Journal · 542 notes
Making & process
Written for buyers rather than for search engines: what a specification actually means, where an order usually goes wrong, and what to ask before you pay a deposit.
Making & process · Oct 2026
Jewelry Casting Tree: How Many Pieces Per Cast Can You Actually Stack?
Tree height, sprue diameter, and metal flow decide piece count. See what we stack on a 3-inch flask for silver, gold, and delicate earrings.
Making & process · Oct 2026
Hand Setting vs Machine Setting in Jewelry: When Each Process Wins
Hand setting wins on one-offs, pave, and fragile stones. CNC and laser setting win on repeat rings. Cost, speed, and durability math.
Making & process · Oct 2026
Prong Setting Diamonds Without Chipping
Seat depth, matched burr rotation, and star-pattern tightening that protect 0.3 to 3ct diamonds from table chips during wholesale prong setting.
Making & process · Oct 2026
Spruing Thin Rings: Gate Size That Stops Shrinkage Voids
Thin 1.2 mm bands trap shrinkage voids at the sprue base. Our foundry gate size, angle and two-gate rule for casting slim rings without pinholes.
Making & process · Oct 2026
Lost-Wax Burnout: How Hold Time and Temperature Set Each Other
A bench-level burnout curve for sterling silver, brass and 3D-printed wax: ramp rates, hold temperatures and how long each flask actually needs.
Making & process · Oct 2026
Stone Girdles and Seat Cuts: How to Fit a Moissanite Into a Custom Ring
Moissanite girdles vary 0.1-0.2 mm within a labeled size. Seat depth, culet clearance, and girdle thickness measured on the bench.
Making & process · Oct 2026
Final High Shine Steps on the Polishing Bench
Tripoli, rouge, and burnisher sequence plus buff speed and pressure numbers that deliver a jewelry-grade mirror before rhodium plating.
Making & process · Oct 2026
Casting Shrinkage and Tolerances in Sterling Silver
Sterling silver shrinks 1.5-2% between wax and finished ring. Compensation, tolerance stack, and size-adjustment math used on every run.
Making & process · Oct 2026
Bench Grit and Files: The Surface Prep Stages Between Casting and Polish
From coarse knife files through 600-grit sandpaper, the bench prep stages that decide whether high polish actually holds on a cast ring.
Making & process · Oct 2026
Investment Powder Basics for Jewelry Casting
Water-to-powder ratio, vacuum pull time, burnout holds, and slurry measurements that stop pitting and grain on silver and gold castings.
Making & process · Oct 2026
Burnout and Flask Temperature at Pour
Ramp rates, hold minutes, and pre-pour flask temperature that cut carbon residue and thermal shock on silver, 14K gold, and brass castings.
Making & process · Oct 2026
Barrel Finishing vs Hand Polishing: Surface Finish on Production Jewelry
Barrel finishing trims cast flash and deburrs in bulk. Hand polishing delivers high shine. The two-stage finish we run on 925 silver.
