THE PROCESS

Sat, 04 Dec 2010 17:18:00 GMT

My first step is to capture any idea I can.... I use a sketch book for my "butterfly net". Anything that gets close enough to the net gets a new home in my book.

The winner is always obvious..I then work out the details. I think of the shape, the size, how it will look in Silver, who will wear it etc, chain sizes...etc...etc..

Now comes the most labor intensive part, the wax carving. Just about all jewelry designers farm out this very important step. Most do computer aided machine carving, others hire human hands. I put on a playlist and turn off my phone. I feel this is the main difference between me and other designers. Every little detail from my concept comes through my hands into tho wax carving. There is nothing left for translation all the designs are 100% me.

This is the finished "wax model". This exactly how the casting in silver will turn out after it is polished. I check it for size, fit, scale. I do last minute adjustments to the way it sits or hangs.

The wax is then signed, numbered, branded and dated then sent to a local caster where it is then cast using the lost wax method in sterling Silver.

When the ring comes back from the caster, I first remove any imperfections that might have occurred during the cast, then I sand the pieces from rough to fine to remove scale and define the shape.

The piece is then polished to perfection with different grades of polishing compound.

A final quality check, and off it goes a lucky new home..

How SBO is made

THE PROCESS