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Engraved Gifts to Capture the Imagination

2 March 2009

Sometimes it's hard to find the right gift. If you're struggling to get a gift that carries the meaning you want, - don't despair though. There are tried and tested ways to spark someone's imagination and offer them a constant reminder of how much you love them.

After all, when you're getting someone a gift you want them to feel loved and cherished. Engraved presents offer so much, they can capture your imagination, deliver a message, sparkle in a display case and also be useful. In this article, we'll delve in to the history behind engraved gifts but also look at why and how they've stood the test of time.

Engraved in History

For tens of thousands of years people have given each other engraved gifts that deliver meaningful messages of love and respect. Presents have brought people together throughout the ages. From the very earliest civilisations it's believed that all manner of gifts were passed between people to show love, respect, admiration and affection.

Sometimes these were food, tools or clothing, though often people would also give each other sentimental tokens such as jewellery and engraved cups or bowls. In fact, engraved gifts have been a popular gift in various cultural ceremonies for millions of years.

Engraved metal artifacts have even been found by archaeologists that date back as early as one million years BC. It's believed that these simple rings and cups were turned in to engraved gifts using crude engraving tools and presented on special occasions.

What's more, engraving is actually mentioned in the Christian bible, with a high priest of Israel wearing a lot of engraved finery (Jer 17:1). In the Middle Ages, European goldsmiths created beautiful engraved gifts and items intended for the home. They engraved intricate scenes and patterns in to cups, bowls, jugs and vases.

Then, in Ancient Rome and Greece, engraved gifts became even more popular and desirable. They would be commissioned by wealthy Grecians and Romans and kept in the home, often on display.

Precious Etching

Since then engraving has been applied to all kinds of items, and industrialised. From picture frames and tankards, to trinket boxes and champagne flutes, there are so many items out there which can be useful, attractive and also remind loved ones how much you care. Most cultures, the world over, still give engraved gifts at special times of the year.

As engraving technologies have advanced, etching has become increasingly fashionable and since the 19th century it has been used to mass produce images for printing in books and magazines. To this day some etching is still used in the printing industry because it is so highly detailed that even modern printers find it hard to compete. Modern technology cannot reproduce images at the same high quality and maintain the level of detail which etching can.

In the gift industries, all manner of engraved gifts are still sold. Some are available with precious, personal messages on them and others are engraved with sentimental or pretty designs.

It's easier today to find elegant and interesting engraved gifts than ever before. And, many items still have the same level of craftsmanship which would have been appreciated in ancient Greece or Rome.

Marvellous Messages

The real appeal of engraved gifts has to be how personal they can be. The messages which can be cut in to the glass or metal are immortalised. Rather than just being there for one generation, a lot of items which were engraved in the 1600s (and later) were fated to become family air looms.

Pocket watches with meaningful inscriptions were passed from father to son and engraved wedding bands were passed from grandmother to granddaughter. Because of these traditions engraved gifts have an air of romance and an ageless elegance.

Present Day

These days there are still traditional times when we might opt for an engraved gift over all others such as a silver wedding anniversary. However, they make great presents all year round.

Engraved cufflinks with the recipient's initials can be a superb gift for a young man or distinguished gent and come in useful for weddings and formal arrangements.

Meanwhile, engraved champagne flutes make fantastic gifts for couples; they can be a brilliant wedding gift for example and can be used year after year on the happy couples wedding anniversary.

The messages which people choose to include on engraved gifts are often less grand or more whimsical these days. However, the intention is probably still the same as it was millions of years ago.

Engraved gifts are still just a way to say you love someone.
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