Lost-wax casting
A wax copy of the piece is encased in ceramic investment, burned out to leave a cavity, and molten metal is drawn into that cavity under vacuum or centrifugal force.
- Tolerance
- ±0.1–0.3 mm
- Min. wall
- 0.8 mm
- Tooling
- $30–120 (silicone or rubber mold)
- Batch fit
- 100–10,000 pcs
How it works
A wax copy of the piece is encased in ceramic investment, burned out to leave a cavity, and molten metal is drawn into that cavity under vacuum or centrifugal force.
Sculptural pendants, signet rings with relief, charms, anything with undercuts are the work this route is chosen for. It runs on 925 silver, Brass, Bronze, Zinc alloy and suits 100–10,000 pcs.
Production steps
Each step below is a separate labour operation, and labour is priced per operation rather than per piece. That is why a 9-step route costs what it does.
Master pattern cut by CNC or 3D-printed from the CAD file 
Silicone or vulcanised rubber mold cut around the master 
Wax injected into the mold, one wax per piece 
Waxes assembled onto a sprue tree 
Tree invested in ceramic slurry, de-aerated under vacuum and cured 
Flask burned out over a programmed cycle, then loaded hot into the casting machine 
Metal melted in the crucible and drawn into the flask under vacuum and positive pressure 
Investment broken off, pieces cut from the tree 
Sprue marks ground back, then polished
Process parameters
These are engineering properties of the process itself. They hold at any competent factory and can be checked against a manufacturing reference.
| Dimensional tolerance | ±0.1–0.3 mm |
|---|---|
| Minimum wall / section | 0.8 mm |
| Tooling cost | $30–120 (silicone or rubber mold) |
| Suited to | 100–10,000 pcs |
| Cycle time | 3–5 days per casting run |
| Materials accepted | 925 silver, Brass, Bronze, Zinc alloy |
Tooling ranges are industry-typical. A firm figure is quoted against your CAD file — see the cost breakdown.
Casting vs Stamping
Choose casting for three-dimensional and organic shapes; choose stamping for flat or shallow shapes at volume, where the per-piece cost is far lower once the die is cut.
Compare with stamping →Materials and categories this suits
Process, material and product category are one decision seen from three sides. These are the combinations that actually work.
| 925 silver | ASTM B700 / EN ISO 9202 (925 fineness) |
|---|---|
| Brass | ASTM B36 / EN CW508L |
| Zinc alloy | ASTM B86 (Zamak 3 / Zamak 5) |
| Rings | Signet faces with relief, organic forms |
|---|---|
| Necklaces & Pendants | Three-dimensional pendants and charms |
| Earrings | Sculptural drops and charms |
What to watch out for
Lost-wax casting — buyer questions
Each answer stands alone and can be read without the rest of this page.
What tolerance can lost-wax casting hold?
Lost-wax casting holds ±0.1–0.3 mm on production parts, with a minimum wall or section of 0.8 mm. A wax copy of the piece is encased in ceramic investment, burned out to leave a cavity, and molten metal is drawn into that cavity under vacuum or centrifugal force. Tighter tolerances than this normally mean a secondary machining operation rather than a change to the primary process.
How much does tooling cost for lost-wax casting?
Tooling for this route is $30–120 (silicone or rubber mold), quoted as a one-off line and invoiced separately from the unit price. The buyer owns the tooling and it is not charged again on a reorder. Full tooling ranges for every route are on the manufacturing cost page.
What order quantity does lost-wax casting suit?
This route suits 100–10,000 pcs. Below that range the setup cost dominates the unit price; above it, a different route is usually cheaper per piece. Choose casting for three-dimensional and organic shapes; choose stamping for flat or shallow shapes at volume, where the per-piece cost is far lower once the die is cut.
Which metals can be cast this way?
925 silver, Brass, Bronze, Zinc alloy. Casting carries the highest scrap allowance of any route — 5–8% — because sprues, misruns and gas porosity are inherent to pouring metal. It is also the wrong route for 316L stainless steel, which melts at 1370–1400 °C, far above what jewelry investment casting is built for.
Casting or stamping — which is right for my design?
Choose casting for three-dimensional and organic shapes; choose stamping for flat or shallow shapes at volume, where the per-piece cost is far lower once the die is cut.
Not answered here? All buyer questions →
Quote a casting run
Send the CAD file or a sketch. You get the tooling cost as its own line, the unit price at your quantity, and a straight answer on whether casting is the right route for the design — we will say so if it is not. Production runs in Qingxi, Dongguan, Guangdong.
- 01Reply within one working day, Guangdong business hours.
- 02Itemised cost sheet — mold quoted separately, not folded into the unit price.
- 03NDA on request before any file is shared.