hello is anyone home

hi i feel a bit like an interloper here. as i am not an engraver nor know anything about the art ..other than i love to see it im amazed by what some of you people do .....i am a working jeweler in the uk (well blacksmith turned goldsmith really) and a bit of an artist, too ive been at the bench for a couple of years now and on the cnc for six ..ive always admired engraving and wanted to have a go .....well ive got some copper sheets and one handgraver a stone and absolutly no idea ..so ill catch yerall later.....much later but in the meantime could some of you pleas point me in the direction of a few (simple) examples i might use as inspiration to discover the basics ....please because id like to make my partner a locket in silver to keep her dads dog-tags in ..something nice as a starting project ..not too ambitious mind
thanks for any help

Welcome
Book (The Art of Engraving, James Meeks)

Assuming you're asking for an example of a relatively simple design, I used the forum's Search feature (up on the top bar) to find this thread showing a nice rose design on a silver pendant.

Welcome to a newbie from a newbie. I'm also a jeweler.
"The Jewelry Engravers Manual" by Hardy and Bowman is also a good little book for a beginner. A lot of info on graver prep and cutting letters.
And don't feel like an interloper....this is as much your cafe as much as anybody else's. (Well...with the exception of our benevolent dictator and benefactor, that is)

welcome, friend. and i surely second the motion of dave london. that tome will give you an aerial view of the disciplines required of the art. it will walk you thru the simplest stuff, up to and including power assist, using the grs gravermeister. the forum is not to be forgotten, but looking at all this "pretty" can be rather overwhelming to one who has no knowledge of this art. btw, the gravermeister was invented by mr. john r. rohner. you can find examples of his work here on the forum. john is not only an inventor, but a very fine engraver.

thanks for the links guys ill catch yall later ...off to work

Goldfinger, I'm also an interloper here; but I'm beginning to feel more and more comfortable. I'm a lapidary/goldsmith but still people are generous here.

My advice to you is to find someone to teach you how to properly sharpen a graver before you do anything else.
Kevin P.