| Perhaps you have thought of or have known | | | | would have used bees wax that was then |
| someone that has had a piece of custom jewelry | | | | encased in clay. After the piece of plaster that |
| created and wondered how it was done. From | | | | contains the wax figure has hardened and dried it |
| time to time everyone has seen something that | | | | is then placed in a hot kiln. |
| was beautiful and small enough and thought to | | | | The heat of the kiln causes the wax to melt out |
| themselves that it would be nice to incorporate it | | | | of the piece of plaster, leaving the hollow shape |
| into a piece of custom jewelry. How is it done? Is | | | | inside the piece of plaster. Molten metal is then |
| it expensive? How does the jeweler get the | | | | poured into a hole in the piece of plaster and fills |
| precious metal to take the form that they want | | | | the void that the melted wax has left behind. |
| and have it come out in such perfect detail? | | | | After it has cooled, the plaster is then chipped |
| The fact of the matter, is that most of the work | | | | away to reveal the object that was originally |
| in creating the form in a piece of gold jewelry is | | | | sculpted in wax, now being exactly reproduced in |
| done in wax. Its called "lost wax" casting and it is | | | | gold. It will then be cleaned and polished and any |
| a method that was developed thousands of years | | | | final details will be carved into or welded onto it. |
| ago. The object that is to be made in metal is | | | | There are jewelers out there that will work with |
| first created out of wax and then the wax object | | | | clients on custom pieces but of course you are |
| is then encased in plaster or silica. Ancient people | | | | going to have to pay extra for the service. |