What is Lost Wax Casting?

Jewelry making is multifaceted drawing upon many applications in the production process including lapidary, metalsmithing and lost wax casting to bring your creations to life.

Some adornments created by Made by Nakita apply the method of lost wax casting - a time honored technique that has been in practice for thousands of years.

This process is attained when you make a wax prototype to form a mold which is then used to cast into metal of your choice. The mold allows duplication when you need to make identical pieces of jewelry.

Lost wax casting enables you to create jewelry that exudes a personal touch reflecting the artistry of its maker. Utilizing this method highlights your unique style and offers the opportunity to make jewelry for a collection or craft something special for your clients setting your work a part from mass produced items.

Wanting to learn more about this technique I enrolled in a class focused on setting gemstones in wax exploring more intricate forms of jewelry making that complemented my metalsmithing skills.

Making this type of jewelry feels like you’re being transported back through the pages of history each piece echoing the traditions of the past yet reflecting the craftmanship of the present. By incorporating these techniques I’m able to create handcrafted jewelry with a timeless and modern look.

Here are some steps to lost wax casting:

Sculpting Wax Prototype

Sculpting prototype and refining with tools in preparation for lost wax casting.

Wax Mold

Wax mold that duplicates your original wax model which reproduces multiples.

Wax Casting Tree

A wax tree is built from the wax mold. The wax tree is placed in a flask that is filled with a plastering material then placed in a kiln creating an empty space of your model (lost wax). Molten metal (casting grain or recycled metal) is poured in to create your jewelry. The jewelry is clipped from the tree sanded and polished.

Lake Necklace & Celeste Ring

Jewelry pieces created from the lost wax casting method.