The Goldsmith Process
Once you have decided what you want your rings to be like, I make them by hand. Here’s how I do it:
- I use an ancient process called Lost Wax Casting. The ring is first made in wax, usually carved in a hard wax.
- A plaster mold is made of the wax model. The mold is then heated in an oven and the wax melts out.
- Gold ( or other metal ) is melted and poured into the mold.
- When cool, the gold ring is removed. The rough ring is then finished. All this, the carving and finishing is done by hand.
Years ago, I taught my son Vince to finish rings. I wrote down a list of 22 separate steps in the finishing process (to do it like Dad does). As I work, I spend a lot of time listening to music, looking out the window…sanding rings. |