What is the Custom Design process?

We start by helping define the idea and presenting a sketch to assure the picture in the mind of the client is a match with the designer’s interpretation.

From the sketch, the use of labor and materials is determined to provide a cost quote for approval.

For all projects, the most highly skilled goldsmith or craftsman is chosen for each area of expertise. Laser welding and computer aided design and manufacturing are two of the latest technologies employed to achieve the finest completed custom projects.

If the design dictates, a wax model is carved by one of our goldsmiths. Any revisions or corrections to the design will be made for final approval. The wax model is then mounted into a flask which is filled with “investment,” a material similar to plaster of Paris, which hardens around the wax model. The flask is then heated to burn out the wax, leaving a cavity into which molten metal is forced by various methods. Hence the term “lost wax cast.” When cooled, the investment is removed to reveal the metal, which is now ready for finishing and setting gemstones. Some designs will be hand fabricated, assembled from gold or platinum sheets, bars, and wires shaped into the finished design. Some designs may be a combination of casting and hand fabrication.

Whatever the project, from simple to complex, whether reinventing a lost treasure or creating a new masterpiece, we work closely with the customer and designer to ensure customer satisfaction.