Handmade Jewelry or Casting: Which is Better?

When buying jewelry, it is essential to understand the process of production. 

Jewelry is either produced through handmade or casting methods. Both methods are great options. However, there is some variation in quality and duration due to their creation process. 

Here are a few notable features about jewelry making to help you pick the most suitable one for your needs.

The Making of Handmade Jewelry 

Handmade jewelry goes through several processes — bending, twisting, hammering, filling, sawing, and soldering — until it is patterned to the specific need of the buyer or jeweler.

For instance, if you are to make a plain wedding band or wedder — as it’s referred to in most cases. The jeweler starts by getting a substantial quantity of gold, silver, or whichever metal you need. The jeweler then melts and pours it into a steel mold.

The metal cools down, then it is removed. Next, the jeweler collects and passes it through a mill, where it is rolled into a long, flat piece of metal. The jewelry is cut into various pieces to suit the customer’s desired length.

After that, a hammer is used to beat the metal into the desired shape before soldering it to form a ring. 

In some cases, the jeweler files before polishing it to an appealing and smooth look. The result is a beautiful gold wedding ring. The entire process might last for about an hour or a little more than that.

He takes the same process to make wedding bands for different customers.

Benefits of Hand Made Method

There are lots of benefits associated with using the handmade method. Here are some of them:

Stronger and denser: Handmade jewelry is often more durable than the casting methods. This is because it requires lots of hammering and filling, which makes it much harder in the process. 

Also, since the jeweler makes a single piece each time, he naturally will become conscious of quality.

On the downside, handmade pieces take hours to complete and even more. Some even take days to finish

Casting Jewelry 

One of the main casing methods used for making jewelry is the Lost Wax Casting Method. 

Here, the jeweler makes a model or masterpiece and makes many other identical copies. 

Most jewelers use digital rendering, which is 3D printed to give exact precisions. 

However, using the molds in metalwork creates a high risk for porosity, making the product weaker and prone to breakage.

Benefits of Casting Method

One of the main benefits of using the casting method is that it is easier to use, takes less time, and allows you to make lots of identical pieces in a short time. In other words, the cost of labor is just a fraction of that of the handmade piece.

On the other hand, jewelry made by casting can easily break. This often occurs when there is a bubble inside, which is usually a mistake by the manufacturer. However, in most modern workshops, such things are under strict inspection.

Conclusion

Both casting and handmade jewelry are good. The difference lies in choice. We prefer handmade jewelry because they give more durable use. 

It is also resistant to scratch. However, it is more expensive and labor-intensive.