What is lost-wax casting? A step-by-step guide for jewellery

By Ronak Rawal · 1 October 2026 · 2 min read

Lost-wax casting is the process that turns a model into a metal piece of jewellery. It is called “lost wax” because the wax model is melted away and lost during the process. The method is very old, and it is still how most cast jewellery is made today.

The steps

1. Make the model. This is a hand-carved wax, or a wax or castable resin model printed from a CAD file.
2. Attach it to a sprue. One or more models are fixed to a wax rod to form a “tree”, which creates channels for the metal.
3. Invest. The tree is placed in a flask and covered with a plaster-like material called investment.
4. Burn out. The flask is heated, and the wax or resin melts and burns away, leaving a hollow mould.
5. Cast. Molten metal is forced into the mould, usually with vacuum or centrifugal force.
6. Break out and clean. The investment is removed, and the pieces are cut from the tree.
7. Finish. The pieces are filed, polished, set with stones and plated or finished.

Why the model matters

The metal can only fill what the model shows, so a thin section, a sharp internal corner or a model with gaps can fail. That is why a casting-ready model matters as much as a good-looking one.

The caster handles the tree, the metal and the burn-out. Your part is a clean, correct model.