Blog

Natalie Ho

Delicate, that’s how I would describe Natalie Ho’s work. I’m amazed how fine and slender her pieces are. They have to be admired from all sides because you might find a surprise detail somewhere! Read about Natalie's inspiration and design process!

Anabel Kawai - Onc311 Jewelry Design

Fun! That’s how I would describe Onc311 Jewelry Design work. Her pieces always put a smile on my face and I’m amazed by the detail and personality she adds to even her smallest pieces. Read about Anabel's work in this first wax carver interview!

Unconventional tools: kitchen

My favourite thing about wax carving? You don’t need a lot of tools! My other favourite thing about it? Anything can be a tool! Read through this list of common kitchen utensils I use for wax carving!

Making variations

You have a general idea for a new piece, but you can’t decide on the specifics of how it should look. Read through my idea generating exercise to find out how I quickly make variations of the same thing to find the finishes I like.

Make swivel rings

Can’t decide what ring to carve? Why not a 2-in-1! With a swivel ring you decide which side you wear facing up, so you can have 2 completely different rings in one. Want to know how to make it yourself? Here’s how you do it.

Get started with red mold-a-wax

Red mold-a-wax is completely different from the better known soft waxes like sheet and wire. So how do you work with it? Read through these tips to get started with red mold-a-wax!

Trying out ideas

Your head is filled with ideas, but there’s only so much time in a day to actually make jewellery. Which ideas do you choose to make? Read through my idea generating exercise to find out how I quickly trial ideas to find the good ones.

Protect your wax

Ever been so focused on the part you’re working on that you didn’t realize you were damaging your piece with your tools at a different point? I’ve been there! Read through these tips and find ways to keep your piece safe!

Don’t give up!

Ever thrown a piece across your studio in pure rage because it just isn’t working? I’ve been there! Read my encouragement for you to keep trying and persevere here

Can I make it?

Making a new piece is always a bit scary. Can I make it...? Of course you can! Read my encouragement to why I think you can make anything here.

Filing improvers

It’s filing, everyone can do it! Sure, but there’s a difference between fling, and filing well. Read through these tips to improve the quality of your filing!

Just start!

Want to try out wax carving, but not really sure how to go about it? It’s easy! Don’t overthink it and just start! Read my encouragement for you to just start wax carving here.

Wax or metal?

It’s a luxury problem to be able to make a piece multiple ways! Read through my decision making process of when to choose wax and when to choose metal for the piece you’re making here.

Get started with wax wire

Wax wire is a very fun type of wax to work with and completely different from hard wax. Because of that you need to work with it in a different way. Read through these tips to get started working with wax wire!

Leave, fix, or redo?

You’ve finished a piece but it’s not completely perfect…there's no shame in it, we’ve all been there! Read my decision making process about when to leave, fix, or redo a piece here.

Melting wax pieces together

You break stuff, you make stuff from multiple parts, you make mistakes. There are many reasons why you want to melt pieces of wax together. And luckily there are different ways to go about it! Read through these methods of melting pieces of wax together.

Make jewellery from sheet and wire wax

Is making jewellery from sheet and wire wax something for you? There’s only one way to find out: try it! Here are some steps to get you started.

Miscellaneous casting questions

These last few casting questions and answers didn’t fit nicely into a theme. You can read the answers to some miscellaneous casting questions here.

Get started with sheet wax

Sheet wax is a very fun type of wax to work with and completely different from hard wax. Because of that you need to work with it in a different way. Read through these tips to get started working with sheet wax.

Why does this happen in casting?

When you start wax carving you accept that sometimes things go wrong in the casting process. Even when you carve your wax perfectly, you might end up with a less than perfect casting. Read the why behind some common casting problems here.

Remelting wax

When your wax scraps are at the end of their life and not usable anymore, it’s time to melt them into fresh new pieces! Here are some ways you can remelt your scraps!

