The Lost Wax Casting Process for Making Jewelry

October 7, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Crafts

jewel
SusanaGormen asked:

How many times have you looked at a piece of your jewelry and wondered just how it was made. Is the meat carved? How is it created with such fine detail? The methods that are used to create the fine jewelry that you wear use the same technology that lifted civilization from the Iron Age to the Bronze Age.

In fact, many anthropologists theorize that ancient people stumbled onto the idea when molten copper melted out of chunks of copper ore that they had lined their fire pits with. Its called the “lost wax” casting method and its the same method that ancient peoples developed to make copper and bronze axes and tools with.

To create a piece of jewelry using the lost wax method, the piece is first crated in exact detail out of sculpting wax. The wax piece is then encased in plaster and allowed to cure and dry. After the chunk of plaster has been allowed to dry it is then placed in a hot kiln so the wax piece inside of it can melt and burn out.

When it has cooled, the chunk of plaster with the hollow shape of the original wax piece in it is placed in a centrifugal jewelery casting device. The centrifugal caster then spins around and molten gold or silver is forced into the hollow spot in the chunk of plaster by centrifugal force.

After the the metal inside of the plaster has been allowed to cool, the plaster is then chipped away. What is revealed is a whatever was originally encased inside the plaster made of wax, only now it is made out of metal. Even things such as bugs and leaves can be encased in plaster and then reproduced in gold this way as long as they can be burned out in a kiln.

NYIGF To Feature Eco-friendly Handmade Artistry

September 29, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Crafts

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Jeff A Hardy asked:

The New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) 2009, is scheduled during August 15- 19 at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The novice and innovative handicrafts manufacturers have a great opportunity to showcase their eco-friendly materials and fine craftsmanship at NYIGF’s “Handmade”. Other highlights of the juried craft division include an increased number of jewelry resources and more wearable textiles.

According to Dorothy Belshaw, NYIGF director and GLM senior vice president. “Handmade buyers can see how these talented artists excel in using sustainable materials not only to create new products, but also to further develop existing lines.” A Canadian-based artist designs wooden puzzles and puppets using wood from well-managed forests, organic cottons, and non-toxic ink. A Collection from Austin, TX, includes museum-quality wall art featuring plant pressings of tropical orchids, leaves, sea plants and wildflowers. A jewelry company from Kansas City, MO, developed its line from found objects such as street signs and license plates, combined with sterling silver and copper.

Apart from handicrafts, talented jewelry designers have the opportunity to present innovative designs using unexpected materials. For example, a South Korean fashion jewelery company, has recently introduced a series of jewelry fashioned from rubber gloves. Cufflinks and belt buckles made from colorful fused glass, wooden jewelry, metal, painted and batik jewelry, customized and one-of-a-kind pieces of scarves, shawls, sarongs, and pillowcases, unique hand-quilted coats and jackets made from vintage dowry quilts from India are all included among many other innovative fashion accessories to be showcased.

The “Handmade in the USA” designation will also be utilized at the Fair as a buyer’s aid to source American-made craft. Some 30,000 attendees from all 50 states and around the world are expected at NYIGF, the nation’s premier gift, home and lifestyle marketplace. For more information and registration, visit NYIGF website.

Updating Your Jewelry Display

July 5, 2009 by admin  
Filed under Crafts

modelling
Gary Capps asked:

If you’ve got a jewelery business and you’re selling pieces of your jewellery items at craft shows, then you will have attention-grabbing designs for your jewelries on view. Fundamentally, when you display your home made jewelries, you’re marketing them to the public. But often you find it tough to be subjective especially when you often see your jewelry booth and display just the same as it was before. Then it’s time for you to have a jewellery display update. In this fashion, you may be expecting more sales from your new and creative jewellery displays.

it isn’t straightforward to select whether you’ve got to update your jewellery display or not, considering that you have just invested such a lot of time and energy in creating and presenting your items. One way to have a look at your booth display objectively is to use your camera during your craft show. In your spare time, take many footage of your jewellery items at your booth from different angles. If you’ve got a show of polymer clay jewellery, take four or 5 different footage of the same display. Bring the photographs back to your home and spread it out on a surface where you can objectively observe them. If you find out that all your displays are not eye-catching, then you’ve got to make a step to raise your potential sales.

if you are still not convinced with what the photos tell you, ask an objective opinion from your mate or from an affiliate of your folks. Inspire them to go to your booth and ask them for some feedback or offers. In this way, you’ll be able to obtain fresh and fair criticisms from your display that you have not spotted all the while.

Think of the possible methods to get fresh ideas that will help you update your jewelry displays more effectively to draw in more purchasers. Think about your layout, are all of your jewelry designs just put on the table, try separate each different style so they stand out more. Having your cameos mixed together with your teenage jewelery designs wont highlight either of them and you may lose sales.

Grab the opportunity to take some concepts on attention-grabbing displays from other craft booths however be sure to ask for authorisation first. Know the rationale why other booths attract more consumers. Study all the photos you have taken and try to determine the engaging features of each booth that yours doesn’t have.

there are other systems to get more jewelry display concepts to raise your sales such as visiting some furniture and interior design stores, local art studios, crafter malls, and antique malls. It’d be better if you will be permitted to take some photos of their display. This could just need a day for you to try this task and return to your home with some engaging and useful ideas for your new jewelry displays.

try to visit also your nearest local bookstores and read some interior design mags. There are tons of display companies that have online sites to serve as references. You can scan the Net for online forums about crafts and jewellery selling, and read some successful booth design blog write-ups.

It is always a smart call to update your jewelery display in the right interval, particularly when you’re beginning to fall off in sales. If you are showing your jewelry items in the same demeanour more often, prospective buyers will simply become bored. Remember, folks always wish to have a fresh and original jewellery trend. Always be prepared and be assured to display those crowd pleasing pieces of jewelries to catch potential buyers’ attention. Another great way to keep people returning to your display is to supply them some free literature, some inexpensive printouts of straightforward strategies, like how to make a button bracelet. They are much more likely to get from you if you offer them the the easy way to do it instructions as well as give the materials.