Laser engraving is the use of a focused pulsed laser beam to ablate a controlled depth of material from a metal, gemstone or polymer surface, leaving a permanent visible mark. In jewellery the technique is used for inside-shank personalisation, hallmark application, maker's marks, brand logos and surface texture, while in gemmology it is the standard method for inscribing laboratory report numbers and anti-fraud identifiers along the girdle of polished stones.

The dominant equipment in the modern jewellery trade is the fibre laser, which produces a high-quality near-infrared beam that couples well to gold, silver, platinum and palladium alloys. UV and femtosecond systems are reserved for diamond and for heat-sensitive coloured stones, where the shorter wavelengths and shorter pulses minimise the heat-affected zone. The machines are computer-controlled, accept vector and raster artwork, and produce repeatable results suitable for production work.

Compared with traditional hand engraving, laser engraving is faster, more economical at volume, and capable of reproducing complex artwork and small fonts that would defeat a hand graver. It is, however, a shallow ablative process: the lines do not have the dimensional depth and burr of a properly hand-cut engraving, and connoisseurs of presentation work generally still prefer hand engraving for fine signet rings and sentimental pieces. For inscriptions on stones, laser is the only practical option, as a hand graver cannot mark diamond or corundum at production speeds.