Vanessa Fernández on the Art of Goldsmithing

It’s labor intensive, time-consuming, and not designed to scale, but for Vanessa Fernández (pitcured), a jeweler in Miami trained in the traditional art of goldsmithing, the effort she makes to handcraft and hand-fabricate her one-of-a-kind jewels is worth it.

Vanessa Fernández

“Clients really do value the work and, essentially, that’s what they’re paying for,” Fernández said during a presentation she gave last week at Converge, a joint conference organized by GIA and the American Gem Society in Carlsbad, Calif. “I’ll explain to you how it’s made for you and you only. It would be so easy to wax it, cast it, and mold it but I refuse to do it.”

In the talk, titled “Preserving Artistic Integrity in the Age of Mass Production: The Goldsmith’s Process and The Handmade Jewel,” Fernández explained the steps she takes to make her 18k gold jewels, from the initial sketch to polishing the finished piece.

18k gold ring with 3.46 ct. blue zircon, $12,600

The very first thing she does is design the jewel using one of various methods—traditional gouache rendering, watercolor ink rendering, transparent vellum paper rendering, or creating digital sketches using a tool such as Procreate.

The next step depends on a subtle but important distinction in the production process.

“There’s a difference between handcrafted and handmade,” Fernández said.

18k gold necklace with 32.14 cts. t.w. chrysoberyl and diamond pavé, price on request

When something is handmade or hand-fabricated, it’s created without the use of casting. Gold is melted into an ingot and rolled out in a mill. After that, it can be pierced, sawed, hammered, formed, soldered, sanded, polished, and finished, with all steps performed entirely by hand.

Handcrafting a jewel, on the other hand, involves casting. A wax of the jewel is hand-carved; next, the jeweler employs the lost wax casting process to create it in gold.

Both approaches depend on handcraftsmanship, but with nuanced distinctions. “Working with wax allows you to achieve dimensions that would otherwise be impossible with bending metal,” Fernández said. “You can raise gold or form it.”

Diamond Curva Wrap hoops in 18k gold with 3.13 cts. t.w. mandarin garnets and 0.6 ct. t.w. diamonds, $14,000

Ultimately, she explained, the goal is to preserve ancient knowledge and inspire future generations of goldsmiths. “I use Instagram almost daily, and I’m constantly sharing resources,” she said. “I sometimes feel like it’s a dying art. It’s so important to preserve it and teach it.”

Even as time-saving AI encroaches on the jewelry industry, and gold continues to break price records, Fernández is determined to stay true to her artistic vision. “I’m not going to change my methods or my material,” she said.

Top: Wrap earrings in 18k yellow gold with 0.9 ct. t.w. diamonds, $9,600; Vanessa Fernández