Lost Wax Jewelry Casting Process
Lost wax casting is an ancient process by which a duplicate metal sculpture (often gold, silver, brass or bronze) is cast from an original wax sculpture. The original wax sculptures are made by hand using a variety of tools and techniques. The process allows you to get as precise and perfect or as free-formed and organic as the designer prefers. This results in a large range of aesthetic outcomes.
I start with a block of raw hard wax, soft wax sheets as building layer and a piece of polished marble as a working surface. My favorite tools are a heated metal pen that collects melted wax, sanding files, a set of dental carving tools and an x-acto blade.
Here are a couple photos from my process:
Once I have a final wax model that I am happy with, that wax model goes through a casting process where you end up with an exact replica in metal (sterling silver, 14k gold or bronze).
This is one of the best videos I have found that explains process and shows each step very well.
That's it, simple!
A few of my wax models next to a silver casting from other wax models:
Here are a few of my pieces just out of the casting process (raw castings, before hand finishing):
