Why do some projects take longer than others, and how long does it really take to engrave a rock?
It’s a simple question, but the answer depends on everything from rock type and size, the engraving method, design complexity, and the experience of the engraver. While the actual engraving can take anywhere from minutes to hours, the process of getting a rock engraved is a lot more involved.
The best types of engraving rocks are smooth, hard, non-porous rocks like slate, basalt, or granite. But other rocks can work just as well, we use a lot of river rock! It’s all about finding the perfect rock to go with the design (it doesn’t matter how well or how fast you can engrave a rock if it doesn’t look good in the end!). Knowing how your equipment works, sandblaster or laser engraver, is also a must. There’s no substitute for experience when it comes to quality.
Custom or large rocks can take longer as well. To get the design just right, and to engrave high quality images or text onto large stones takes time. Making sure that the text and image placements work well together, and getting approval on proofs can add to the process as well.
Generally speaking, a laser engraver will be faster and give a higher quality engraving than sandblasting. But both methods can work well.
Something that may get overlooked is physically cleaning and polishing the rocks. To produce high quality products, you need high quality materials. Each stone is meticulously cleaned, and sometimes polished in a rock tumbler before finding the right surface to engrave. This ensures that any dirt, dust, or imperfections in the stone get smoothed away before the engraving begins.
After engraving, the rocks are cleaned one more time to make sure that the text and images come out clean, and that this stone, whatever the design, is one that the customer will cherish.
It takes a lot to make sure an idea turns into a beautifully engraved stone that customer will love. From rock selection, to design complexity. Proofs, approvals, cleaning, polishing, engraving and cleaning again. The stones at GOC rocks are made with quality and customers in mind. Please see our variety of engraved rocks, or contact me directly for larger boulders.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
– Jed at GOC Rocks
