Finding a Valentine's gift that skirts the line between personal and practical can be a task as tricky as the original St Valentine himself.

Luckily, Dayspring Pens is here to help you shop with the perfect blend of persona, professional, and practical for your Valentine's Day gift: a personalized, jewelry-quality pen. 

Whether you are giving to a coworker, for Galentine's Day, or to a spouse of 40 years, each of these pens are ready like a candy heart to last that next 40 years.

My list for best pens will span a variety of price points, writing styles, and color finishes to brain storm your gift ideas.

Not sure what kind of engraving to get on your pen? I'll also have my suggestions for just what type of engraving hits like Cupid's arrow on each of these pens.

Let's start with the shortlist of pens that are sure to show your love this Valentine's Day:

1. Cross Bailey
2. The Richmond
3. The Monroe Set
4. The Waterman Hemisphere
5. The Alexandria
6. Cross Century II
7. The Parker Jotter

Each pen on this list comes with a free line of standard engraving by Dayspring Pens in name brand gift cases with free shipping in the US.

Cross Bailey Ballpoint

Highlights:

• Valentine's Day pick: Bailey Red Ballpoint
• Engraving Style of Choice: Script Font with a Symbol
• Price Point: around $45
• Available Finishes: Black, Blue, Lustrous Chrome, Medalist
• Writing Styles: Ballpoint, Rollerball, Fountain Pen

The hallmark of the American professional pen, Cross products are a go-to for the sort of gift you can give to an acquaintance or life long friend alike. With Cross you know you are giving a pen that is going to be a steady writer with luxury finishes.

Since the Cross Bailey has a longer, medium cap it is a great medium for a longer text engraving or to showcase symbols like the classic heart emoji.

Dayspring Pens can also engrave different language characters so if you wanted an engraving in Mandarin, Hebrew, or Russian you can send your favorite phrase about love in any language.

Richmond Rollerball

Highlights:

• Valentine's Day Pick: Matte Black Rollerball
• Engraving Style of Choice: Times Font
• Price Point: around $35-40
• Available Finishes: Matte Black, Lustrous Chrome
• Writing Styles: Ballpoint, Rollerball, Mechanical Pencil

The Richmond Pen is a little bit of minimalist design with a lotta bit of fine point easy writing. The rollerball fine point writing line on this pen is just particularly nice if you like that sharp, rich black line.

This pen is sleek and portable, but still feels lux.

It engraves silver and given the straight lines of the cap, I find Times font fits beautifully with the pen's look.

Monroe Ballpoint and Mechanical Pencil Set

Highlights:

• Valentine's Day Pick: Red Lacquer Finish with Gold Trim
• Engraving Style of Choice: Signature Engraving
• Price Point: around $30
• Available Finishes: Black, Blue, and 18k Gold
• Writing Styles: Ballpoint, Mechanical Pencil

A matching set that delivers the permanence, comfort, and forgiveness, the Monroe ballpoint and mechanical pencil set can be a subtle, practical way to say Happy Valentine's Day to a constant, steady relationship.

With a ballpoint pen that can write on any surface, a luxury mechanical pencil (a rarity) and an ergonomic grip that's nice on the fingers, the newly redesigned Monroe set by Dayspring Pens is some of the best luxury writing you can get at the price point.

The Monroe set has a variety of color finishes so you don't have to go with the traditional Valentine's red if you don't feel like it communicates Be Mine the way you want it to.

I chose signature engraving (also called handwriting engraving) for this one since the barrel is the whole engraveable space. You can write a handwritten message and have it engraved right onto the pen.

Waterman Hemisphere Ballpoint

Highlights:

• Valentine's Day Pick: Stainless Steel with Silver Trim
• Engraving Style of Choice: Script Font
• Price Point: around $60
• Available Finishes: Black Lacquer, Gold and Chrome Trims
• Writing Styles: Ballpoint, Rollerball, Fountain Pen

This is just an exceptional ballpoint pen. The weight, the quality of the finishes, the experience of writing...the Waterman Hemisphere is a delight to use and to give.

Honestly, any writing style or finish is the right decision to buy with a Hemisphere. It's classy, elegant, and still made and manufactured in Paris, France (the capital of romance).

Script continues that luxurious feel as an engraving on this brand name luxury pen. The curves and finish of the type face look like a chef's kiss.

I got to say it again. Classy.

Alexandria Fountain Pen

Highlights:

• Valentine's Day Pick: Red Lacquer Finish with Gold Trim
• Engraving Style of Choice: Block Font Engraving
• Price Point: around $30
• Available Finishes: Black, Blue, Red Lacquers
• Writing Styles: Ballpoint, Rollerball, Fountain Pen

The largest barrel size and the only fountain pen to grace this pens for Valentines Day gift collection, the Alexandria fountain pen features a medium nib with a large ink reservoir. It takes both universal cartridge refills and comes with a converter for loading.

This is the perfect pen for someone who likes to take time with the things they do. It's a simple, well designed fountain pen great for beginners and old hats.

I chose Block font for this pen engraving since the large barrel offers an expansive space for the straight lines and directness of this type face.

Cross Century II Rollerball

Highlights:

• Valentine's Day Pick: White Lacquer Finish with 23k Gold Trim
• Engraving Style of Choice: Times Font or Signature Engraving
• Price Point: around $120
• Also Available: Black or Blue Lacquer, Chrome and 10k Gold Finishes
• Writing Styles Available: Ballpoint, Rollerball, Fountain Pen

The details of the Century II such as the snap of the cap and the double banding make it a stand out option for a jewelry-quality, well-crafted pen.

It's basically like giving a piece of jewelry they can write with.

This pen is a hallmark of AT Cross melding the storied Classic Century and the presidential Townsend. Looks amazing. Writes like a dream.

Times highlights the width of the medium barrel and a signature engraving makes this pen truly one of a kind.

Parker Jotter Gel Pen

Highlights:

• Valentine's Day Pick: Kensington Red
• Engraving Style of Choice: Block Text Engraving
• Price Point: around $20
• Also Available: Black or Blue Lacquer, Stainless Steel with Chrome or Gold Trim
• Writing Styles Available: Gel Ink

Why is this one of the greatest selling pens of all time? Buy on and you will find out.

The satisfying click. The durability of the all-metal construction. The consistent, smooth writing experience. The shorter, portable barrel.

These features make it exceptional and its perfect for movie and history buffs alike.

The Parker Jotter is the kind of Valentines gift that may not make a big statement when its opened, but they are sure to love as they use it the other 364 days of the year.

Block font on this one reads loud and clear against the subtly of the tone-on-tone engraving.

Conclusion

These seven pens show the spread of style, price, and finesse you can choose from for a Valentine's gift that can be used and appreciated.

The personalization of custom engraving makes each one of these pens completely unique.

For more recommendations or if you have any favorite things to get engraved on Valentine's Day, leave a comment bellow!

Sam DiNardo Sam Di Nardo is the Lead Blogger at Dayspring Pens where she has become an expert in all things ballpoint, rollerball, and fountain pen. Her current fountain pen favorite is the Franklin Cristoph Model 20 Marietta. She lives in Virginia with her husband and their growing family. Learn more about Sam's Bio.