death Us Part.”
An inscription like that one can be the perfect way to personalize a piece of jewelry and give an extra romantic flourish. “An engraved message adds a layer of emotion and also helps cement provenance for the owner,” Ms. McCormack said. “Whether it is romantic, nostalgic, funny or even a little dark, it should tell a story.”
The custom of adding words, symbols and images to jewelry has existed since the earliest civilizations. But inscribing jewelry with personal messages became prominent in 12th-century France and England with the rise of the posy ring. The name derives from “poesy,” a kind of short-form poetry that often uses rhythmic or rhyming verse.
The popularity of these simple gold bands inscribed with sentiments of faith, commemoration or love took off in the 17th and 18th centuries, as a kind of forerunner to modern wedding bands.
David Warren, senior international director of jewelry at Christie’s, chose a 17th-century posy ring as his own wedding band. “Finding one that was the right size, and suitable message, was not easy,” he said. “The messages can be utterly charming, but many are outdated. For example, I found one that was a perfect fit, but its inscription was ‘Obedient Wife, Happy Life’ — utterly unsuitable.”
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