Here at Merrell Casting, we focus on reliable, daily casting for the jewellery industry in a range of precious metals. Occasionally, we cast unusual pieces and art objects that require specialist knowledge of the casting process. Here, we outline the basic steps of the jewellery casting process and the methods our experts use to transform a wax mould into a gold, platinum or palladium piece.
The Jewellery Casting Process: Step One
The jewellery casting process begins in the plaster shop. Wax moulds are fixed to wax trees and placed within casting flasks. These flasks are then filled with plaster of Paris to remove the remaining space inside before being left to set.
Step Two
Once solid, the casting flasks are placed into an oven to melt the wax trees inside and leave a plaster mould.
Whilst the casting pots are in the kiln, the metal grains are put in the casting machine and heated to 1000 degrees, the melting point for metal.
Step Three
Once the wax trees have melted, the casting flasks are transferred from the oven into a tray in the casting machine, which drains the liquid metal from above, down into the flask to fill the plaster mould. The flask is then moved onto a shelf and left to cool for 30 minutes.
Step Four
The last steps of the process focus on cleaning the casts to ensure they are pristine before being sent to polishing. First, the casting flasks are rigorously cleaned with water to remove all traces of plaster.
Step Five
Finally, the casts endure an acid clean to remove any black marks from their surface. This is then sent to our setting and finishing department to be transformed into a piece of jewellery. You can speak to our sister company, Hockley Mint, for more information about finished jewellery.
