Jewelry is gorgeous and attracts people to buy it all the time with its charm. So, how is a piece of jewelry made? Whether it's earrings, gold necklaces and gemstone rings for women or diamond watches and gemstone cuffs for men, the main steps of the jewelry making process are the same. They are mainly divided into taking materials, preparing tools for carving, designing a plan, shaping, preliminary carving, fine carving, polishing and buffing, and storage work. Next, this blog will cover these aspects of the process of making most of the jewelry available in the market.
Material Selection
Choosing the right material for carving is the first step in creating jewelry. For those who prefer luxurious and gorgeous designs, you can pick some precious gemstones to trim the piece, such as diamonds, sapphires, and emerald stones. For the main part of the jewelry, you can choose gold or platinum. However, for the first time, it is advisable to choose a cost-effective material for making jewelry, such as a gemstone bracelet. For the main part of the bracelet ring, you can choose titanium, and for the decorative stones, you can choose crystals or cat's eye stones.
Preparing Carving Tools
Professional engraving tools are of course essential for the production of beautiful engraved crafts. Commonly used in the production of jewelry carving tools, there are several.
Stereoscopic microscope: most of the delicate and small size of jewelry, the beginning of the production of professional tools need to be fixed, and then use a stereo microscope to magnify the carving surface of the jewelry, to facilitate the next step in the production.
Engraving knife: Used for fine engraving and detailing, common engraving knives include flat knife, round knife and V-shaped knife.
Hammers and chisels: Used for shaping and initial engraving to help create the desired shape out of the metal material.
Sanders and polishing cloths: used to polish and buff the surface of the jewelry.
Tweezers and magnifying glasses: for fine manipulation and checking details to make sure everything is perfect.
Design Plan
A satisfactory design is the prerequisite for the creation of a pleasing piece of jewelry. Draw up a detailed design according to your needs and preferences. The design includes not only the overall shape and structure of the jewelry, but also details of the position and size of each stone to be set in the carved body, as well as the thickness and texture of the metal parts. Only after the design is finalized can the production process begin.
Shaping
This step focuses on selecting the right metal material based on the design drawings and cutting it into a rough shape. Then, a hammer and chisel are used to pound the metal material into the desired shape. This process requires extreme skill and patience as any small mistake can lead to the failure of the entire piece.
Preliminary engraving
Preliminary engraving is based on shaping and further refining the shape and structure of the jewelry. The main carving tools used in the process are a carving knife and a file. The edges of the metal material are first smoothed, and then the initial textures and patterns are carved in the appropriate places.
Fine engraving
Fine engraving is the most crucial step in the entire production process. A fine pneumatic engraving machine is required to carve out intricate patterns and textures on the surface of the jewelry.The delicate patterns are drawn in accordance with the design and depicted bit by bit using a carving knife with the smallest possible tip. If you want to create layers of texture, you will need to vary the strength of the engraving and the engraving technique. Once the fine engraving is completed, the finish of a piece of jewelry is basically set.
Polishing
Polishing is the process of making the surface of jewelry smoother and shinier. The line uses coarse sandpaper to remove the obvious rough engraving marks on the jewelry, and then uses a polisher to smooth out every corner of the surface of the jewelry. This step not only enhances the beauty of the jewelry, but also extends its service life. And after polishing, the surface of the jewelry will show a unique sense of luster.
Storage
Finished jewelry needs to be stored properly to prevent damage. Usually, the jewelry is placed in a special jewelry box with a desiccant to prevent oxidation. In addition, the jewelry needs to be cleaned and maintained on a regular basis to maintain its luster and beauty.
Conclusion
With the above content of this article, it is clear to understand what kind of steps most of the jewelry available in the market undergoes to finally get made in a complete manner. Knowing the main elements and precautions of each step, as well as some small details, you will have a better understanding of jewelry. If you are inspired by this to want to learn the art of jewelry engraving, then feel free to bravely try it out!