In early days all jewelry was made by hand. The first machines ere used in 1869. Gradually more and more machine processes were developed. At first they were used only to make cheap jewelry. As methods improved, mass production was also used by manufacturers of better-quality jewelry.
Fine jewelry. The method used to make a number of identical pieces of fine jewelry is called casting. A master model ids made, generally of metal. Then a rubber impression, or mold, is made of the master model. Molten wax is cast in the rubber mold to make a wax model. This wax model is used to form a second mold, made of plaster of paris. This plaster mold is placed in an oven, and the wax is melted out. A hole left in the plasterlets the wax escape and the precious metal enter. The plater mold can be used only once. The first, or rubber, mold may be used hundreds of times.
The casting process is much faster than working each piece separately. But it is far from an automatic process. Each step must be done by hand. Great care and a high degreeof skill are necessary.
Not all fine jewelry begins as a casting. Much of it starts as a flat piece of precious metal, which is turned into an original design. When a jeweler works this way, he uses many different hand tools, such as files, punches, saws, mallets, and pliers. He also uses a blowtorch to solder the parts of an article together.
Fine jewelry. The method used to make a number of identical pieces of fine jewelry is called casting. A master model ids made, generally of metal. Then a rubber impression, or mold, is made of the master model. Molten wax is cast in the rubber mold to make a wax model. This wax model is used to form a second mold, made of plaster of paris. This plaster mold is placed in an oven, and the wax is melted out. A hole left in the plasterlets the wax escape and the precious metal enter. The plater mold can be used only once. The first, or rubber, mold may be used hundreds of times.
The casting process is much faster than working each piece separately. But it is far from an automatic process. Each step must be done by hand. Great care and a high degreeof skill are necessary.
Not all fine jewelry begins as a casting. Much of it starts as a flat piece of precious metal, which is turned into an original design. When a jeweler works this way, he uses many different hand tools, such as files, punches, saws, mallets, and pliers. He also uses a blowtorch to solder the parts of an article together.
