Create Your Own Necklace

These fabulous necklaces are loved by everyone. They make perfect gifts for a Mum, a sister, girlfriend or someone who has just had a baby. They are also simple and straightforward to create.

Available in both silver and gold vermeil, you choose one of three chain designs, which is available in a shorter (16-18") length or a medium length (18-20"). You then choose the font you want - either printed lowercase (the first letter is capaitalised) or printed in capital letters, or italic lettering. 

Once you have placed your order via our form here, we get the form sent to the Hot Diamonds workshop. 

This is where the process differs from many other nameplate necklaces which are often laser cut from sheets of metal, with a thin, fragile appearance. Our necklaces by Hot Diamonds are actually cast with molten silver being poured into the resulting mold of your cast. 

These necklace are designed to stand the test of time and are solid and have a nice weight to them.

The Process

A cast is formed of your nameplate using the lost was casting methods (used for 6,000 years by expert craftsmen in molding jewellery and sculptures). This involves creating a wax model of your design. Your design is added to a wax "tree" with a "sprue" (much like a branch) along with other people's designs. The wax tree is then placed inside a container where plaster is poured around the molds inside the container. This is then placed inside a hot kiln for many hours to gradually dissolve the was away from the molds. You are then left with a plaster mold of the wax tree. 

Molten silver is then poured inside the plaster mold - creating a solid silver tree of nameplate designs (no thin silver sheet here!). The individual nameplates are then detached from the tree by cutting each sprue.

Your necklace is then polished and finished with either a plating of rhodium to ensure anti-tarnish properties or, if you choose the gold version, it is plated in 18ct gold. 

Finally the nameplate is attached to the chain of your choice and is soldered at each side at the jump ring to ensure it will never come off. 

To Sum Up

These necklace are a great idea - a simple "Mum" will make a perfect gift. What will you choose? A name, sentiment or date?