The Process 

You will:

• Carve your ring (jewelry) out of a hard wax
• Achieve your desired thickness, texture, and size 
  • Textures- One of the most alluring benefits of hand carving and hand casting your own jewelry is the ability to truly customize the texture and surface design of your creation. You can utilize heirloom textiles to create pattern/tactile effects. You can carve more organic shapes to fit specifically around your engagement ring. You can create unique forms that can vary from smooth to rough. You can even bring in some sentimental sand from your favorite beach, river shore, or mountaintop to add to the casting process to give a beautiful and unexpected surface grain.
• Melt your metal down 
• ​Cast your wax ring (jewelry) utilizing the sand casting method 
• Clean and polish your ring (jewelry) to the desired shine and appearance  

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Workshops typically run about 5 hours start to finish, but can often times run a bit longer. You will walk away holding (or wearing) your finished pieces! ​
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​How do I pick my METAL?

Picking out your metal is a very personal preference. There are aesthetic and durability factors that come into play when determining which type of metal you want to use to create your jewelry. The metals we are currently offering are:

• 14 Karat Yellow Gold- recycled
• Sterling Silver 

Want a ring in a different metal? Let me know and we can work together to try to make it happen! 

How do I decide what THICKNESS and WIDTH I want my ring to be?

The best way to figure out what width you want your ring band to be is to go to a large jewelry store and try some on, you can also measure and cut up small strips of paper and wrap it around your finger to decide what may be your preferred option. Most rings have varying width dimension but a standard 1.5- 2mm thickness. With the hand carving and hand casting process you have the ability to make that thickness larger if you so desire. 

​The photo to the left is showcasing various width options.

The thinnest width you can choose while utilizing the sand casting process is approximately 1.75-2mm and the tallest is approximately 6mm.

I estimate all of my rings at 2mm as this is a more standard measurement for sand cast rings

It is also helpful to think about the style you may want to carve your band in.

Thinking Ahead

• Pick your METAL (at this time we are offering 14k Yellow Gold, and Sterling Silver, but if your interested in a different type of metal please let me know and we can try to work together to make it happen)
• Plan the THICKNESS (band width) & determine the SIZE of your ring 
  • Due to the organic and delicate nature of this casting method, the thinnest band you can create is approximately 1.75-2mm and the largest is 6mm
  • It is best to get fitted for your ring finger sizing at a jewelry store in order to best estimate the cost of metal and materials ahead of time
• Schedule a 30 minute ZOOM Consultation (at least 3 weeks prior to your workshop date) so that we can plan and talk through your ring ideas ahead of time. 
  • Feel free to show me inspiration photos, so we can talk through what is feasible to create using this particular casting process, remember, your rings will be handmade from start to finish, and thus will lend themselves to look more fluid and organic in nature. If you are hoping for a more "perfect" (wedding ring) look, we can talk through what options you may have to still achieve a similar look through the sand casting process.
  • Please have your ring size estimated prior to this meeting so that I can calculate your estimated MATERIAL FEE.
  • Material fees cover the cost of the metal, and other single use materials used in the ring making process, your metal cost will vary based on what size, what thickness and what type of metal you choose to cast your rings with.
  • Typically, gold bands will range from 300-1000 dollars depending on those three factors. Silver is substantially less expensive but will not hold up as long or wear as durably as gold rings would throughout the years. 
• Remember to bring anything you might need to create bespoke TEXTURES (Sand, heirloom textiles, dried flowers, ashes of those who have passed on, or any other small textured item you may want to incorporate in some way)