The workshop
At Assaya Jewelry, jewelry is made in small quantities, by hand, by craftsmen with a real know-how. The production is done in several steps, thanks to the lost wax process.
The design
Inspired by her travels and her environment, the designer puts her ideas on paper. She makes sketches, then adds precise measurements before sending them to her workshop.
The prototype
Once the final design has been validated, the workshop makes a prototype based on it. Corrections are made if necessary. Once perfect, a rubber mould is created to keep the imprint of this prototype. This mould is then used to make the various pieces of jewelry.
Wax replica
Liquid wax is injected into this rubber mould and allowed to cool and harden for a few minutes. This wax can then be removed from the mould as a perfect replica of the jewel. The craftsmen have to create as many wax pieces as there are model pieces ordered.
The cylinder
Once the wax replicas are ready, they are glued to a hardened wax rod using hot wax. They are installed like the branches of a tree, without touching each other. The shaft is then placed in a metal cylinder which is filled with heat-resistant plaster and solidifies within an hour.
Wax melting
This cylinder is then placed in a high-temperature oven to melt the wax and leave only the negative impression of the jewelry in the plaster.
Recycled 925 Sterling Silver
The heated, liquid silver is injected into the plaster cylinder. The liquid metal will therefore fill in the negative traces of the jewelry.
Demolding
After cooling, the plaster mould is then destroyed and the tree with the silver jewelry pieces is revealed. At this stage, the silver is not shiny and has several flaws that the following steps will correct. The various jewels are cut from the tree, cleaned and polished.
The polishing
At Assaya Jewelry, we use both machine and hand polishing. The polisher ensures that the metal is polished to perfection so that it is as bright as possible. Only a qualified and experienced craftsman can do this.
The plating
Next comes the gilding process, which is an electrochemical process whereby layers of gold are deposited on the silver. A current draws positively charged gold ions through a gold bath solution to adhere to a negatively charged jewel. At Assaya Jewelry, we opt for a minimum of 3 layers of 18K gold. More gold, more processing time but better quality!
The finishing
Finishing consists of giving the jewel its final shine, punching it and checking that it is perfect for wearing.
Ethical sourcing
We are comitted to sustainably sourcing our precious metals + stones.
