Have you heard of wax carving but are not sure what it is and how to do it? Check out our beginners guide for jewellers covering the different types of wax, how to calculate the weight of your finished metal piece, how the casting process works, how to make multiples of your designs, what size of ring you should make and much more.

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What is wax carving?

Wax carving is an ancient tradition in jewellery making going back years.

Starting with a lump of jewellers wax; you saw and file it down into the shape you require like a sculptor working with stone. Your finished wax piece is then sent to a caster to be cast in any metal you want through the process of lost wax casting.

Wax carving is a great technique to learn to add to your jewellery making skills because it is a fantastic way to experiment with an affordable material. You can also to make more organic shapes that are hard to achieve with traditional sheet metal and wire.

Jewellers wax

There are different types of jewellers wax available that are used for different purposes.

File-a-wax - Some waxes e.g. beeswax are too soft to carve and shape and are problematic to try to use in warm temperatures so file-a-wax products were developed. These are designed specifically for jewellers to use to file and shape.

One of the main brands that jewellers use is Ferris. Ferris wax comes in four different colours (with green and blue most used).

Green: A very hard wax, it can’t be flexed. Ideal for sharp edges and for intricate carvings and delicate engraving.

Purple: General purpose, hard with some flexibility.

Blue: Less hard and more flexible than green or purple. Good for rounded surfaces and less intricate designs. This is a popular choice with jewellers and the one we suggest you try first

Turquoise: Displays exceptional surface finish, especially in recessed areas. Maintains superior strength, toughness and extreme flexibility.

Sheet wax - good for cutting, moulding and modelling but not as good for carving

Wax profile wire and tube - wax in the form of wire or tube, can be bent and twisted, used for hinges etc just like metal wire

The wax can also be purchased in other shapes including ring and flat-sided ring for carving rings and block. The size and shape you need depends on your design idea, for a more dainty ring design choose a small diameter of wax e.g. 22.2mm. For a chunkier look choose a bigger diameter e.g. 27mm.

Tip: If you will be working on different types of design then choose the thicker diameter of wax as it is the most versatile

Tools for wax carving

If you’re interested in learning more about the tools used for wax carving check out our previous blog post >

What do i do once i’ve carved my design?

When you have carved and finished your jewellery you will need to decide which metal you would like to have it cast in. You can do a quick calculation of how much the cast piece will weigh using the wax to metal conversion chart below. Remember that the wax is light, 10 times lighter than silver and 16 times lighter than 18 carat gold so you’ll need to account for this in your designs. This is also the way to calculate the cost of the casting. Casters charge a fee for the casting plus the cost of the metal by weight so ask your caster the current costs, remembering that metal costs fluctuate daily.

The majority of jewellers send their wax pieces to a specialist caster. You can learn to cast your own work but this takes investment in additional equipment so it may be something to look at in the future if you find that you enjoy the process.

How do I find a caster?

You can do an internet search for casters in your country. Our tip is to ask for recommendations in jewellers forums e.g. Facebook groups.

How can I make multiples of my designs?

The casting process is great for making multiples of your designs. Once you have had your piece/s cast you will file and polish them so they are ready to be moulded.

You can see this process at the beginning of the video above. The ‘master’ - your finished piece of jewellery - is put into a silicone mould and vulcanised using heat and pressure. Once cool, this is then cut out of the silicone and the mould is now in two parts. When the mould is used, wax is injected into it so that the piece can be attached to the wax tree for casting.

For more carved ringinformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.

If I’m making a ring, what size/s should I make?

When you make a ring design to sell you will need to decide on the ring size to make which you will then alter when a customer orders from you. It is usually best to make a larger size, e.g. a UK size S for a woman’s ring, and then size it down for the customer. This does, of course, depend on the design of the ring and how easy it will be to resize so it is worth taking into account. For example, if the band is intricate all around and it will be hard to remove some metal to resize it and keep the design so you may need to make more sizes of the same ring in wax for your collection.

When I visited Disney Springs in July, all I could think about was buying a Mickey Mouse pretzel.

But my sister, a jewelry fanatic who joined me at the Orlando, Florida, shopping center, had other plans. Before I could reach a food stall, she led us to a tiny booth adorned with vintage-looking green signs advertising ring carvings.

To my surprise, our quick stop at the jewelry stand turned out to be the highlight of our vacation. 

You can find ring-carving stations at Disney Springs and Disney World theme parks

The one I visited was located across from the Earl of Sandwich restaurant on the east side of Disney Springs, though you can also find them at Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and other Disney World locations.

At the stall, we encountered one employee who was hard at work carving rings for a group of tourists. And as she worked, we were able to browse glass cases filled with different ring options that were available.

When we visited, there were thin brass rings for $19, thicker ones for $25, and sterling-silver rings in various sizes that cost between $39 and $75 each. Additionally, there were 14-carat gold options for upwards of $240.

Once you choose your ring's metal and size, you can then pick a word or design to be carved into the ring. Each letter costs an extra dollar, while designs can cost upwards of $3.

And don't worry if you don't know your ring size — the carver has samples for you to try on.

My custom, sterling-silver ring cost $45 and took 15 minutes to make

My sister and I both opted for the thinnest, sterling-silver options, which cost $39 each. We also wanted to get our names carved into them so we could have matching jewelry to commemorate our vacation.

Our names — Amanda and Alyssa — both have six letters, bringing our totals up to $45 per ring.

The employee at the ring stand gave us order slips and instructed us to pay at the adjacent Disney Pin Traders shop. We then brought our receipts back to the carver, and she got to work.

We were welcome to wait there, or we could walk around, enjoy Disney Springs, and come back 15 minutes later. Because it was nearly 100 degrees outside and we needed water, we opted for the latter.

When we returned, both of our rings were completed — and they fit us perfectly. The jewelry also ended up being the least expensive part of my day at the shopping center.

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While my sister returned to our hotel shortly after getting our rings, I stayed at Disney Springs until the evening. During my solo stay, I spent more than $60 on food, $30 on a charger, and more than $100 on souvenirs, excluding my ring.

Then the day after visiting Disney Springs, my sister and I were set to go on a Disney Cruise. But she tested positive for COVID-19 at the port, and we were both sent back to the airport.

So it's safe to say our custom jewelry became the highlight of our trip. Instead of having three fun days at sea, we left with inexpensive, high-quality rings — and a funny story that we'll think of every time we wear them.

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