Emerald cut emerald halo split shank Pavé ring

[enigma]

So cool to see the in progress stages, thanks for sharing!

[Sandra]

Beautiful gorgeous amazing work. I'm coincidentally in the process of trying to teach myself wax modelling for lost wax casting - though I am doing it all by hand with a few basic tools and a spirit lamp. Feeling a bit discouraged to be honest!

[josef1]

If you are carving wax by hand you are already doing better than I am Im rubbish at it ! I have tried but cant get it right ,my inability and frustration to carve what I wanted is what took me down the CAD route in the first place. Dont be discouraged it will open up a whole new creative outlet once you get comfortable with it.

[Dennis]

I'm sure the secret is to visualise what you want and then customise the tools to achieve it. That said, I have been struggling with it for a few days and not getting very far.

However here are some things that work:

Sawing, using gap tooth blades, such as are used for wood.
Filing using very coarse files, but not those spiky wax files, and using a small steel brush to keep them clean.
Using very large cylinder or tapered burrs for rapid shaping.
Finishing with wet Scotchbrite scouring pads and finally very fine wet steel wool and cotton wool wrapped around tips of tweezers and dipped in boiling water.

Oh and an easy way to draw on wax is with a silver ball pen. Dennis.

[Dennis]

Sorry to digress Josef. I have been following your thread, but fine jewellery is a million miles from what I do, so I can only watch agape. Dennis.

[enigma]

Maybe start a new thread with a photo of what sort of thing you are trying to carve Sandra and people can give pointers if that might be helpful

Im much the same Dennis! I haven't a clue how the whole CAD thing works (magic maybe?!) but I do love seeing the results!

[josef1]

Dont worry about digressing its what its all about

[SandieB]

That's amazing! Trying to learn about gemstones, I read that emeralds are soft and easily damaged and are often 'oiled'. Will you oil this?

[josef1]

No I bought it as is from what I understand the oiling is done to fill small surface cracks etc in the stone. I have never seen it been done I know the oil is heated and forced under pressure into the stone.

[SandieB]

Thanks, Josef, that's really interesting.