The Greeting Card to Go with the Jewellery: What to Write When There's No Room Left on the Engraving

A piece of jewellery has room for five characters; the greeting card has room for 150. That's why the engraving usually carries just a name, an initial or a date, and the actual message goes on the card. The card comes with every order, it costs nothing, and you write it yourself in the cart: Greeting, Message, Signature. We print it and put it in the gift box.

If nothing comes to mind, that's normal. About half of our customers choose one of the suggestions shown in the cart to match the occasion. The other half write their own, often in a single sentence. Both work, and below you'll find the sentences chosen most often.

How the card works

In the cart, below your piece of jewellery, you'll find the checkbox Add a free greeting card. One click opens three fields:

• Greeting, for example Dear Anna,
• Message, the main sentence
• Signature, for example Mum and Dad

Altogether, around 150 characters fit on the card, so about 100 are left for the message. As you type, you'll see a preview of the card as it will be printed. With longer texts, the font automatically gets a little smaller so that everything fits on the card. If your piece of jewellery has a birthstone or a star sign, the card suggests sentences to match, for example about the meaning of the stone.

The sentences our customers write most often

Taken from several hundred cards over recent months. None of them is long, none of them rhymes, and they all say just one thing:

• So you'll always have us right by your side.
• So glad you exist.
• Thank you for always being there for us.
• We're always here for you, wherever life takes you.
• We're so proud of you.
• May your guardian angel be with you wherever life takes you.

The pattern behind them: One feeling, one reason, full stop. Stick to it, and in one minute you'll write a card that doesn't sound like a card.

By occasion

For a christening

• On your christening, we wish you all our love and God's blessing, from the bottom of our hearts.
• You are a wonderful gift. May God be with you always.
• Grow up safe and sound, surrounded by people who love you.

For a birthday

• Lots of love on your birthday. Stay exactly as you are.
• A little treat for you, so that the year ahead is as special as you are.

For starting school

• Now you're a schoolchild. Wishing you lots of fun, new friends and a wonderful start.
• Be brave, stay curious and believe in yourself. You can do it.

For an anniversary

• Thank you for being my home.
• Here's to us, and to all the years still to come.
• My greatest joy since day one.

To say thank you

• A small thank-you for a great person.
• Words aren't enough, but this little token says: thank you, from the heart.

For goodbyes and journeys

• No matter how far away you are, we'll stay connected.
• So you'll always carry a piece of home with you.

For maids of honour, godmothers and godfathers

• Will you be my maid of honour?
• Will you be godmother to our little miracle?

You'll find all of these sentences in the cart as suggestions, sorted by occasion. One tap is enough, and you can still change them afterwards.

Three rules that always work

1. Use their first name in the greeting

Dear Anna, or Dear Paul, is enough. Pet names are allowed and go down well: Dear Dad or My love appears on many cards. Surnames don't belong on a greeting card.

2. One sentence is enough

Most cards have between 40 and 110 characters. Write more and you get a smaller font, not more impact. If you want to say two things, use two short sentences rather than one long one.

3. The signature shows the relationship

Mum and Dad, Grandma and Grandad, Your sister, With love, Vivian. Whoever reads the card knows straight away who it's from, and even in ten years' time that will still be clear.

What else works: dialect or a poem. An Uhland verse such as Aus Gottes Hand, in Gottes Hand fits within 100 characters.

Plan the engraving and the card together

The split works best when the lasting part goes on the jewellery and the personal part on the card. This is what it typically looks like for our customers:

The engraving stays legible because it's short. The card explains why it's this piece in particular.

When the card is no substitute for the engraving

Cards get lost; engravings don't. That's why a date that should still matter in twenty years belongs on the back of the piece, not just on the card. Conversely, a long sentence doesn't belong on jewellery: anything more than one line becomes small and cluttered. If you're unsure what should go where, this rule of thumb helps: Facts on the jewellery, feelings on the card.

And if you don't want to write anything at all: even then, a card from Hamburg is enclosed, hand-signed by the person who made your piece.

The pieces people most often write a card for

• Guardian angel necklace for a christeningName on the front, date on the back, blessing on the card · from €80
• Family necklaceInitials on the jewellery, the sentence to go with them on the card · €30 to €50
• Partner braceletDate in Roman numerals, words on the card · €50 to €80

Frequently asked questions about the greeting card

Does the greeting card cost anything?

No. The card is free with every order, even if you write it yourself.

How many characters fit on the card?

Around 150 characters for the greeting, message and signature together. That leaves about 100 characters for the message itself. With longer texts, the font automatically gets smaller.

Where do I write the card?

In the cart, below your piece of jewellery. There you'll find the checkbox “Add a free greeting card” with three fields and a preview.

Can I write in dialect?

Yes. We print the text exactly as you enter it, including special characters.

Will I see what the card looks like beforehand?

Yes, the preview in the cart shows the card with your text, as it will be printed.

Do I get a card even if I don't write anything?

Yes. A hand-signed card from Hamburg is enclosed with every order. The personal message comes on top of that.