Our manufacturing process

Before coming to sublimate your neck or to sparkle at the end of your finger, a jewel will go through several stages of design. From the original sketch to the creation of the wax prototype and all the way through melting, polishing, crimping and finally engraving, a jewel will be entrusted to a multitude of jewelers and craftsmen before regaining its shape and its final brilliance.

Discover below the stages of manufacturing a piece of jewelery carried out in our DC workshops.

The making of the sketch

The drawing is the first step that allows you to visualize the jewel and to obtain an overview of its making. It must therefore include the smallest details of the piece to be produced, including the material of the jewel as well as the location of any precious and semi-precious stones.

The realization of the drawing can be carried out by the customer himself or by a specialized model maker.

Design of the wax replica

A wax prototype will then be made by the craftsman while respecting the original design with the empty slots to accommodate the diamonds and stones during setting. The dimensions of this replica will be slightly larger than those of the final jewel since approximately 5% of its dimensions will be lost during finishing. This jewelry wax will then be attached to a rod called a “tree”.

mold melting

The artisan jeweler makes a plaster mold in which the wax tree will be immersed before being sent to an induction furnace. Under the effect of heat, the wax will melt and thus leave an imprint in the plaster.

At the same time, the alloy of the jewel (gold, silver or platinum) will be melted then poured into the mold so that it can take the place of the wax. This whole step takes place in a very specific device called a melter.

Once the metal used has hardened, the jeweler will break the mold in order to extract the jewel.

Cast iron recovery

The jewel thus obtained following the melting is in its raw form. It must therefore be worked and well prepared. The craftsman will correct any imperfections, carry out the various welds and assemblies and adjust the size of the jewel so that it can be ready for polishing and setting.

This step is decisive for the quality of the jewel. It requires great patience and a lot of attention to detail. The slightest mistake can irreversibly affect the quality of the piece, which can no longer be exhibited.

The selection of stones for the jewel

Now, the jewel support is ready to be set and to accommodate diamonds, precious and semi-precious stones. The selection of these jewels is done with meticulousness in order to highlight the jewel and give it a well-studied style.

The choice of precious stones is made according to their size, color and quality. For a diamond jewel, it will be necessary to rely on the 4 selection criteria, or the 4Cs of the diamond, namely: the color, the purity, the size and the caratage.

Jewel setting

During this step, the setter will fix the stones on the frame of the jewel. Depending on the type of jewel, several setting processes will be used: a grain setting, a claw setting, a closed setting or even a channel setting. The setting requires a lot of delicacy and meticulousness, too sudden or too strong a gesture risks breaking the jewel or even its support.

Polishing to finish the jewel

Polishing is the final step in making a jewel. It consists of restoring shine and shine to the piece of jewelry in order to perfect its rendering and confirm its quality.

Thus, the jewel set will be polished by means of various machines and sophisticated tools in order to erase all the traces left during the shaping.

Subsequently, the part will be exposed to ultrasound to remove any dust or grease deposits that could affect the finish.

Jewelery in white gold will lastly undergo rhodium plating, which consists of soaking it in a rhodium solution. This final step will accentuate the shine and color of the metal and thus obtain a perfect finish.

Engraving

This step is mandatory because it attests to the authenticity and quality of the jewel. The engraving consists of printing the hallmark of the jeweler or the brand of manufacture as well as the carat (compulsory mention).

It is also possible to personalize your jewel by printing a special inscription or engraving on it: a wedding date for example, the name of your beloved or a date of birth.
If some pieces can be designed in less than a day, all these steps in the manufacture of a jewel require weeks of work and meticulousness.
For a piece of valuable jewelry, it is always advisable to have it checked at least once a year. As gold and silver tend to wear over time, polishing them will restore their shine and luster.