For jewelry of the same size, the weight of 3D hard gold is about one-third that of traditional K gold. 3D hard gold has good hardness and a stronger three-dimensional feel, allowing patterns to be made more beautiful and attractive.
What causes it to be large in volume but light in weight?
The inside of 3D hard gold jewelry is hollow, so compared with solid traditional gold of the same size, it is naturally much lighter.
Because every piece of jewelry is made from a model, 3D hard gold has a strong three-dimensional feel, light weight, and varied shapes.
Designers draw by hand and build computer models, which are printed and formed through a 3D printer. Then the craftsman applies rubber to the printed version, and when the rubber mold is opened, what is inside is the prototype of the desired 3D hard gold piece.
The finished mold must undergo wax injection and wax trimming. This step is to make the finished 3D hard gold shape more detailed and more exquisite. Next comes the most critical step in 3D hard gold—electroforming.
The wax piece is put into the electroforming room and placed in a tank for electroforming. During the electroforming process, under electrolytic conditions, gold molecules attach gold to the surface of the wax piece. A hole is made in the wax to form a convection hole, and it is put into acid to boil. The wax is boiled away, forming a hollow gold product. Electroforming only adheres a very thin layer of gold to the surface, making the gold jewelry very light in gram weight. Through electrolysis, the nature of the gold also becomes harder.
Every hollow 3D hard gold jewelry piece has a small hole. This is left when the wax is removed, and ordinary consumers find it hard to notice.
What different craftsmanship and technology does "3D hard gold" use?
Unlike traditional pure gold jewelry made by casting with low-melting-point metals such as aluminum and lead, "3D hard gold" is made using a wax mold combined with electroforming technology. By improving the pH value, working temperature, stirring speed, and so on in the electroforming solution, pure gold is laid onto the completed finished wax mold, and finally the wax mold is melted away. Because wax molds have higher plasticity than metal molds, the gold jewelry produced is more delicate than traditional gold jewelry in both detail carving and three-dimensional feel.
Although it is also gold, "hard gold" can use techniques such as polishing and sandblasting in different locations, creating contrasts between light and dark and distinct colors. In terms of feel, some areas are smooth and delicate, while others have a slight sandblasted feel.
In view of the openwork design of gold jewelry made using the above technology, its weight is only about 30% that of traditional gold jewelry of the same volume. Its lightweight shape is also one of the reasons "hard gold" is favored by consumers.
