How to Engrave Stones & Rocks: Easy Steps (Plus FAQs)

Learning to engrave stones provides you with a way to create decorative, artistic pieces that will last a lifetime from material you can find just about anywhere. While the material itself is very hard, engraving doesn't have to be. With the right tools, a few skills, and some practice, you can learn to engrave beautiful designs into stones for your home, your garden, or to give away as gifts. In this article, we explain how to engrave from start to finish, so read on to learn how to engrave stones!

How to Engrave Stone: Step-by-Step

Find a stone with a flat surface and clean it.
Sketch out your design.
Stencil your design onto the stone.
Secure the stone and set the engraver to a low setting.
Go over your design with the engraver, periodically cooling the rock with water.
After engraving, clean the stone with a damp rag, then air dry.

Section 1 of 5:

Gathering Your Supplies

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1
Find a stone. Your skill level and the design you want to create will determine the type of stone you need. For example, limestone will be an easier stone to carve due to its softness, while granite will be much tougher due to its hardness. ^{[1]
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- Stones with a flat surface, such as river rocks, work best for beginners. ^{[2]
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- Softer sedimentary rocks (such as sandstone, limestone and soapstone) are easier to drill into.
- Keep your eyes open for stones when you're outside at the beach, in your garden, etc, or purchase engraving stones from your local arts and crafts store.
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Get an electric engraver, a laser engraver, or a rotary tool. Look for an electric engraver or rotary tool that allows you to change out the tip. Alternatively, you can use a point chisel and mallet or hammer to do your engraving, but an electric or laser engraver will make the process much easier.
- Where to Buy: Local hardware stores like Home Depot or Ace Hardware, craft stores, or online via Amazon or other online retailers.
- A carbide tip is appropriate for engraving softer stones like sandstone, limestone or soapstone. A diamond tip is best for engraving harder stones or glass.
- Engraving tips come in various shapes and widths. For a basic design, the standard carbide tip that comes with your tool will be enough.
- Over time, you can add to the complexity of your designs by using a cone tip to create detail lines and a cylindrical-shaped tip for shading and dimension.
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Get a wax-based pencil, marker, or stencil materials. Sketching your design onto your stone or creating a stencil before you start engraving will save you a lot of missteps along the way.
- Where to Buy: Local arts and crafts shops, Amazon, Michaels, Art Cover, and other online arts and crafts shops.
- Wax-based pencils, china markers, or permanent markers can be used to draw your design directly onto the stone.
- You can make an easy stencil using cardboard or acetate and a craft knife.
- Beeswax and latex paint are optional design supplies that can be used to add color and shine to your stone.
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Purchase safety goggles. Safety goggles should be used during all of your engraving projects. Engraving throws small pieces of stone and dust into the air that can damage your eyes.
- Where to Buy: Home Depot, Lowe’s, Amazon, or other online stores.
Prepare a bowl of water large enough to submerge the stone. This will be used to cool and clean the stone during the engraving process. Alternatively, continue to rinse your stone throughout the engraving process. ^{[3]
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Section 2 of 5:

Creating a Design

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Select a design for your stone. Your skill level, the size and shape of your stone, and your intended use for the stone will all play a part in creating your design. Inspirational words, a name, flowers, leaves, the sun, or other basic shapes are great design choices for beginners.
- Create your own unique design or write out a word you want to engrave.
- Look for stencil designs online that you can print and cut out.
- Create a design on your computer. Draw an image or write a word in a font you like. Size the design to fit your stone and print it onto black and white paper.
2
Create a sketch or stencil of your design. Whether you're engraving an image like a flower or feather, or writing out a word, having a sketch or stencil to follow will make the process much easier and will leave you with a nicer finished project. ^{[4]
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- Practice drawing your design on a piece of paper before sketching it directly onto your stone.
- Make a stencil. If you printed out a picture to use, lay a piece of tracing paper on top and go over it with a pencil. Tape the traced outline onto your cardboard or acetate and cut out the design with your craft knife.
3
Practice engraving on an extra stone. Get a feel for the engraving process using a stone similar to the one you're saving for the final project. Use the engraving tool to create straight lines across the stone, moving in different directions.
- Vary the pressure you use to draw lines. Draw lines using light, feathered strokes. Go back and draw lines using more pressure. Notice the differences in the look of the lines.
- Draw circles or other shapes in the stone.
- If you're writing a word on your stone, practice making the various letters.

