Technology for making gold rings: from sketch to masterpiece
The ring seems to be the simplest decoration, representing a metal bezel. However, in reality, not everything is so simple. Making a ring is a complex task that involves many steps.
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the ring looks like a simple metal band, complemented by decoration/inlay. But behind the beautiful picture of each gold ring lies the painstaking work of a technically complex and meticulous jeweler. It takes more than one day to rethink and create a product. Process making custom engagement rings consists of 10 key stages, each of which requires excellent theoretical/practical knowledge and experience from the master.
Every detail is important to produce high quality jewelry. Only in this case can you get the perfect product, which not only looks beautiful, but is also comfortable and durable.
What are the main steps in the process of creating a gold ring? What jewelry techniques does the master use? Which ones are the most durable? Read more about this in a new article from the UK.
Ring manufacturing technologies
Today, the four most common technologies for making gold rings are as follows:
- Casting;
- Pipe cutting;
- Soldering;
- Stamping.
Casting is used for all areas of jewelry making, from creating rings to earrings, bracelets and pendants. This method makes it possible to reproduce metal ornaments of varying complexity with a high degree of detail and accuracy.
Individual elements of the jewelry are cast from wax, which guarantees the originality and quality of the jewelry.
When creating a jewelry ring, MAP uses new 3D modeling technology, high-precision gold casting and hand-processing of all parts. Our craftsmen create high-quality seamless rings with a comfortable fit. All stones in the piece are moved by hand to ensure a secure fit.
To produce high-quality castings, the Yuksky plant uses the refining facilities of the Italian brand B. T. Italia, which allows it to obtain 99. 99% of precious metals.
In the Soviet Union, seamless rolling technology was used mainly in the production of rings. All rings were obtained with a simple structure in the form of a single rim. An alternative modern technology is “pipe cutting”. For this purpose, blanks of gold tubes are made in the form of future rings. The pipes are cut into individual rims, the jeweler is important, polished and diluted with inlay. The appearance of such rings is very diverse: in addition to Wedding Classic, there are two models made of alloy with diamond edges, matte and with inserts.
To save on production costs, some companies use the simplest and cheapest methods such as stamping, soldering and coiling. However, products made this way are not durable.
Note that twisted rings are created by soldering thin pieces of metal with the ends pressed together. The product is found to be concave and lightweight, making it easier to wear.
Preparatory work
Preparatory work is, first of all, the type and shape of the ring, external decor and possible adjustments to the inlay. The foreman decides whether to accept the order and evaluates it from the point of view of technical feasibility.
The latest computer-aided design (CAD) technology allows them to see what the ring will look like before it’s even finished.
In order for the final product to meet all expectations, many important tasks must be solved jointly by the customer, the designer and the jewelry technician.
- Create a general initial idea of what the ring will look like.
- Conduct a preliminary assessment of wearing comfort and durability.
- Assess possible risks based on the characteristics of the decor.
- Select production technique.
Creating a Sketch
First, the master thinks about how the product will look and projects it onto paper from different angles. The designer creates a layout of the future ring taking into account the chosen decoration. The main thing is to find a balance between the artist’s creative impulse and the possibilities of its materialization in reality. This is already being done by a gemologist who assesses the feasibility of a particular metal concert.
The technician either insists on the sketch or identifies elements that modify/simplify that element. For example, if the shape of the jewelry is too complex, it may make sense to divide it into parts and make each piece separately.
Small but well thought out design adjustments will always benefit future products and help improve fit and wearability.
Forming a ring model
When the designer has decided on the appearance of the ring, and technical specialists have given the go-ahead to use precious stones with a metallic sheen, the next stage begins – creating a prototype of the future product.
This involves using a rubber mold filled with wax (“wax”). This allows the master to see how the ring will look after production and, if necessary, adjust the parameters.
After final approval of the model, the master reproduces an exact copy of the ring. This acts as a cast of a cast.
Making an impression
On special rods, the master strives for dozens of “waxes”. Thus, up to 30 complete blanks can be obtained at a time.
Outwardly, this process resembles a Christmas tree. A special molding mass is immersed in a “cape” and sent for baking at high temperatures. Then the master removes the wax from the “Christmas tree,” leaving only voids that need to be filled with jewelry.
The process of creating such a “Christmas tree” is very painstaking. Just imagine.
Fill
At this stage, the metal is poured into the prepared mold. This can be either an alloy of pure gold or crystals (non-carbon additives), which affect the color of the metal and its purity. For example, reddish shades are given by copper, yellow – copper + silver, and white – palladium + platinum.
Typically alloys are added to the same stock. When they melt, they are thoroughly mixed and poured into the preparation, filling all the “Christmas” voids.
This is a very important stage of work, since the master needs to achieve ideal homogeneity of the alloy.
We take out the finished base
Now he just waits for the mold to cool and harden.
The master, under water pressure, removes the remaining clay from the frozen metal and gets the same jewelry “tree” as in the first stage – that “tree” was made of wax, and this one is made of metal. The rings strung on the rods are removed using scissors.
Assembling a gold ring
After separating each casting with tongs, the next step begins, which requires knowledge of the moon. How long sock jewelry will last depends on the quality of its work.
Designers connect all the details of the ring into a single whole, adjusting the size and, if necessary, adding decorativeness.
The ring can easily break due to poor quality work.
Finishing
This is the so-called “light emptiness of beauty” stage. To give the rings a presentable appearance that attracts attention from the window cornice, they are polished and honed.
Sanding and polishing are not the same thing. First, the master polishes the product. This means removing rough machining marks and smoothing out the texture of the ring. Then comes the time for final polishing: the product is given a beautiful glossy shine.
Check
A finished gold product is not recognized as such until a special responsible body, that is, a Ukrainian testing laboratory, puts its mark on it.
The declared metal sample and its analogue are analyzed using special reagents. The stamp confirmation is placed inside the accessory.
In case of controversial issues, the Ukrainian laboratory has every right to send the ring for revision.
In most cases, rings are made from 585 samples. Such models are in greatest demand among buyers, as they are durable and cause the least wear and tear. However, 750 alloy is considered stronger, so it can be copied in unusual and exclusive designs.
Inlay
If the piece has stones, making changes to the finish is an additional step. First, a hematologist, i. e. stone specialist, picks up the stone. The color and size must be perfect. Once the minerals are selected, the integrated installer installs them into the grooves and seals them.
The main difficulty of integration work is the same search for balance. He must place the stones on the seat as firmly as possible so that they do not fall out of it. At the same time, this must be done as carefully as possible so that the fragile stones do not break during the modification process.
