What is wax carving for making precious jewellery?
In ancient Mesopotamia, around 3500 BCE, artisans used the lost wax casting technique to create small bronze objects. Similarly, in ancient Egypt, lost wax casting was employed to create intricate gold jewellery, as evidenced by artifacts found in tombs dating back to the Old Kingdom period (circa 2686–2181 BCE).
The ancient Greeks and Romans also used lost wax casting extensively for creating sculptures, jewellery, and other metal objects. Some of the most famous examples of ancient Greek bronze sculptures, such as the Riace Warriors or the Charioteer of Delphi, were created using the lost wax casting method.
In traditional jewellery making, jewellers carve their design into a block of wax using specialised tools create an accurate representation of the final piece.
Once the wax model is complete, it is attached to a wax sprue, which is a wax rod that acts as a channel for the molten metal to flow into the mould.
The entire assembly is then attached to a base, forming a tree-like structure known as a "tree" or "sprue tree." The wax tree is then placed in a flask, and a high-temperature investment material (usually a mixture of plaster and silica) is poured around it.
This investment material hardens around the wax model, creating a mould that will withstand the high temperatures of the casting process.
Once the investment material has set, the flask is placed in an oven or furnace. The heat gradually melts away the wax, leaving behind a cavity in the shape of the original wax model within the investment mould. This step is called "burnout."
After the metal has cooled and solidified, the investment mould is broken away, revealing the rough casting.
The casting will require further finishing processes such as cutting off the metal sprue, filing and polishing,
There are a huge amount of professional jewellery casting companies who are able to make a mold of your wax carved creation or cast directly as a one off from your wax carving in any number of metals such as silver, gold or platinum. Some of these companies will even remove the sprue, polish and hallmark your item for you for an additional charge. This means that you can create a beautiful piece of precious jewellery from your own kitchen table with very few expensive tools and materials.