Most asked casting questions

Got a question about casting? Join the club! I went straight to the source and asked casters the questions I get asked the most about casting. Read the answers here.

Make flower shapes

Do you love flowers, but don’t like that they’re only around for a short time? I have the perfect solution for you! Make your own permanent flowers in jewellery form! Here’s how you do it.

Make a robot

Who wouldn’t want a little robot friend to keep them company at the bench! Time to make one yourself? Here’s how you do it.

Alternative places to buy tools

We all know jewellery tools are expensive. That’s why I try to shop for my tools creatively whenever I can! Read about my favourite alternative places to buy tools.

Make a ring from separate parts

You want to make your ring in silver and your setting in gold. Is that even possible with wax? Of course! You carve your ring and setting separately and make sure they fit together perfectly. Just follow these steps.

Get started with a wax heating pen

Fact: you’re going to break wax. Knowing how to fix breaks and how to add different pieces together is a great skill to have when wax carving. Read through these tips to get started with a wax pen!

Make jewellery with beads

Is making jewellery with beads something for you? Keep it simple or make it elaborate. There’s loads you can do with beads! Want to try it out? Here’s how you do it.

Use your eyes

Your eyes are your number one tool to spot all the inconsistencies that still need work. But sometimes they need a little help. No, I’m not talking about glasses or magnification! Read through these tips to help your eyes focus on what’s important!

Make a ring with a rosecut stone

Big gemstones in big rings? Yes please! What can be more fun than making a completely unique ring to fit that one special stone? Want to learn how to make them yourself? Just follow these steps.

Easy measuring

To make life easier, I try to avoid math as much as I can. Is it always possible when making jewellery? No. Are there ways of avoiding math when doing measurements and calculations? Yes! Read through these tips to remove math induced crying from your life as well!

Make a bangle

Is there a better sound than a stack of bangles clinking away together on your wrist? Nope :) It’s hard to beat the entertainment a set of bangles provides! Want to learn how to make your own set? Here’s how.

Support your wax

Wax breaks. It's a fact. Luckily there are things you can do to make it less likely for your piece to break. Read through these tips on how to support your wax to reduce the chances of it breaking.

Make a signet ring

Signet rings: love or LOVE? Signet rings come in any shape and size, there’s no other option than to love them! Want to learn how to make them yourself? Here’s how.

Burring wax

Burring is a great way to speed up wax removal. It takes a little time and a lot of concentration to get comfortable with it. Read through these tips to get started with burring.

Make an animal carving

Carving an animal sounds nice, but isn’t that super difficult? Sometimes, but not necessarily. You can make it as difficult or as easy as you like! Here’s how you do it.

Using a set square on wax

The set square is an intimidating tool to use. It has NO MERCY and shows even the smallest inconsistencies. Read through these tips and get to grips with how to use a set square with wax.

Make a solitaire ring and fitted bands to go with it

Love a solitaire ring? Love a fitted band to go with it? Same! (Honestly, who doesn’t?) Can you make them from wax? Of course! How? By following these steps.

Using calipers on wax

Calipers (vernier gauge) are great for measuring of course. But they can do much more than just measure lengths. Read through these tips on how to use calipers for wax carving.

Make a continuous pattern on a ring

Do you love rings that have a continuous pattern all the way around? ME TOO! They might seem complicated to make, but you just have to break it down into small steps. So what are the small steps involved in making a continuous pattern?

Using a Stanley knife on wax

Stanley knife, X-acto knife, utility knife, precision knife. You know, the handle with a super sharp blade! Whichever one of these you use, the sharp blade is perfect for carving wax. Read through these tips on how to use a Stanley knife on wax.

Make bezel settings: faceted

More gemstones? YES PLEASE! Faceted stones look completely different from cabochons and rose cuts, so off course their bezels are completely different as well. Now how do you make a good bezel from wax for these stones?

