Techniques used in the jewelry manufacturing process

metal work

You can work directly from metal, for this different tools are used. It begins by melting the metal in a crucible with blowtorches to obtain an ingot, with different shapes depending on the piece we are going to make. Once the molten ingot is ready, it is shaped and stretched with tools such as rolling mills, stuffers, milling cutters, chisels, chisels, etc., until the desired shape is achieved. If the piece consists of different parts, they will have to be assembled and soldered together, the stones are set if they have them and the final finishing and polishing is given.

Lost wax casting

Lost wax casting consists of carving the model in wax, a very versatile element, since it can be carved, carved and at the same time soldered and worked with heat, just as other softer waxes are moldable.

Once the wax model is finished, it is placed in a plaster mold that is heated in an oven until the wax disappears and through a previously made cavity called a "sprue", the molten metal is emptied to fill the gap left by the wax. . The mold is broken and the metal model is obtained ready for grinding and polishing.

Filigree in metal

This technique consists of stretching the metal until it obtains a very fine thread with which the pieces of jewelry are woven. It is a laborious work technique widely used in ancient Al-Andalus.

Embossed and chiseled

This ancient technique used in jewelry consists of giving relief to a plate or sheet metal object with chisels of different types struck with a hammer. In this way, different drawings or motifs are achieved, some of which are very complex.

D modeling and prototyping

One of the most modern techniques used in jewelry is 3D modeling with design software. This method allows very complicated parts to be made with great precision. By designing with 3D software, you obtain the model in a .stl file ready to send to a prototyping machine. There are different prototyping systems, one of the most widespread is wax printing, which prints the model and makes it grow until it is completely formed. This model created in wax is ready for lost wax casting and once cast in metal, traditional methods are applied for its final finishing.

Enamel

A very old technique that consists of applying layers of pigmented glass by melting it at high temperatures. Within enamelling there are different techniques and finishes.

Mokume gane

Another ancient Japanese technique in which sheets of different metals are joined together to create a block of metal which is then deformed and molded to give the piece a very original veined appearance.