Written by: Domina-Charlidon
We are blessed to live in a modern world where technology has made it easier to do our beloved jobs.
Manufacturing jewellery is one of the jobs that has been made easier by technology.
There are still quite a few jewellers and goldsmiths who still make use of handmade manufacturing. Some prefer to make use of Computer Aided Design (CAD) to design their jewellery. From a CAD design we move on to 3D wax printing of the jewellery piece where it is then casted by lost-wax casting techniques or other techniques that include cattlefish/cattlebone casting, sand castings, water castings and many more.
Manufacturing jewellery by means of computer design and casting has a lot of advantages and disadvantages. We are here to discuss them with you as a designer in the wedding industry. We would like you to make the best informed decision for your special day.
By using the casting method we do not have soldering joints on various parts of the jewellery item that can break, we save time, it’s accurate to the last detail on the ring with sizing and the final product looks exactly like the design. The most exciting part is you get to see your design accurately before it’s manufactured whereas with hand designs and hand manufacturing there is always the possibility of it not looking 100% like the design you wanted. Different designs can also be compared with each other making it easier to match items together.
The disadvantages of manufacturing with technology aren’t as scary as you’d think but it could lead to possible false advertising. With the help of different rendering apps and programmes a Jewellery piece can look beautiful and flawless, but the final product could not look as great. The reason for this is that anything can be achieved with editing that might not be realistically possible. A designer could possibly not understand the design and manufacturing techniques of handmade jewellery. It’s important to understand the basics and rules of sustainable jewellery before being able to design and manufacture lasting jewellery. This can lead to jewellery that’s too thin, brittle, hollow and many more side effects.
When choosing a jewellery, remember to look at their previous work. Can they work by hand? Do they have the skills to work off castings neatly? Did they study or do a trade test in manufacturing? It is important to remember that a pretty picture is easy to draw, it’s like a dream. But working hard, effort and getting your hands dirty gives you the best results.
We are always open to discuss our working methods , please do get in touch if you’d like to find out more.
Lots of love,
Chanique
Owner, designer and manufacturer at Domina-Charlidon
