Engagement Rings

The difference between a handmade engagement ring and a cast engagement ring.

A handmade engagement ring is when the precious metal, such as gold or platinum is machined, hammered, bent, filed, sanded and soldered, etc. So it will be made from scratch using prefabricated gold or platinum wire. The wire varies, a common thickness is 4 - 6mm diameter.
A cast ring is when the precious metal is melted and injected into a mould of the design.
To make the mould a wax model is made, as it’s quicker than making a model from metal. Some jewellers that intend to make several items from the same mould could also make a perfect prototype from metal, such as silver and then cast several items.

Handmade engagement rings usually cost more to buy, as they are one-off. Their material (eg: gold) is also denser than in a cast version because when they are cast the gold or platinum is injected under pressure into the mould. The pressure isn’t as much as the pressure applied when a jeweller makes an engagement ring by hand as it involves processes such as: the jeweller hitting the gold with a hammer and bending it, which compresses the gold or platinum beyond what the casting injection process is capable of. So for two engagement rings of the same design and dimensions the handmade version will be heavier and more durable than the cast one, as more gold is compacted into the same area.

The above information is an apples-for-apples comparison. There are other factors such as talent and experience by a jeweller. So the same handmade ring by one jeweller may not be as good as one that is cast by another jeweller.