Can You Engrave a Faded or Incomplete Baby Handprint? 

For many bereaved parents, a baby's handprint or footprint is one of the most treasured things they own.

It may be the only physical impression they have of their baby. A tiny print taken in hospital. A photograph of an ink print. A memory that can never be replaced.

Over time, these precious keepsakes can fade. Ink becomes lighter, paper creases, photographs lose quality, and parents often worry that their baby's handprint is no longer good enough to be engraved.

One of the questions I'm asked most often is:  "Can you engrave my baby's handprint if it's faded, incomplete or not perfect?"

In many cases, the answer is yes.

Your Baby's Handprint Doesn't Need to Be Perfect

I've engraved handprints and footprints that were:

• Faded with age.
• Very light or patchy.
• Incomplete.
• Smudged during the printing process.
• Creased from being stored for years.
• Photographed on a mobile phone.
• Taken many years ago.

Please don't assume your baby's print can't be engraved.

If you're unsure, simply send me a photograph before ordering and I'll let you know honestly whether I believe I can create a beautiful piece of jewellery from it.

I Engrave Your Baby's Actual Handprint

This is one of the things that makes Angel of Mine different.

I don't engrave a generic baby handprint. I don't replace missing fingers with someone else's. I don't redraw your baby's handprint to make it look "perfect."

I engrave your baby's actual handprint or footprint.

To me, that matters.

Every tiny finger, every little curve and every unique shape belongs to your baby. Those details are part of who they are, and I believe they deserve to be preserved.

My role is simply to carefully prepare your baby's handprint or footprint for engraving, using only the details already present in your baby's original print so that what is engraved remains your baby's actual handprint or footprint.

Carefully Prepared, Never Replaced

Sometimes a handprint or footprint needs careful preparation before it can be engraved.  This may involve removing shadows from a photograph, improving contrast, or cleaning up marks that aren't part of the original print.

What I won't do is change your baby's handprint into something it wasn't.

If a finger didn't print clearly because of the way the ink transferred in hospital, I won't invent a new one.

If your baby's print is naturally tiny because they were born earlier in pregnancy, I won't make it look like the handprint of a full-term baby.

Your baby's print tells their story.

My aim is simply to preserve that story as beautifully as possible.

Even the Tiniest Handprints Matter

One of the questions I am often asked is whether I can engrave the handprints or footprints of babies born very early in pregnancy, including babies lost through miscarriage.

The answer is often yes.

I have engraved prints from babies lost through early miscarriage, babies born at many different stages of pregnancy, and babies born at full term.

Naturally, a handprint from an earlier gestation will contain less detail than the handprint of a baby born later. That is simply because your baby's hands were still developing.

But that doesn't make those tiny prints any less precious.

They are perfect because they belong to your baby.

No matter how small your baby's handprint or footprint is, I can carefully scale it to suit your chosen piece of jewellery while preserving its original proportions and unique characteristics. Although the size changes, the print itself does not.

Every tiny handprint tells a story, and every one deserves to be treated with the same care and respect.

Every Piece Is Personally Reviewed

Every handprint and footprint I receive is personally reviewed before I begin engraving.

I never simply upload an image into a machine and press start.

Each print is individually prepared with great care before being engraved onto your jewellery.

If I believe I can create a piece that I would be proud to send, I'll proceed with your order.

If I don't believe I can achieve the standard I expect of every piece I make, I'll contact you before engraving.

If necessary, I'll offer you a full refund.

I'd much rather tell you that I can't do your baby's handprint justice than send you something that I'm not completely happy with.

Why I Care So Much

Angel of Mine exists because of my own son, Jackson.

In 2014, Jackson was stillborn at 32 weeks.

I understand just how precious these tiny prints become.

They are not simply images.

They are memories you cannot replace.

That is why I take so much time preparing every handprint and footprint I engrave.

I know the responsibility that comes with being trusted with something so deeply personal, and I never take that responsibility lightly.

Unsure? I'd Be Happy to Take a Look

If you aren't sure whether your baby's handprint or footprint is suitable for engraving, please get in touch before ordering.  Simply send me a clear photograph of the original print.  I'll always give you an honest opinion.

If I believe I can create a beautiful engraving while remaining true to your baby's original handprint or footprint, I'll tell you.

If I don't think I can achieve the standard I expect, I'll tell you that too.

Because preserving your baby's memory with honesty, care and respect will always be more important to me than making a sale.

Laura,

Angel of Mine