How lost wax casting works

Lost wax/investment casting is the process that turns your wax model into solid metal. But don’t worry, you don’t need to do any of the metal pouring yourself.

Here's how it works:

• Your wax design is sent to a local professional casting facility
• The wax is attached to a “wax tree”
• Investment is poured around the wax
• The wax is melted out in a kiln
• Molten metal fills the hollow space
• Your design turns into solid metal
• The raw piece is returned to you for refining and polishing

Finding a Casting Facility

To find a casting facility near you, search "jewellery casting services" or "lost wax casting" and your location on Google. And if you're not sure where to start, don't worry. Inside my lost wax jewellery course I'll show you exactly how to find one, what to look for, and how to work with them confidently. I also have casting facility recommendations ready for Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, UK and Europe.

How much does lost wax casting cost?

All casting facilities are different, but generally you’ll be charged for two things:

• The metal used
• A casting service fee

Different metals sit at different price points:

• Bronze / Brass → lower cost, great for starting out and experimenting

• Silver → generally affordable, good for beginners to intermediate

• Gold → higher cost, usually used once you’re more experienced

For example, sterling silver castings typically cost me around $7 AUD per gram, while 9ct gold is around $102 AUD per gram. The final cost will depend on your chosen casting facility and the weight of your design. Casting in bronze or brass is significantly more affordable than casting in sterling silver or gold.

In my online wax jewellery course I cover how to easily communicate with casting facilities and estimate your casting costs so you know what to expect.

What You Can Create

You can create rings, earrings, pendants, bangles and all kinds of accessories with wax. The only thing you are limited by is your imagination. Go as big and bold or as subtle and elegant as you like.

Wax jewellery gives you the freedom to create designs that would be extremely difficult, or even impossible, with traditional jewellery making techniques. Organic textures, molten forms, chunky details and sculptural shapes are all possible with wax.

setting up your workspace at home

In the first photo is one of my very first benches. It was filled with lots of random tools I thought I needed, but didn’t. The second photo is the simple IKEA desk setup I now use daily for wax carving. Because you're not using heavy-duty equipment, you don’t need a huge amount of space for this craft.

All you need to start:

✓ Desk or bench
✓ Tray
✓ Vice
✓ Soldering iron
✓ Jeweller's wax
✓ Files & sandpaper
✓ Craft knife
✓ Ring sizing gauge
✓ Mandrel
✓ Masking tape
✓ Your imagination

If you're in Australia or New Zealand, you can grab my lost wax carving beginner kit & course bundle here.

Metal Refining Tools

Once you've sent your wax designs to a casting house and received them back in solid metal, you'll need to sand, polish and refine them. The good news is the tools you'll need are affordable, and you don't have to buy them all straight away.

My recommended beginner setup:

• Rotary tool
• Jeweller’s saw
• Ring clamp
• Sanding drums
• Sandpaper
• Soft hammer
• Polishing buffs
• Polishing compound
• Toothbrush

If you're in Australia or New Zealand, you can grab my metal refining kit here.