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How does the lost-wax process make fully modeled metal jewelry?

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jewelry Stomacher brooch with emeralds and enamel flowers on gold, from the treasure of the Virgin of Pilar, mid-17th century; in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

The lost-wax process, or cire perdue, is a specialized metal casting technique used to create fully modeled, three-dimensional jewelry. Unlike methods involving flat sheets or simple molds, this process allows for complex, round reliefs.1

To achieve a fully modeled piece, an artist first creates a detailed model in wax. This wax model is then encased in a heat-resistant material, such as plaster, to form a mold. Once the mold is prepared, it is heated, causing the wax to melt and drain away, leaving a hollow cavity that perfectly replicates the original model.23

Molten metal is then poured into this vacant space. After the metal cools and hardens, the outer mold is removed, revealing a solid or hollow metal replica of the wax original. This method is essential for jewelry designs that require intricate, fully rounded forms that cannot be easily achieved through hammering or embossing.231