Remember this?

Part I of this series can be found here.

Part III of this series can be found here.

The molds that we left in the steam de-waxer have lost more than 90% of their wax. They are now ready to enter the next phase of casting! Here is the de-waxing machine:

Not very impressive by itself. Here is the inside, after a de-waxing. Note t ... a button to read the full article text

Published by Sarah Christenson Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:53:00 GMT no comments permalink
28 Sep 18:48
  The Birth of a Ring, Part I

This ring was born in our store this past month. It isn’t just a simple process of scraping a chunk of silver off a block and gluing a gemstone down inside. It takes just a bit more work (and equipment!) than that…

Here you can observe- in painstaking detail- the conception, gestation, and final delivery of a custom designed ring from Wexford Jewelers.

It all begins with a wax model. This is extruded sheet wax that has been bent into the primary form, cut to shape, cut to size, and ... a button to read the full article text

Published by Sarah Christenson Mon, 29 Sep 2008 01:48:00 GMT 1 comment permalink

Whether it was the advent of spring, the task of cleaning my outdated wardrobe, or just a lifelong fixation with the color green, I had to build this ring this past month.

Having recently acquired a couple of cat’s eye chrysoberyls, I was anxious to use them in some stunning piece. I think we pulled it off, don’t you?

I began with a simple bezel of extruded blue wax. This is a softer wax, perfect for forming. Bending the wax to within a millimeter tolerance of the stone, I secured it on the bottom with a more rigid piece of Ruby Red wax, extendin ... a button to read the full article text

Published by Sarah Christenson Tue, 27 May 2008 23:58:00 GMT no comments permalink
14 Feb 16:12
  The New World

Having apprenticed under a half-crazed master jeweler, I have grown to be closed minded towards new ideas. Wait. Let me rephrase that. I have learned to be closed minded towards any good idea that anyone but myself has come up with. So having said that, let me begin.

Centrifugal casting was THE way and the ONLY way to cast precious metal. It took me some time to learn, but after a year, I believe I had acquired the skill to complete a successful casting. All the while, there was still a small spark in the back of my mind telling me that there were other- possibly more efficient- ways of doing things.

“JASON! Go heat up the car! i want to look at 800 acres not too far from here, where we can build our ... a button to read the full article text

Published by Michael Christenson II Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:12:00 GMT no comments permalink


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