Fingerprint enhancement involves refining a fingerprint to create a clear, crisp graphic suitable for jewellery engravers or tattoo artists. Most fingerprints (even clear examples) lack the clarity required for a sharp, defined work of fingerprint art.
Fingerprint reconstruction and restoration involve highly skilled processes to re-create a fingerprint with very little detail visible. For example, when a section of the print is smudged. Some prints cannot be reconstructed. For this reason, each print must be considered on a case-by-case basis.
As part of my work creating fingerprint jewellery, I provide this time consuming service for jewellery, tattoo designs, and for memorial purposes.
***As a guide to cost, keep in mind this manual process takes around 2 hours to refine a print, at a cost of £50.00. I endeavour to provide this service, dependent on time constraints with current photography and editing commitments.
What is fingerprint enhancement? Why would you need to enhance it?
Most of the jewellery created at Serendipity Diamonds features personalisation in one way or another. For example, one of our most popular services involves the application of a loved one’s fingerprint onto a ring. We add enhanced fingerprints onto the outer and inner surfaces of many types of jewellery.
But, why would you need fingerprint enhancement? Many of the fingerprints received from clients carry imperfections, smudges, scars and missing sections. Moreover, fingerprint enhancement improves the quality of the print. For example, many clients prefer the removal of scars or blank areas.
The enhancement work cleans the print, transforming it into a clean, crisp image. As a result, the final item stands apart from alternative fingerprint rings with low-quality prints with an inferior finish.
How are fingerprints enhanced?
We consider every fingerprint on an individual basis. Interestingly, some take less time to enhance. Conversely, others take several hours of manual reconstruction.
Firstly, using our free fingerprint kit, clients return their fingerprints for scanning.
Then, we import the image file into Photoshop and apply changes to the contrast and brightness. Through a process of manual editing, we clean up dust, scratches, scars and faded areas of the fingerprint.
Finally, most clients receive the final enhanced artwork for their approval before we apply it to an item of jewellery.
After the painstaking process of fingerprint editing, we create a crisp vector image of the fingerprint, perfect for engraving.
Some of our fingerprint jewellery features a combination of prints. For example, the double heart design with two fingerprints.
For this ring style, we create a canvas of equal size to the item of jewellery and use a heart-shaped template to isolate the best area of the fingerprint. As a result, the important whorl, or arch detail features in the final enhanced fingerprints.
Enhanced fingerprint jewellery – final results
The final result of an enhanced print speaks for itself. When viewed on the final item, the fingerprint detail appears very clear.
View the following design in our shop section of the website
Many other engravings go through a similar process of enhancement. These include footprints, handprints, paw prints, nose prints (dogs) to name just a few.
Memorial fingerprint reconstruction
We create some designs intended as memorial fingerprint jewellery. From time-to-time, we restore fingerprints from documents such as birth certificates.
Read our related posts on Fingerprint jewellery
Do you need to have a fingerprint enhanced?
We can provide fingerprint enhancements for other individuals and organisations upon request. Please contact us with an example of the fingerprint you need to be enhanced for more information.
About Mark Johnson
My name is Mark and I'm founder at Serendipity Diamonds. I have 30 years or experience in polished diamonds and jewellery. Today, I work with an expert team in our Isle of Wight jewellery showroom located in Ryde. Most of my work involves helping clients in our showroom, working on our two websites and photographing jewellery commissions.
