Wax Carving Techniques for Jewelry Design
A course by Elsa Tierney , Jewelry Designer and Maker
Explore the ancient art of wax carving and discover creative techniques to design, measure, sculpt, size, and finish bespoke pieces of jewelry from scratch
- Best seller
- 99% positive reviews (131)
- 7168 students
- Audio: English
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch
Explore the ancient art of wax carving and discover creative techniques to design, measure, sculpt, size, and finish bespoke pieces of jewelry from scratch
Ever thought about designing a customized ring for yourself or someone close to you? Award-winning jewelry designer Elsa Tierney finds nothing more meditative than the intricate process of carving, filing, and dusting off her wax sculptures, destined to become bespoke pieces of jewelry.
In this online course, discover the ancient art of lost wax casting to produce a timeless piece of jewelry that you can treasure forever. Explore a variety of techniques to transform wax into wearable accessories that reflect your unique style.
What will you learn in this online course?
16 lessons & 16 downloads
- 99% positive reviews (131)
- 7168 students
- 16 lessons (2h 26m)
- 16 additional resources (2 files)
- Online and at your own pace
- Available on the app
- Audio: English
- English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, French, Italian, Polish, Dutch
- Level: Beginner
- Unlimited access forever
What is this course's project?
Design and create a wax mold for a classic-style signet ring.
Projects by course students
Who is this online course for?
This course is for anyone wanting to take their first steps in the world of jewelry design, as well as jewelry designers keen on exploring wax carving or improving their technique.
Requirements and materials
No previous experience is needed to take this course.
For materials, you need:
- ⦁ tracing paper, graph paper, and masking tape
⦁ a flat-top wax ring tube
⦁ a jeweler’s saw frame
⦁ a double-ended file, craft knife, spiral saw blade, and scriber
⦁ a small metal ruler and set square
⦁ emery paper
⦁ a fiberglass pen
⦁ stocking fabric
Reviews
A course by Elsa Tierney
Elsa Tierney is a jewelry designer and maker specializing in lost wax casting for jewelry and sculptures. Her fascination with jewelry and artifacts from all around the world, or “treasure” as she would call them, was ignited from a young age on trips with her parents to London-based museums. As an adult, she decided to turn this passion into a career, receiving a degree in fine art and later, a National Diploma in Silversmithing & Allied Crafts from Sir John Cass School of Art & Design.
Her pieces incorporate influences from modern art that she combines with traditional jewelry-making methods. She is particularly proud of her marionette piece, which boasts the working attributes of a puppet on strings, but can also be worn as a necklace. Her work has been exhibited across the UK, and she is a two-time winner of the Bronze Goldsmiths Award in the 3D Modellers category. Other accolades include the Silver Goldsmiths Award in the QVC category in 2016 and Gold in the Raw Pearls category in 2015.
Content
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U1
Introduction
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About Me
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Influences
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U2
Designing and Preparing for Carving
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A Brief Introduction to the History of Lost-Wax Casting
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Tools and Workspace
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The Different Types of Wax
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Playing With Wax
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From Sketch to Technical Drawing
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U3
Measuring and Symmetry
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Measuring, Cutting, and Leveling the Ring Tube
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Shape Measurements for Symmetry
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U4
Shaping the Ring
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Filing and Sizing the Ring Form 1
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Filing and Sizing the Ring Form 2
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Shaping and Refining the Ring Structure
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Decorative Techniques and Texturing
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U5
Casting and Engraving
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Spruing Ready for Casting into Metal 1
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Spruing Ready for Casting into Metal 2
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Optional Engraving
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FP
Final project
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Wax Carving Techniques for Jewelry Design
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What to expect from a Domestika course
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Learn at your own pace
Enjoy learning from home without a set schedule and with an easy-to-follow method. You set your own pace.
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Learn from the best professionals
Learn valuable methods and techniques explained by top experts in the creative sector.
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Meet expert teachers
Each expert teaches what they do best, with clear guidelines, true passion, and professional insight in every lesson.
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Certificates
PlusIf you're a Plus member, get a custom certificate signed by your teacher for every course. Share it on your portfolio, social media, or wherever you like.
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Get front-row seats
Videos of the highest quality, so you don't miss a single detail. With unlimited access, you can watch them as many times as you need to perfect your technique.
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Share knowledge and ideas
Ask questions, request feedback, or offer solutions. Share your learning experience with other students in the community who are as passionate about creativity as you are.
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Connect with a global creative community
The community is home to millions of people from around the world who are curious and passionate about exploring and expressing their creativity.
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Watch professionally produced courses
Domestika curates its teacher roster and produces every course in-house to ensure a high-quality online learning experience.
FAQs
Domestika's courses are online classes that provide you with the tools and skills you need to complete a specific project. Every step of the project combines video lessons with complementary instructional material, so you can learn by doing. Domestika's courses also allow you to share your own projects with the teacher and with other students, creating a dynamic course community.
All courses are 100% online, so once they're published, courses start and finish whenever you want. You set the pace of the class. You can go back to review what interests you most and skip what you already know, ask questions, answer questions, share your projects, and more.
The courses are divided into different units. Each one includes lessons, informational text, tasks, and practice exercises to help you carry out your project step by step, with additional complementary resources and downloads. You'll also have access to an exclusive forum where you can interact with the teacher and with other students, as well as share your work and your course project, creating a community around the course.
You can redeem the course you received by accessing the redeeming page and entering your gift code.
makaryan_gevorg
This course is truly exceptional. Elsa Tierney communicates in a remarkably clear and understandable manner, delivering all the essential information needed to begin crafting jewelry pieces or to refine skills in wax carving. I recommend this course to anyone interested in the craft. Thanks to Elsa for her outstanding work!
elenabatecola
Il corso è ben strutturato, chiaro e avvincente. Non sono una neofita, sono una creativa e mi occupo di gioielli e questo corso mi ha colmato alcune lacune. Lo consiglio
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danitoro0507
Me gustó mucho el curso! Fue muy claro y muy agradable la profe🫶🏻
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irisbcn
Curso genial, muy bien explicado. Espero otro curso de esta profesora!
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dacha693
Very interesting, detailed and straightforward course to begin making carved wax models for signet rings! I completed my ring and am waiting for it to be cast in silver.