Section 3 of 5:

Prepping the Stone

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1
Clean the stone. Start by dampening a cloth with water. Then, wipe any dirt or debris off the stone with the cloth. Let the stone air dry or dry it with a clean, dry cloth. Geologist Sam Lagor, MSc says to use a soft toothbrush and a little soap if needed. ^{[5]
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Expert Source

Sam Lagor, MSc
Geologist

Expert Interview}
- Lagor says you can use a dental pick to remove harder, crustier dirt. But do not scratch with it too much because it has reinforced steel, which can damage your stone. ^{[6]
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  Sam Lagor, MSc
  Geologist
  
  Expert Interview}
2
Transfer your design to the stone. Sketch your design onto the stone directly using your wax pencil or marker, or attach the stencil to your stone. Use a wax-based pencil to draw your design if the stone is rough or porous. Use a china marker or permanent marker to draw on stones with a smooth, glassy surface. ^{[7]
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- Position your stencil where you want it on the stone. Secure the stencil with tape so it doesn't move while you're engraving your design.
3
Secure the stone. Once a mark is engraved, you can't erase it, so make sure your stone isn't going to move while you're working. If the stone isn't flat on the bottom, secure it using a desk vise or clamp, which can be found at your local hardware store. ^{[8]
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- If the stone is flat and won't roll or slip, simply place it on a flat surface.
- Placing a piece of non-slip shelf liner under your stone will help ensure it doesn't slide.

Section 4 of 5:

Engraving the Stone

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1
Go over your design with the engraver. Set the engraving tool on a low speed and slowly trace over your design using light, continuous strokes. ^{[9]
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Research source} Start by going over the primary lines in the design. Roughly scratch out a shallow groove to create an outline of the design. Continue to trace over the lines of your design with the engraving tool. Rather than pressing hard to carve out your design, go over the lines repeatedly using a light hand. ^{[10]
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- Periodically dip the rock into the bowl of water to cool it off. This will also help clean debris out of the grooves of your design so you can better see what you're doing.
- Continue to etch out the lines of your design until they are the depth you'd like for them to be.
- Add shading or other details to your design. Engrave lighter lines, going in the same direction as the primary lines of your design, to create shading.
2
Clean the stone. When you're done engraving, clean off the stone in the water bowl or wipe it off with a damp rag. Alternatively, rinse while you engrave. ^{[11]
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Research source} Then, allow it to air dry or dry it off with a clean cloth.
- If you want your stone to really shine, use beeswax and a rag to buff and polish it. This will help your design stand out and give the rock an extra gleam.
- If you want to give your design some color, use latex paint to fill in the grooves. Black paint on a light-colored stone or white paint on a darker stone can really make your design pop.
3
Show off your engraved stone! Place it inside your home, on your porch, in your garden, or give it away as a unique gift.
- Larger stones can be used to make unique stepping-stones for a garden.
- Heavy stones can be used to make door stoppers or bookends.
- Small pebbles engraved with inspirational words or special dates make great gifts.

Section 5 of 5:

Frequently Asked Questions

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What should I engrave on my stone? You can engrave whatever you’d like! Just keep the difficulty of the engraving in mind. For example, you can engrave a bird, an insect, flowers, or your name. The amount of detail you put into the engraving is up to you and your skill level, so if you want to keep things simple, don’t be afraid to do so!
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What are the best stones for laser engraving? Harder stones like granite, pebbles, marble, and slate work best for laser engraving, as their durability produces high, detailed contrast when worked on with a laser. Whereas standard engraving tools would take more force and precision, laser engraving tools are perfect, as you can adjust the settings to get the engravings you want without being as hands-on.
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What stones can you laser engrave? You can laser engrave practically any stone as long as you have the proper settings. Quartz can be engraved as long as you’re using a 10,600 nm CO2 laser engraver, as can concrete, granite, brick, marble, sandstone, pebbles, and other types of stones.

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Question

Is there a way I can engrave stone without a rotary tool or electronic engraver?

Community Answer

You can use the old method: hammer and nails. Hit the stone repeatedly to get the result and pattern that you're looking for.

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What kind of tools are used to engrave stones?

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Hammer and chisels, like a small point, punch, and V blade. You need to know how hard your stone is because regular steel chisels will dull too fast on very hard stone such as river rock or granite. Tungsten steel tip chisels are the strongest.

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Can I engrave any gemstone, and can I use an electric nail file instead?

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Not without proper equipment. Diamond, for example, requires special tools for engraving. An electric nail file would probably not work well, if at all.

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Warnings

Grinding on stones creates stone dust & this stone dust is harmful to humans and animals if they breathe it in. ^{[12]
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American Lung Association
Nonprofit health organization dedicated to improving lung health through education, advocacy, and research
Go to source} Always wear an approved respirator with P100 dust filters.

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Keep your engraver or rotary tool away from your bowl of water to avoid the risk of electrocution.

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Always use safety goggles when engraving stone.

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Follow all manufacturer guidelines when using your engraver or rotary tool.

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Expert Source

Sam Lagor, MSc
Geologist

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How to Engrave Stones & Rocks: Easy Steps (Plus FAQs)

How to Engrave Stone: Step-by-Step

Steps

Gathering Your Supplies

Creating a Design

Prepping the Stone

Engraving the Stone

Frequently Asked Questions

Video

Community Q&A

Tips

Warnings

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References

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