There are different ways to explain how custom jewelry is made.
We are going to cover two major categories today – hand-forming vs casting.
Hand-forming
At Forge Gone Conclusions, we typically hand-form all our pieces. This involves taking bar stock or wire and shaping it into different formations. This could be settings, bridge work, embellishments, or the actual base of a ring, pendant, or earrings. We show all our work on our YouTube channel that shows how many of our pieces are made.
In this video below, you will see that we used a variety of tools and techniques to show how custom jewelry is made. Tools included a handsaw, a variety of burrs and brushes, a hand-torch and pick, tweezers, polishing wheels, a steamer, and an ultrasonic machine.
The advantage of hand forming is that it is a traditional art form and truly highlights the skills of a jeweler. A lot of labor goes into making each piece, but each piece is custom designed and manufactured for each individual.
Casting
Casting is better suited for mass-produced jewelry. This allows one design to be created and replicated multiple times. The elements of casting are that a mold is created of the actual design. Hot metal is poured into the mold and takes on the form that was designed and it is then hardened and cooled. Post processing occurs to clean up the molded pieces as well as to set stones. The advantage of casting is that you can have “perfect” parts from the original design, but it can easily be mass produced and it loses the craftsmanship of the traditional jewelry techniques.
So, if you are interested in having a hand-formed piece custom made just for you, feel free to contact us. We would love to help you with your next idea!
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