The Jewelry Ninjas
We’ve taken you behind the curtain from the moment an Uptown Diamond client sits with a diamond expert for the first time, to the CAD design process and over to the state-of-the-art 3D Printer. Here, wax molds grow, waiting to be “Cast” in the role of a forever-cherished piece of custom jewelry.
For the first time ever, we take you downstairs to Uptown Diamond’s new jewelry manufacturing center for Casting, the next step in the custom jewelry process. Here we meet Ivan Garcia, Master Bench Jeweler. If Alberto Chavez is the Jewelry Jedi, this dynamo is a Jewelry Ninja! Uptown Diamond does all of its design and manufacturing in-house. Clients enjoy peace of mind knowing that only a few experienced hands touch their precious gems.
Ivan Garcia, Jewelry Ninja
“I enjoy crafting something timeless. It’s neat to create something that can last forever and be a treasure for someone’s family.” – Ivan Garcia
The Casting Tree
Once the wax molds are grown in the 3D printer, they are carefully taken downstairs for casting. The wax molds will be affixed to a red wax stick that sits in the center of a cylinder. This is called a tree, for good reason– as you can see, it’s shaped like a tree! The cylinder is filled with Jewelry Investment, a substance which looks like white plaster. A metal flask is put over the investment-filled cylinder, and placed on the Pro Caster Casting Machine. It is covered with a clear plastic dome, which keeps the bubbles out of the Investment.This will take approximately 30 minutes.
Left: Wax Mold “Tree” | Center: Investment filled Metal Flask | Right: Stuller with Dome
It’s Getting Hot in Here
Once dry, the metal flask is put into the Kiln for the wax to melt. The Kiln will reach approximately 1000 degrees! This will take 12-24 hours depending on how many pieces are being made. Once the wax has melted, it is time to pour your chosen metal (gold, silver, platinum) into the mold. The wax designs, having melted, leave an imprint for the precious metals to fill. It’s then placed in the Pro Caster Casting Machine, put to the fire, and the fiery hot flask then goes into a cold water dip. Here, all the Investment falls away to reveal your beautiful, precious metal jewelry! It’s really something to see!
Left: Kiln | Center: Kaya Cast | Finished Gold Tree
A Perfect Piece
The time, care and expertise that go into casting make perfect sense. We put that shiny, perfectly-formed Gold diamond ring on our finger without thinking how it came to be. Well, at Uptown Diamond attention to every detail of the custom jewelry process including casting is very impressive! Behind the scenes, and even downstairs, the Uptown Diamond team is buzzing with new designs and finishes. It is their goal each and every day to strive to be the very best in the industry and it shows in all they do!
