Engraving on 14k gold

[bob pfohler]

I've been asked by a local jeweler to engrave a small 14k gold disc. Has anyone done real gold? Will it work better if I use Cermark?
I have a 50 watt laser, can you share settings. I can't imagine you would need much power. Thanks

[Dan Hintz]

If you want true engraving, you're going to need a YAG-style laser (or something in the 0.5-1um range). Cermark on gold doesn't hold up to jewelry cleaning solutions, so it will only look nice until someone tries to clean the piece.

[Mike Null]

You really need to use the diamond drag method. Lasers of any type don't really do a good job on gold.