When you decide on what jewelry to buy or wear. It is important to look at how the jewelry is made. The way jewelry is made and manufactured will impact the finishing of the jewelry. The finished look will impact the quality and longevity of the jewelry. There are two production methods to make jewelry - casting and handmade. As such, many people wonder which is better - handmade vs casting jewelry. Handmade jewelry is made by trained jewelers that create jewelry from scratch and raw materials. Casting uses manufacturing techniques and does not require trained professional jewelers. Here is a comprehensive guide as to handmade vs casting jewelry!
Handmade Jewelry
Handmade jewelry is a less common way of making jewelry. This is because it requires working with metal or natural stones and materials from scratch. It requires high craftsmanship and skills to do so. This process does not require any molds. The metal pieces will be cut, shaped, hammered and heated to create a beautiful design or shape. Once the molding of the metal is done, it is polished and additional rhinestones or gemstones are added to finalize the jewelry pieces. Handmade jewelry is often 50% harder and sturdier than cast jewelry as the metal used is denser. This creates a more durable and stronger jewelry piece. It also increases the resistance to scratching and bending. With handmade jewelry, you can choose to create finer and more-detailed designs. Handmade jewelry will look more sleepy compared to cast rings that have a bulkier look. Handmade jewelry can use different mixes of metals in a piece of jewelry. Additionally, handmade jewelry would not develop porosity which is common in cast jewelry. However, handmade jewelry is often more expensive because it takes a lot of time and effort to make one piece of jewelry. Additionally, handmade jewelry does not use an aid of a 3D printer or old, the kind of details and precision cannot be replicated by hand as such, there is no two pieces the same.
Casting Jewelry
Many jewelers make cast jewelry which requires them to pour molten metal into mold. This mold is created by 3D printing or carving a wax model of the shape of your jewelry product. The mold is covered in plaster before it can be heated. The heat will cause the wax to melt, leaving room for the molten metal to be poured in. After the metal is cooled down, the plaster is removed. The jewelry then gets polished and embellishments can be added. Casting is one of the most efficient ways to produce jewelry at large volumes as the molds can be reused. It is also a cheaper option compared to handmade jewelry as it requires less time and labor. However, the molds of the jewelry can have a high risk of porosity. This causes the jewelry made to be weaker and more likely to break. The cast metal is less dense compared to handmade jewelry.