Lost Wax Casting

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Spirit Horse Ear and Balerion Dragon Pendants in Wax

All of the jewelry that we design is created using the Lost Wax Casting method. Our designs are cast in sterling silver, gold and bronze. We personally sculpt every original in wax in our Santa Cruz studio. The lost wax casting process involves creating a detailed model in wax which is then suspended in a metal flask and "investment" is poured around it. (Investment is very much like plaster.) The invested flask is then placed in a kiln and the wax model is slowly melted out until only the negative cavity, the exact shape of the original wax model, remains. Molten metal is then centrifugally spun into this negative space and allowed to cool and solidify. The metal piece is then broken free from the plaster and there is a long process required to finish the piece. The connecting channels to the piece must be cut and ground and numerous polishing medias are used to bring the piece to its final finished state. All of our jewelry is oxidized which darkens the recessed areas and gives contrast to the design. If gemstones are to be set they are mounted just prior to the final polish.