Chopard

Celebrating Time-Honoured Crafts 3 - Wax Sculptor

Based on a sketch received from the Design department or sometimes from a gemstone and a few indications, the sculptor – a jeweller by training – shapes an object in modelling clay and then fashions a wax prototype.

This extremely malleable material serves to obtain a certain volume and provides a short-cut to stamping technologies. It also affords the possibility of making corrections and of thinning down layers.

The sculptor or prototype-maker fulfils his craft with meticulous care alongside traditional jewellers and uses the same tools as his colleagues: gravers, cutters, files, tweezers, soldering iron…. He bases his work on assorted documents, sketches and photos to create an object as realistic as possible. Modelling a piece may sometimes take an entire week.

“Although my work is always based on certain guidelines, I am given a fairly free rein. I am not really under any pressure and my creativity can thus be expressed to the full,” explains Anthony, a wax sculptor in the Chopard Haute Joaillerie department.
The young man began as a jewellery model-maker, but his passion for sculpting in wax (next to his talent) was revealed on the occasion of the company’s 150th anniversary in 2010. “When I was preparing my jewellery craftsmanship certificate”, says Anthony, “one of my teachers, who was from the Ecole Boulle in Paris, gave me a taste for sculpting in wax. Ever since I have been basically self-taught”. The first animal Anthony had to create for Chopard was a marmot. The result was a vibrantly lifelike chubby-cheeked miniature creature that aroused great enthusiasm and confirmed the Creation department’s wish to offer increasingly finely fashioned models featuring sophisticated volume effects.

All the wax prototypes are approved by Caroline Gruosi-Scheufele, Chopard Co-President, and by the Head of the Haute Joaillerie Creation department, before being plaster-moulded and cast. The sculpting in wax stage is fundamental, because the model then serves as a basis for the final production of the piece.

No flaws are tolerated. Once the shape has been cast in gold, the sculptor “cleans” it and removes the metal. He fine-tunes and chases the piece by applying various degrees of pressure in order to reveal tiny details that could not be sculpted in the overly fragile wax.

After this last grooming, the model is ready for the subsequent creative stages.

蠟模雕刻工藝

從設計師的設計圖、或者某個寶石、或幾點參考提示，珠寶雕刻師，即經過訓練的珠寶師便可以著手工作，泥模塑形，繼而蠟模雕刻。蠟模的可塑性極強，可以加工成所需大小，是模具製作技術的捷徑之選。蠟模的透明特質令精確的修改和鑿孔也成為可能。

蠟模雕刻師或塑模師協助傳統珠寶師進行精雕細琢，並使用同樣的工具：鑿、銑刀、銼刀、鉗子、電烙鐵等。蠟模雕刻師參考相關文獻、圖紙、圖片等資料，力求塑造出最逼真的形態，有時僅塑模就要耗費一周的工時。

「儘管我們創作過程中有一根主線引導，但是仍有很大的自由度。我幾乎沒什麼壓力。我有足夠的創作空間。」蕭邦高級珠寶的蠟模雕刻師Anthony如此解釋。這位年輕的蠟模雕刻師最初是珠寶模具製作師，但難掩其在蠟模雕刻方面的激情和天賦，他參與製作了品牌於2010年為慶祝150周年華誕而隆重推出的 Animal World Collection 動物世界系列。Anthony繼續說道：「在我就讀珠寶製作藝術專業時，我的一位從巴黎布洛學院畢業的老師激起了我對蠟模雕刻的強烈興趣，隨後我就自修了這門技藝。」Anthony為蕭邦製作的第一款動物模型是一隻旱瀨，反響異常熱烈。這隻胖乎乎的、可愛逼真的小動物贏得了品牌設計部的信任，促進部門進一步推出更為精細與龐大的作品。

所有蠟模都必須經由蕭邦聯合總裁卡洛琳•格羅絲-舍費爾Caroline Gruosi-Scheufeule女士和高級珠寶創作總監的確認，方能製作成石膏模具。蠟模製造至關重要，因為模具是最終珠寶製作的基礎。整個工序不能有任何失誤。模具裡流入黃金合金，經冷卻成型後，雕刻師「清洗」掉石膏，顯露出貴重金屬的本質。而後，蠟模雕刻師再對成品進行或輕或重的精雕細刻，以突出精微細節，而蠟模因脆弱特性不能進行類似的雕刻處理。成品經最後這道修飾操作後便可繼續下一步的工序。

Other Celebrating Time-Honoured Crafts :

Part 2 - The ElectroPlater

Part 1 -The Gold Caster

This message has been edited by Kong on 2011-06-08 00:44:33

💰110 Marketplace Listings for Chopard›

Celebrating Time-Honoured Crafts 3 - Wax Sculptor

Celebrating Time-Honoured Crafts 3 - Wax Sculptor

I imagine that this craft has its own challenges...

Exactly, J !