The process of jewelry making is not possible without the casting methods. But how to make jewelry metal casting? Jewelry metal casting is, therefore, a popular method that is required to produce jewelry pieces with immense intricacies. These detailed pieces cannot be made unless and until there is some kind of mold available for their creation. The process of pouring the molten metal into the molds and then obtaining the solidified jewelry pieces is what the jewelry metal casting is all about. If silver, gold, or any metal jewelry has to be made, the process of casting would be required to achieve it. It’s an essential process on which the entire jewelry industry is based. Let’s learn more about this process!
How To Make Jewelry Metal Casting; A Brief Introduction
The process of jewelry making is not as easy as it sounds. Metal cannot be simply embellished into an enchanting piece of jewelry. Unless and until, the metal is heated and poured into a mold where it gains the desired shape. It’s the process of jewelry metal casting which is relatively complex and needs an artisan to create a masterpiece with their skillful practices. In the process of jewelry metal casting, firstly the jewelry that needs to be made has to be designed. Once the design is created, the next step is to make its 3D model by using any kind of material ranging from resins to wax.
The 3D model is what serves as the master model for the creation of mold. The mold has to be created with some rigid or hard material that cannot be destructed so easily. In the jewelry metal casting, investment or that containment box can be made with plaster. Once it sets, the master pattern made with wax or any other material can then be removed to obtain an empty cavity where the molten metal is poured down to create the piece or multiple pieces of wax models which are then attached to create a wax tree.
The sprue or tree increases the efficiency of the process by creating multiple pieces at once. The wax tree is encased into an investment or harder material where it is melted away to attain an empty cavity which then can be used to create final pieces of jewelry. The solidification, removal, and polishing work as the final steps in this casting process.
How To Make Jewelry Metal Casting; Step to Step Guide
Jewelry Metal Casting is an interesting process that allows an artisan to produce unique pieces from silver, gold, bronze, and many more metals.
The process involves:
1. Designing
A digital design or sketch that shows the dimensions, size, details and overall look is required as the initial step. It serves as the blueprint.
2. Model Creation
Although the design is present, the metal cannot be shaped into it without some kind of mold. Therefore, a physical model of it is necessary which can be produced using clay, or wax. It should represent the design.
3. Investment Creation
A critical step is to create a mold that will help the metal casting process. It can be made using different techniques but the most commonly used one is through investment creation. The first step is to make a sprue or wax tree by attaching all pieces. After that, this wax tree needs to be encased into the plaster material. A box should be taken which would hold the plaster material, and into it, the tree must be assembled to cure carefully. Just like the molten metal which solidifies after time, the investment material would harden and the wax tree can later be burnout for removal.
4. Burning Out
The investment would cure in the specified time and the wax tree can then be removed by heating the material. It is performed to take out the model from within the mold to obtain a space that will then be used to create jewelry pieces. The burning is performed by using a furnace or kiln where a higher temperature is applied which melts it down and it’s poured out.
5. Metal Casting
As the critical step of forming a mold is completed, the final step of casting the desired metal initiates. If silver jewelry is being cast, then the silver metal will be melted. Similarly, if Gold jewelry casting is being performed, then instead of silver, gold will be used in its melted form. The melting can be performed through any method and it varies from one artisan to another artisan.
6. Solidification and Residue Removal
An important step is to allow the metal to cool down completely. It must not be disturbed before it is completely in its solid state. After that, the investment mold can be broken down to reveal the casting. Once it has been taken out, the sprue will be cut off and the jewelry piece can then be taken for cleaning to remove residues and polishing to achieve its final shape.
8. Polishing and Refinement
The obtained piece of jewelry needs to be polished to eliminate raw edges. It reaches a desirable appearance after this step and later on, some final touches can also be performed which include adding gemstones or some engraving which would not only enhance its appearance but also its value.
Conclusion
The jewelry casting method is similar for any metal, but a generalized overview of jewelry metal casting can serve as a basic guide for individuals. An artisan when decides to cast a jewelry piece, he or she must develop a design. This design needs to be made into its 3D form to serve as a blueprint for model creation. The wax models are assembled within a hard investment material and later melted away to obtain an empty cavity for metal pouring. The metal once poured needs to be carefully cured and removed after solidification. The obtained piece of art needs further work such as cleaning, polishing, and final touches to achieve its desired form. It’s an interesting process that can be enjoyed by a skillful artisan who knows how to breathe life into a dead piece of metal.