Depending on the charm you choose, our first step will either be to make your charm by hand and fire it, stamp out the charm or cut the sheet metal to the shape and size we need it.
We file the edges of the charm so they are smooth and not sharp in any way.
We polish out any scratches.
One of our artists takes the handwriting file that was sent with your order and cleans it up by removing any background colors or marks, and basically changing the handwriting to be black writing on a white background. Sometimes we remove extra words (by request) or remove blemishes or lines. Sometimes we may thicken the letters if necessary or even fill parts of missing letters in (usually by request). This process takes anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour (depending on the handwriting and the quality of the image).
Our next artist will then take this handwriting and determine how it will best fit the charm you selected. She may move words just a bit so they fit nicely onto the charm or bracelet you ordered. We try to arrange words and text so that the handwriting will end up as large as it can be on the charm you selected.
We also want to make sure the etching will come out dark enough to read, and we want the lines to be thick enough to etch into the metal. This creates a deeper etching that will never rub off or fade away.
Our next artist then preps that handwriting for etching into the charm. She will also prep the actual charm for the etching to occur. This part of the process we developed here at Heart On Your Wrist. We've been developing and refining this process for four years, and no one else uses the process we use to etch into jewelry. The result is a deep etching that will never fade or rub off - we are really happy with what we developed and think you will love the result as well.
Once we etch the handwriting into the charm, another artist will lightly polish the surface to get rid of any tiny pieces of metal or scratches that are left on the charm.
She then adds a patina to the words on the charm to darken the letters, and then polishes the charm again.
The charm is now ready to either be polished one last time to a shiny finish, or to be brushed to a matte finish.
After the final finish is completed, the charm is now ready to be added to a necklace, bracelet or key ring.
We assemble your jewelry and check the final piece to make sure it looks perfect.
We then package it up and then send it off to you!