How much of your handmade jewellery is actually handmade?

There are always degrees of things eh.  Like with manufactured jewellery, the ring setting might be mass cast but the stone is set by hand.  

The jeweller might make a wax mold, the foundry casts the piece and the jeweller cleans up the sprue.  

Then there's the master jeweller who will fabricate each and every component by hand.  They may even forge the wire and sheet themselves.  

Me, I'm somewhere in the middle, too lazy to forge my own sheet and wire but I do everything else by myself. 

I don't use injection molds, each and every mold is a one off.  I can potentially reuse a mold if I'm sand casting the piece.  If I'm doing a lost wax casting session then it's a one off... hint is in the name. 

I've even heard of some large manufacturing companies that have specialised jewellers at each stage of pieces process.  They can do that bit perfectly every time.  

These are just a few ways 'handmade' jewellery is produced.  If you'd like any more info just drop me a line.  Until next time... take care!