When you request a quote from an Indonesian silver manufacturer, you will often see two options: handmade or cast. The difference affects price per piece, minimum order quantity, production time, and how the finished jewelry looks and feels. This guide explains both methods so you can make the right choice for your product line.
Lost Wax Casting
Casting is the most common production method for volume silver jewelry. A wax model is made (either by hand or CNC), a plaster mold is created around it, molten 925 silver is poured in, and the mold is broken to reveal the piece. The wax model can be reused to make hundreds of identical pieces.
Advantages of casting:
- Consistent shape and weight across a production run — every piece matches
- Better for complex three-dimensional shapes (detailed pendants, sculptural rings)
- Lower cost per piece than handmade, typically 15 to 30 percent cheaper at the same weight
- Faster production for bulk orders once the mold exists
Limitations of casting:
- The mold requires an upfront cost (usually USD 30 to 80 per design) for new custom designs
- The surface is smoother and more uniform — less texture variation than handmade
- Harder to do very fine wirework or open weave patterns this way
Hand Fabrication
Handmade silver jewelry is constructed from silver wire, sheet, and findings that a craftsman works by hand using traditional tools — sawing, filing, forging, stamping, weaving. Each piece is made individually. Surabaya and Bali both have strong handmade silversmithing traditions going back centuries.
Advantages of handmade:
- Artisan quality and slight variation between pieces — a genuine selling point for boutique and gallery buyers
- No mold cost — better for small runs and one-of-a-kind designs
- Essential for wirework, filigree, weave, and stamped texture designs that casting cannot replicate
- Easier to make very small batches (some styles can be done in quantities of 1 to 5)
Limitations of handmade:
- Slight variations between pieces — not ideal if you need exact uniformity
- Higher labor cost per piece, especially for complex designs
- Slower production for large orders
Which Should You Choose?
Choose casting when you need volume, consistency, and complex shapes at a lower price point. Choose handmade when the artisan story is part of your product value, or when the design requires wirework and texture that only hand fabrication can produce.
Most Indonesian manufacturers do both, and many designs use a combination — a cast base with hand-applied wire details, for example. The right answer depends on your design, your price point, and how you market the piece to your customers.
At Artistica Jewelry we produce both handmade and cast 925 sterling silver. When you send us a design reference, we will recommend the production method that gives the best result at the best price for that specific piece. Send your design for a quote or browse our catalogue.