sand casting for jewellers

 
 

I am excited to introduce a much anticipated brand new course - Sandcasting.

 
 

What is sand casting?

Sand casting is a traditional metal casting technique that uses a special type of fine sand to create a mould. A model (often made of wax, metal, or another solid material) is pressed into the sand to create an impression. Molten metal is then poured into this cavity, and the metal takes on the shape of the original model once it cools and solidifies. After breaking away the sand mould, the rough casting is revealed and is refined through filing, polishing, and finishing.

Sand casting is for you if you love the idea of capturing organic textures and unique surface details. It is an adaptable method of jewellery making for small-scale production or one-of-a-kind pieces.

On this brand new online course from Jewellers Academy, you will learn how to sandcast your own jewellery.

Watch the course trailer:

 
 
 

This online course covers sand casting wax carved designs

 
 

What you will learn on this course:

  • How to set up your sand casting area

  • How to prepare your mould

  • Seasoning your crucible

  • Creating your casting space

  • The casting process - heating the metal and pouring

  • Casting a wax carved piece

  • Casting a 3D object - in this project Iain demonstrates casting a heart pendant. The same technique can be used to cast other objects

  • Casting rings, pendants and charms etc

  • Casting heat proof stones in place

  • Cleaning up your castings

  • Health and safety for sandcasting

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This online course covers casting three dimensional objects

Who will you learn from?

 

Meet your tutor Iain sainsbury

In 2018, after two decades in the pharmaceutical industry Iain left his career through burnout and found designing and making jewellery during his recovery.

He is a fine jeweller who centres his work around mixing rough sandcasting with fine jewellery techniques to create one-of-a-kind pieces. He reimagines iconic designs, such as sculptures, or jewellery styles using beach sand to create contrasting textures, and gemstones to add emphasis and colour. He has completed both the Fine and Advance Diplomas with Jewellers Academy and has since exhibited at national shows such as Goldsmiths North and Made Brighton. In 2025 he was shortlisted for the NAJ Awards for "Collection of the Year” with his ATOMIUM collection.

All his pieces are handmade in his workshop with ethically sourced gemstones and either single mine origin or recycled precious metals.

 
 
 

This online course covers casting heat proof stones in place

What do I get?

When you enrol on this course you get:

  • Ongoing access to comprehensive video lessons, guiding you through all the techniques, tips and tricks

  • Downloadable course notes to work alongside the videos

  • Full list of kit and materials to learn the techniques (you can find that below if you want to check before you join the course)

  • Access to our supportive community of jewellers and tutors to help you at every stage of the process

  • Access to the videos 24/7 - you can stop, pause, rewind and replay as much as you like

  • Excellent close-up shots to see what is happening in each step so you don't miss a thing




Ready to enrol? This course is just £119 for lifetime access but during our launch you can get 50% off, that’s £59.50.

Click the button below to enrol now and get started straight away!

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QUESTIONS?

Is this course suitable for beginners?

This course is suitable for those with no experience of casting.

It doesn’t cover the wax carving process. You can find a couple of free courses on wax carving here:

Make a Wax Signet Ring and Make a Wax Carved Ring.

You could also check out Wax Carving Level 1.

What tools and materials do I need to make this project?

Here are a list of tools and materials used in this project. We always recommend that you watch the course through before deciding what to order as you will have a good idea of the type of jewellery you would like to make.

Tools

  • Basic Jewellers Toolkit (including 2/0 saw blades) and polishing kit

    • Sand casting mould

    • Sand (Delft clay is the best sand)

    • Crucible and holder

    • Borax powder (or use borax cone)

    • Talcum powder/cornflour and soft paintbrush

    • Torch e.g. propane/mapp gas torch or ideally a Smiths Little torch with number 7 tip (especially for large volumes of metal)

    • Tray to collect sand

    • Solder pick

    • Metal drinking straw

    • Metal ruler to cut sand

    • Scalpel

    • Area to heat your work - soldering blocks/mats

    • Safety pickle

    • Tweezers

    • Pawpaw ointment - for sticking stones in place.

    • Apron

    • Closed toed shoes

    • Respirator

    • Leather gloves

    • Eye protection e.g. safety glasses are recommended

    • Welding goggles if working with gold or platinum

    • Fire extinguisher and fire blanket

If you plan to do a lot of casting then Iain recommends:

KNIPEX 7122200 Comfort Grip Angled High Leverage Cobolt Cut (available from Amazon)

Materials

Metal for melting - you can use scrap but it is recommended to add 30-50% new casting grain

Heat proof stones for cast in place project

Just a reminder that some objects are subject to copyright so casts of them cannot be sold commercially.

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