How to Make Rings Out of Wax

A customized ring starts with wax.

Rings can be bought premade from any jeweler, but you may not always find what you are looking for. If you wish to customize your ring, one way to do it is to make a wax carving of the ring you want to design. Once you make a wax ring, you can make a real ring using your template. A jeweler can make the wax ring from your instructions, or you can do it at home if you wish to be more hands-on during the process.

Things You'll Need

• Jeweler's wax
• Mandrel
• Carving tools
• File

Instructions

1. Sketch out the ring design on paper. It is best to do this before you start working with the wax so that you know exactly how the ring should look when it is done.

2. Measure the finger of the person who will be wearing the ring. If it is a surprise, try taking one of her current rings and getting it measured so you can find out what size she wears.

3. Open the wax container and pull out the ring, which should have a hole in the middle already. Slide the ring onto the mandrel and twist it to further bore the hole until it reaches the size you got from the ring measurements.

4. Measure out the width you want the ring and make a mark on the wax. Using a small jeweler's saw, cut the ring down so that it is the correct width. Wipe away any wax shavings that may be sticking to the ring.

5. Mark the center point of the ring. This is the part of the ring that will be facing directly up when worn. From here, you can begin marking indentations for the design of the ring.

6. Begin carving the ring according to the design you sketched out. If you want a diamond or other stones on there, you should make indentations using your jeweler's tools. This is the hardest part of the process and may take a few tries before you get it right. You may even need to use more than one wax ring to get it right.

7. File away any excess wax gently. Go slowly, as the wax will give way to the file very easily and you may file more than you need. Do it a little at a time, because you can always file away more wax later, but you can't add any back on once you have filed it off.

8. Take your completed wax ring to a jeweler, who will then make the ring from the metals and stones of your choice. The wax ring you made will be melted off during the process, so you will not get it back.

Tips & Warnings

• There are three types of jeweler's wax: blue (soft), maroon (medium) and green (hard). For a beginner, the best is the blue wax because it is easier to shape and cut into. As you get more experience, you can try the maroon and green waxes.

• Start off with a very simple design for your first time. Complicated designs may take a lot of time and practice to make properly. Begin with a simple design and add more detail with subsequent tries.

• If you do not have jeweler's tools, you can improvise and use things like a retractable knife, old drill bits and even an empty mechanical pencil. These can all be used to draw various lines and indentations on wax in lieu of special jeweler's tools.

• Always use caution when using sharp tools and files. They can cause cuts, abrasions and bleeding. If you do happen to hurt yourself, stop carving the ring immediately and treat the wound.

References

• Opal Jewelry Express: How to Carve a Wax Model for Jewellery Making
• Jason Bellchamber: Tips for Carving Wax
• The Ganoskin Project; Wax Carving Basics; Kate Wolf