Wedding Wednesdays: Wedding Ring Engraving 101

There is a history of engraving sweet words on the inside of an engagement ring or wedding band - one that dates back to medieval Europe. It's a simple reminder of the love you have for one another. Lucky for us, getting the ring engraved is as easy as telling your jeweler. The hard part? Choosing what to have inscribed. We're here to help!

If you can't edit your sentiment down to a mere few words or want to use a stanza from a poem, your vows or a song, consider engraving your message around the rim of the stone itself. The GIA (Gemological Institute of America) can laser-inscribe a microscopic message or even a graphic. The inscription is invisible to the naked eye and can only be seen with a magnifying glass, so it can be a romantic secret between the two of you. Inscribing a message on your diamond also serves as a foolproof "birthmark" should the stone ever be lost or stolen. Otherwise, along the inside of the band serves the same purpose and is just as romantic!

Popular and sentimental wedding ring engraving ideas:

• I love you
• Our love is eternal
• To my soul mate
• C.R. to D.L. July 10
• Always
• Forever
• Eternity
• C&D forever (use your first initials)
• I thee wed
• All my love
• I marry you
• You have my heart
• My heart is in your hands
• Never to part
• To my wife/husband
• Soul mates forever
• I'm always with you
• To have and to hold
• Schmoopie (Your private nicknames for each other)
• Here is my heart; guard it well!
• No one but you
• God for me provided thee
• God unite both in love
• In thy breast my heart doth rest (Old English)
• Pour tous jours (For all days, 15th-century French)
• Joie sans fin (Joy without end, French)
• Mon coeur est a vous (You have my heart, French)
• Je t'aime (I love you, French)
• Mon amour (My love, French)
• Il mio cuore e il tuo per sempre (My heart is yours forever, Italian)
• Amore mio (My love, Italian)
• Vivo per lei (I live for her, Italian)
• Myn genyst (My heart, Old German)
• Mizpah (May the Lord watch between you and me when we are absent from one another, Hebrew, Genesis 31:49)
• Ani L'dodi V'dodi Li (My beloved is mine and I am his, Hebrew, Song of Solomon 2:16)
• Semper amemus (Let us always love, Latin)
• Semper fidelis (Always faithful, Latin)
• Pari passu (With equal step, Latin)
• Amor vincit omnia (Love conquers all, Latin)
• Deus nos iunxit (God joined us, Latin)
• 百年好合 (Happily ever after, Chinese)
• 花好月圆 (Blissful harmony, Chinese)

The cost is usually based on the number of characters in the inscription, the font used, and whether it will be engraved by hand or machine. Machine engraving tends to be cheaper, on average $25 for 15 characters, while hand-engraving is usually pricier, at $75 for 8 characters, but adds a special hand-forged feel. The price of the inscription on the actual diamond varies depending on the carat weight of the diamond, but prices start at $15 for graphics or 15 characters.

Your love for one another definitely goes beyond words but engraving the most meaningful ones is something you can share for a lifetime. Considering adding this element to your rings and devour the details of a secret sentiment you'll always remember.