Using pens on wax

Not all wax carving tools have to be fancy. Some don’t even have to be tools at all! The non-tool I use allll the time are pens. Read through these tips on how to use pens on wax.

Make bezel settings: rosecut and cabochon

Is it mandatory to love gemstones when you make jewellery? No. Do all jewellery makers love gemstones? YES! Now how do you go about making settings for them from wax?

Introduction to marking wax

Marking wax is one of the fastest steps in the entire wax carving process. Fast, but important. Because everything that comes after depends on your markings! Read through these marking basics to improve your marking.

Learn a classic: bombe ring

A bombe ring is not only a classic ring shape, it’s also a classic ring to carve from wax! So what are some of the techniques that go into transforming a flat piece of ring tube into the curved dome of the ring?

Introduction to filing wax

Filing is one of the easier techniques you can learn when it comes to jewellery making. It’s pretty self-explanatory! Easy or not, there’s always room for improvement. Read through these filing basics and make filing easier for yourself.

3D carving beginnings: charms

Wax is the perfect medium to create 3d shapes. And charms are a great place to start and learn how to do it! But starting any shape from a big block of wax can be intimidating. So, how do you begin?

Introduction to piercing wax

Piercing wax is different from piercing metal. So the rules for piercing wax are different as well! Read through these wax piercing basics to get started.

Learn the basics: stacking rings

Don’t know where to begin your wax carving journey? Start by learning these basic and essential techniques. They might not sound exciting, but you’ll use them all the time! Plus you end up with your own set of unique stacking rings!

What wax color should I get?

Ever wondered what color wax you should choose? I tried all the hard wax colors to find out what color goes best with what technique and tools.

As a conclusion to the wax color comparison series, I created this overview with all the colors together!

Orange wax

Ever wondered what color wax you should choose? For this wax color comparison series, I make something with each wax color. You can read what worked well and what didn’t, then you choose the color that goes best with your making style!

Last: orange wax

Blue wax

Ever wondered what color wax you should choose? For this wax color comparison series, I make something with each wax color. You can read what worked well and what didn’t, then you choose the color that goes best with your making style!

Next up: blue wax

Wolf gold wax

Ever wondered what color wax you should choose? For this wax color comparison series, I make something with each wax color. You can read what worked well and what didn’t, then you choose the color that goes best with your making style!

Next up: Wolf gold wax

Gold wax

Ever wondered what color wax you should choose? For this wax color comparison series, I make something with each wax color. You can read what worked well and what didn’t, then you choose the color that goes best with your making style!

Next up: gold wax

Turquoise wax

Ever wondered what color wax you should choose? For this wax color comparison series, I make something with each wax color. You can read what worked well and what didn’t, then you choose the color that goes best with your making style!

Next up: turquoise wax

Purple wax

Ever wondered what color wax you should choose? For this wax color comparison series, I make something with each wax color. You can read what worked well and what didn’t, then you choose the color that goes best with your making style!

Next up: purple wax

Green wax

Ever wondered what color wax you should choose? For this wax color comparison series, I make something with each wax color. You can read what worked well and what didn’t, then you choose the color that goes best with your making style!

First up: green wax

What ring tube should I get?

Ring tubes come in a few different shapes and sizes. Which one is the best to get? Flat-sided is ALWAYS my tube of choice. But the others have their place as well.

Shrinkage in lost wax casting

The most dreaded word in wax carving: shrinkage. How do you deal with it? Here's how I do it.

What tools do I need for wax carving?

Of course we jewellers are always in the market for new tools. But you can start wax carving with only a few. These are the tools I started out with!

How do I make a jewellery bench?

Do you want to make your own jewellery bench?

Here’s how I converted an Ikea desk into a jewellery bench!

How do I set up a jewellery bench at home?

Are you thinking of setting up a jewellery bench at home, but don’t know where to start? Have a look at these bench ideas made from surfaces found in every home. There might be something that can work for you!