How I started engraving….

One day , afther 4years goldsmith classes - together with my husband - we had a commision, to make a gold moneyclip. And it needed to be engraved with the company logo. We din’t know anything about engraving or an engraver, and went to a local jewelry shop. When we pick up the hand engraved moneyclip i was blown away from it’s beauty and i said to my husband…..ow wow, i want to learn this craft tooo!! It’s so wow! I didn’t had the words for it how nice it was. Afther a while my husband lost his interest in jewelry making so my jewelry story whent on alone. I got bitten by the love of the craft as they say, and it won’t let me go.

There are not much engraving classes left in Belgium. It took me a while to find one , and found one in Antwerp (1h,30 from home) , but i was dedicated to learn this craft. The firtst class i got hooked and it will be a love and forever passion. So every week i went to Antwerp for 3years, to my great tuthor Joris, who loves engraving even more than me. His passion for engraving is very aanstekelijk.

Starting to learn hand push engraving is not easy. You can only learn by dedication and lots and lots of practicing. It ‘s a learning curve for the rest of my life….as goldsmitthing. You never stop learning new techniques, new gravers - every shape has it’s purpes, pneumatic engraving, flare cut engraving, scrolls, flowers, pattern, lettering, inside ring engraving,… there is so much to learn. Gelaldic engraving and depth engraving is still on my learning wish list.

Hand engraving is such a beautifull and relaxing form of art. When engraving, it’s just me the metal and my graver, i forget all the rest - even the things that troubles my mind. It’s kind of meditation or therapy for me.

The art of hand engraving is a bit dying out due to machine engraving and all cheap jewelry stuff..….so i hope to inspire some Belgians of Europeans with my engraved jewelry to bring this proffession, this form of art and the hand engraved jewelry back to life.

The 2 pictures below are some copper practice plates that i made during my evening school hand push engraving classes.
(sorry for the second pic, it is not very neat, i wanted to use as much space the copper plate has)

Flower fractice copper plate made during engraving class

Lettering practice copper plate made during engraving class