Platinum Casting

Here we show Izzy casting in platinum. The process is different from other metals, because for platinum he uses a vertical centrifuge. You'll see he uses a special torch that emits a very high heat to melt the platinum. Once the platinum has melted, he releases the catch so that the entire crucible spins, and the force of the centrifuge gravity forces the platinum into the flask. What you won't see in this video is that we started with a wax or resin of the ring that would normally be handmade or printed in our 3D grower. Then that wax would be set into the flask inside something like plaster. Once the plaster is dry, the flask is put in the kiln. The heat of the kiln causes all the wax to disappear, leaving a hole in the "plaster" that is exactly the shape of the ring. This video picks up at the stage where we would fill that hole with platinum. Once the metal has cooled we can destroy the plaster and we are left with the platinum ring. The following stage is to finish the ring by setting the stones and polishing the metal. It may sound simple, but it takes years of training. Even Izzy did not cast in platinum until later in his career. If you'd like to learn more about platinum from a jeweler's perspective, watch this video:    • Platinum - Three Different Kinds And ...