Jewellery Design – Creative Wax Carving and Stone Setting

Notes:

I. It is recommended to bring in inexpensive stones with hardness 7 or above, or start with cubic zirconia to practise. Gemstones with hardness below 5 (e.g. opal, coral, amber etc) are not recommended.

II. Please bring in pencil, ruler, notepad, eraser, images of your designs to the class for design development.

III. Some materials are required to be purchase by students, i.e. gemstones, jewellery wax, some wax carvings tools. School will give a list of the required tools to be purchased before attending the class.

Please visit PEEC website for details http://www.hkdi.edu.hk/i.php?l=en&t=0&s=4&p=1354

1. For beginners - Lecturer will first demonstrate how to transfer your designs from paper onto jewellery wax
2. For intermediates - Lecturer will demonstrate how to create the wax model with claw & bezel mounts for rings/pendants
3. Students will need to proceed with their design and practise using various tools
4. By the end the day, students should finish at least one to two wax models for casting (students are required to take their wax models to outside casting company)
5. Students must take back their silver casting and work in the class with metal tools to polish and finish the final products
6. Intermediate students are required to prepare the metal for setting by the guidance of lecturer 
7. Lecturer will demonstrate the use of different tools for claw setting and bezel setting, i.e. needle file, bearing cutter, snipe-nose pliers, pusher, graver, burrs, beading tools, burnisher, and polishing paper and wheels to complete the jewellery setting to a final product 
8. The lecturer will also demonstrate the application of cold enamelling on silver designs. ( Cold enamel resin to be purchased by students)
9. Introduction to specific tools and different types of soft wax; learn the fundamental techniques in wax carving
10. Practise with the specific tools and wax; acquire newer techniques for wax design
11. Learn to use polishing tools for silver/gold jewellery
12. Learn to use stone setting tools; acquire the jewellery gemstone setting techniques for jade, pearls, rough or faceted gemstones
13. Learn to use pusher tool for gemstone setting