Diamonds aren’t just for girls. They’re for anyone who loves to shine bright. What’s a ring without some bling? The first documented use of a diamond in an engagement ring was during the Renaissance. It was a symbol of upper-class status. Soon after, it became customary for suitors to propose with a little bling in the form of a diamond ring.
Carbon and Hyde was founded from Yarden and Oren Katz’s longtime love of all things fine jewelry. Today they are some of Hollywood’s elite jewelry boutiques because of their unique and edgy styles. Their rings are the go-to for celebrities including Jessica Alba, Miranda Kerr, and Khloe Kardashian. At Carbon and Hyde, all diamond rings start out as sketches. Next a 3D computer-generated model is made and it’s sent to a 3D printer for physical printing. Thin wax slices are printed, layer by layer. Two different types of wax are printed during this process: a blue casting wax on the inside and a red support wax on the outside.
With layers so thin, it takes 18 hours for a ring model to print. The model is put in a bath containing a special cleaning solution. Then tweezers are used to remove the stubborn bits of the surrounding red wax. After several minutes of washing, the final blue casting wax is revealed. The model is then attached with other rings to form a wax tree. This is done so that multiple rings can be made at once. This tree is covered in plaster and placed in a kiln for many hours until the wax burns out, leaving an imprint inside the plaster that’s in the shape of the ring. Now it’s time to cast the ring.
The desired metal is melted into a liquid. A temperature of 1,948°F must be reached to melt gold and 3,215°F for platinum. Once melted, the metal is poured into the mold and placed in cold water to harden and cool. The casing is removed and each ring is cut from the tree. The ring is now sent to be cleaned and prepared. Files are used to remove the sprue which connected the ring to the tree. The support bar is detached and the ring is sanded to get rid of any rough edges or unwanted metal fragments.
Finally, the ring is hammered to the correct size and shape. Time to get shiny. After the final shaping, the ring is sent to be pre-polished using a buffer. A green rouge polishing compound is added to help make the metal shiny. The ring is then rinsed in an ultrasonic bath. This bath is mainly made up of water and soap and it’s used to help remove excess oils. Now, the ring is ready for some bling. Back at the store, the completed rings are received and the stones are picked in the proper sizing and shape. The diamonds are inspected to make sure the cut of the diamond is perfect. These flat cuts in the stone are called facets which enhance the sparkly quality of the stone. Some diamond shapes are round, pear, oval, cushion, and princess. Now that the perfect stones have been selected, it’s time to set the diamonds in the band. A shellac wax is used to help keep the ring in place. It’s heated and shaped around the ring. The diamonds are hammered into their spots and secured with prongs to ensure the stones stay in place.
It is important that this is done correctly so no diamonds fall out of the ring. Now, the completed ring is sent for a final polish making sure it shines like the stars. The diamond ring is finally complete. Ready for you to propose your love or just ice out your own finger. No matter what the occasion, you now have a sparkly piece of art to cherish forever. Thanks for watching this episode of How Stuff Is Made. To subscribe to Refinery29, click here. And to see more videos, click here..
