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 · Sep 2026
Jewelry Casting Shrinkage and Expected Weight Loss: What Buyers Should Budget
Linear shrinkage, weight recovery, and sprue scrap rates per alloy so you can quote finished gram weight before a single pour leaves the flask.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Brushed Finish vs High Polish: Which Bench Finish Sells and Lasts
Directional brushing versus mirror polish: scratch behavior, fingerprint smudge, re-finish cost, and which mens band finish survives daily wear.
Making & process · Sep 2026
From CAD File to Finished Ring: The Full Atelier Journey
Follow a custom engagement ring from the first CAD render through wax, casting, setting, and polishing, and see what each step actually involves.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Ring Sizing Up vs. Down: What Happens at the Bench
Sizing a ring up stretches metal; sizing it down cuts and solders it. Both have limits. We explain what your jeweler can do—and where to draw the line.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Silver Annealing Sequence Before Soldering: Bench Order That Prevents Cracks
Hard, medium, easy solder stages and when to anneal between them. The bench order that stops fabricated sterling tubes from splitting at the seam.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Rhodium Plating Thickness in Microns: What to Spec
0.1 vs 0.5 vs 1.0 micron rhodium on silver and white gold: wear life, cost and how to write the spec on your purchase order.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Flask and Tree Placement: Where a Ring Sits in the Flask
Top-tier rings cold-shut and bottom-tier rings get investment inclusions. Our flask rotation and tree placement rules for consistent casting every tier.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Tension Settings vs Bezel Work: Durability, Resizing, and Stone Risk
True tension settings need a 3 mm platinum or 18k shank. Bezel work protects the stone, resizes easily, and repairs in ten minutes. Which to sell.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Filigree at the Bench: How Fine Wire Jewelry Is Made
Filigree looks delicate but demands serious patience. We walk through forming, twisting, and soldering fine wire into openwork patterns.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Bulk Jewelry Production Lead Time: From Wax to Carton
Bulk jewelry production lead time by department: modeling, casting, setting, polishing, plating, QC. Where orders slip and how to compress it.
Making & process · Sep 2026
Rubber Molds and Wax Injection: How Casting Patterns Are Made
Hand wax carving and 3D printing are not the only ways to make a casting pattern. Here is how rubber molds and wax injection produce repeatable pieces.
Making & process · Sep 2026
How a Jeweler Sets a Stone: Prong, Bezel, and Channel Work Explained
Walk through prong, bezel, and channel setting mechanics, tooling, tolerances, and what to ask your manufacturer before production.