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Metal Fabrication Method
The next most common way of making a piece of jewelry is by fabricating the item directly from the metal. The metal is melted and formed into different shapes by using a metal mold to achieve a rough shape or by hammering the metal into the desired form. Hammering the metal is reminiscent of blacksmithing. After the metal is formed, it can be filed, shaped, or drawn through a plate used to make different shapes of wire. Fabricating jewelry requires a methodical process in order to achieve the desired end result. Unlike casting, the items that are fabricated by hand tend to have cleaner and sharper edges and are more precise. Although this process is very time consuming, making an item in steps lends itself to having each section beautifully finished prior to being assembled, which generally cannot be done in a item that is created through the lost wax process |