Engraving may have been one of the earliest attempts at ornamentation by scratching lines or cutting. Engraving in metal is done with a blunt chisel. Punching creates a decorative effect by arrangement of lines and dots in a definite artistic pattern. Etching is similar to carving. The lines here are a lot thinner and superficial.

In decorative metalwork a variety of pictures can be depicted, like landscapes, court scenes, group dances, temples, deities, etc. Other items like trays, glasses, flower vases, pots, tables, chairs etc. too are prepared with this work.

Tanjavur, in Tamil Nadu, is known for encrusting metal on metal. This work is done at three different levels. The base plate is prepared by a heavy metal worker. The relief is done by a jeweller and encrusting by a stone setter.

Moradabad has now become synonymous with art metalwork. It is especially noted for its colored enamelling and intricate engraving in niello. 'Bidri' work, the most famous and the most sought after is a type of damascening. A metal plate of an alloy of zinc, tin lead and copper is used, where zinc forms the base. The design is drawn with a free hand and then engraved with a sharp chisel in varying depths as demanded by the design. Silver wires or pieces of sheets are embedded on these patterns by hammering.