How one of jewelry making’s oldest techniques transforms a model into precious metal.
Lost-wax casting has been used to create objects in metal for thousands of years, and it remains an important technique in fine jewelry today.
The idea behind it is surprisingly simple. A model of the jewel is created in wax or another castable material. A mold is formed around it and the model is removed with heat. Molten metal then fills the space left behind.
What begins as a model becomes a jewel in gold.
An Ancient Technique Still in Use
Lost-wax casting can be traced back thousands of years and has been used by cultures in many different parts of the world.
The reason it is still used today is quite practical. It allows a goldsmith to reproduce three-dimensional forms, fine details, textures and complex shapes in precious metal.
The way the model is made has changed over time. It can still be formed or carved in wax by hand, but contemporary workshops may also work from molds or digitally created models.
The tools have evolved, but understanding the metal, the casting process and what happens after casting remains essential.
How Lost-Wax Casting Works
The process varies somewhat from one workshop or piece to another, but the basic steps are the same.
The Model
Everything begins with a three-dimensional model of the jewel.
It may be carved or shaped in wax by hand, made from a mold or created using digital technology. This model matters because its form, proportions and details will eventually be reproduced in metal.
Investment
The model is attached to a small channel called a sprue. This is the path the molten metal will later follow.
Several models can be assembled together to form what is known as a casting tree. They are placed inside a flask and surrounded by a special investment material, which hardens around them.
Burnout
The flask is heated and the wax is removed. What remains inside the hardened investment is an empty space in the exact form of the original model.
This is where the name “lost wax” comes from.
Casting
Molten metal is introduced into the space left by the model. For Via Orefici jewelry, this may be 18K gold, depending on the piece.
This part of the process requires considerable control. The temperature of the metal, its preparation and the way it flows through the mold can all affect the result.
Casting is much more than simply pouring gold into a mold.
From Casting to Jewel
Once the metal has cooled, the investment is removed and the individual pieces are separated from the casting tree.
What comes out is not a finished jewel.
The raw casting still needs the work of the goldsmith. It may need to be filed, assembled, soldered, refined, textured and polished. Depending on the design, it may also need to be prepared for stone setting.
I think this is one of the most interesting parts of the process. Casting creates the form, but the work that follows gives the jewel its finish and character.
Why Goldsmiths Use Lost-Wax Casting
Lost-wax casting makes it possible to create forms that would be difficult to achieve through fabrication alone. It is particularly suited to sculptural shapes, complex volumes, detailed surfaces and designs made from several interconnected elements.
But casting itself does not make a jewel well made.
The design matters. The model matters. The metal and the casting matter. And the work of the goldsmith after the piece has been cast matters enormously.
Lost-wax casting is a technique. The craftsmanship lies in knowing how to use it well.
Lost-Wax Casting at Via Orefici
Lost-wax casting is one of the techniques used to create pieces in the Via Orefici collection.
What interests me is not simply that the technique is ancient. It is what a skilled goldsmith can do with it: create volume, texture, detail and forms that become something very different once translated into gold.
It is a technique that has changed with technology while keeping much of its original principle.
And in the end, the technique is only part of the story. What matters is the jewel that comes from it, and the skill of the hands that turn a casting into something beautiful to wear.
