There are many possible ways to make jewelry. Traditionally, in our workshop, jewelry was made by creating a mold, into which wax was poured. Once the wax piece is complete, it is then covered with a layer of plaster. The plaster is then heated, which melts the wax and forces it out of the plaster. This leaves an empty space in the shape of the desired jewel, creating a new mold. The molten metal is then poured into the plaster, and after allowing it to cool, an exact replica of the original wax piece is obtained. This traditional method is known as "lost-wax casting" and is still used today by many jewelers and manufacturers for high-quality results.
Today, we still use the lost-wax casting technique. However, we no longer need to create molds. Everything goes through Computer-Aided Design (CAD), which refers to all the software used to produce 3D drawings. These CAD programs enable us to design highly complex shapes with unprecedented precision. Once the design is ready, we can directly print a wax model of it using a 3D printer. This wax is then coated with plaster.
With 3D printing, we can create wax models in a fraction of the time. This printing is based on the famous CAD and is carried out using additive processes. An object is created by successively adding material layer by layer. All these impressions are then combined to create a wax tree.
Gold is often considered a symbol of wealth and luxury. In fact, it's a fairly ductile, malleable metal. The wax imprint of the tree is set in plaster. The gold is then melted as a result of the coordination of time and temperature. The molten gold is then poured into the plaster mold to create a cast tree, which is then worked by our workshop's craftsmen.
The lost-wax casting process remains the same, since we still use waxes, it's just the way we create these waxes that has changed. But without new technologies, Façonnier's made-to-measure service would certainly not have been possible. Because without these new tools, to make a piece of jewelry, you have to create a mould, which takes more time than creating a CAD. What's more, imagine the time needed to re-make the molds when the jewel doesn't fit. Thanks to this modernity, we are able to offer perfect quality and finish on the jewels in our collections. We also offer a made-to-measure jewelry manufacturing service to suit all budgets, and in times unbeatable by other methods.
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