The 5 Steps to Jewellery Casting

Jewellery casting

Jewellery casting is the process by which a wax pattern is made into a tree of wax patterns.  Built on a sprue base and then fitted to a flask.  Filled with investment powder, baked in a kiln, then finally filled with molten metal or silver to create a custom piece of jewellery.  It is also called lost wax casting because the wax is always “lost” during the process of making jewellery.  Let’s see how:

1. Most jewellery that is manufactured starts off as a wax pattern. Jewellery manufacturers will take the wax pattern , build a tree like structure starting from the sprue base.

Jewellery casting wax pattern

2. Once the tree of wax patterns has been built it is then match to the correct length flask and filled with investment powder  (that has been mixed with water) , jewellery makers will put the flask into the kiln until the investment hardens.

Tree of wax patterns

3. In the kiln, all of the wax will melt out / burn out of the hollow cavity inside of the flask . This process take hours and set at various temperatures.

Melt wax

4. With a wax-free invested flask, manufacturers will then pour molten metal into the hollow cavity that is in the flask with either a vacuum machine or a centrifugal casting machine , while the flask is still hot.

Pour molten metal

5. After a few minutes, you will put the flask into a bucket of cold water and the powder will dissipate. You will then be able to reach in and pull out the tree that has has your item of jewellery that is the exact replica as the initial wax pattern.

Flask into a bucket of cold water

cut the pieces off the tree and then you ready to work off your piece.