Hi there! I'm Natalie. I make fine jewellery using the lost wax method. All of my designs are carved by hand, custom-cast in precious metals, and finished with traditional goldsmithing techniques. This post is about how I use silicone moulds, and it is part of a series that I'm writing on my design and production process :)
Introduction to casting
If you're not familiar with lost wax casting, it looks something like this:
Every original wax model is destroyed as soon as it is cast into metal, which means that a single carving can only be cast into a single piece of jewellery. To create multiple pieces of jewellery with the same design, we have to use a mould.
Making a mould
A mould is made by pouring liquid silicone around an object. Once set, the silicone can be sliced open to retrieve the object. The impression that remains can be filled with whatever material you need for your project. Normally I have my moulds made at the time of the first casting - here is the first one I ever had made, for the Peony Charm:
To create a wax replica, the two halves of the mould are placed together, and liquid wax is injected into the cavity. Once cooled and retrieved from the mould, the wax replicas can be cast directly in metal, or combined with handcarving to create new designs. Below are four replicas of the Peony Charm design:
From left to right, we have:
- Original casting in brass, made from my handcarving
- Blue wax replica
- Raw gold casting, made from one such replica
- Polished gold casting
Since the handcarving process is very labour-intensive, I almost always have a silicone mould made for my original carvings. The wax replicas usually turn out a bit smushed and uneven, but they are a good starting point for me during production! Rather than carving each piece from scratch (which would take weeks and weeks - orders would never arrive in reasonable time!), working from replicas takes about five to ten hours of handcarving to clean them up and bring the details back.
Using moulds for the design process
I use replicas quite often in creating new designs. Normally you can tell the difference by the colour of the wax. My handcarvings are always done in green wax, which is hardest and holds the best detail, and the replica parts are usually in a softer pink wax, a type of injection wax used by my caster (who also makes my moulds). Lately I have been forgetful about getting photos of these works, but here are some of the ones I could find.
Peony Ring
The Peony Ring was made with a blue wax replica of the Peony Charm, and a new leafy band handcarved in green:
Ring resizing
The gold ring on the left is cast from the previous blue-and-green wax model. A pink wax replica is shown on the right.
Bonsai
The tiny blossoms are taken from (many) wax replicas of the Strawberry Twirl earring, while the trunk and branches are newly done handcarving. I am a bit loathe to cast this design because the colours of the wax are already perfect!
Learn about lost wax jewellery
For more on my studio and jewellery making process:
Thanks for reading!