11 steps · sketch to shipment
How a copper earringis made.
Every piece that leaves our Yiwu factory has been through eleven specialised stages. Here is how it happens — from the first pencil sketch on a designer's desk to a finished pair sealed in your branded gift box.
11
specialised stages
20
days · average lead
3
QC checkpoints
01 / Design
Sketch & 2D design
6 senior designers track Paris, Milan and Seoul fashion weeks. 2,000+ new sketches every month — pencil, then digital, then sign-off.
02 / 3D modelling
3D resin prototype
A 3D printer builds a resin model of the piece in fine layers. Designers hold it, adjust ergonomics, then sign off on the physical form before tooling.
03 / Mold making
Silicone mold
A two-part silicone mold is cut around the master, with the cavity precisely sized so cast pieces won't need rework. Each mold yields ~500 pieces.
04 / Wax injection
Wax-tree assembly
Hot wax is injected into the mold, forming a perfect wax replica. Replicas are mounted onto a central wax sprue, creating a 'tree' of 30–60 pieces.
05 / Casting
Lost-wax casting
The wax tree is embedded in plaster, baked until the wax melts away, then molten copper is poured in. After cooling, the plaster is broken to reveal the raw copper tree.
06 / Trimming
Sprue trimming
Each cast piece is hand-clipped free from the sprue, then sanded smooth at the cut point. Rough copper jewellery, ready for the next stage.
07 / Stone setting
Hand stone setting
Crystals, pearls or coloured stones are placed by hand. Master setters work to 0.1mm tolerance — for a 240-piece order, every claw is checked individually.
08 / Welding
Precision spot-welding
Earring posts (sterling 925 silver) and findings are spot-welded onto the body. The weld is invisible — it's strong enough to survive years of daily wear.
09 / Polishing
Polishing & buffing
Each piece is buffed by hand across multiple wheels — coarse, medium, fine, then mirror. This is the step that decides how the finished piece catches the light.
10 / Plating
Electroplating
Pieces are dipped into a gold, silver, or rose-gold plating tank. Plating thickness is calibrated for at least 12 months of normal-wear durability, with full smoke + dust extraction.
11 / QC & packaging
Triple QC + packaging
Visual, black-light and electrical QC — three independent checkpoints. Approved pieces are placed by gloved hands into poly bags, gift boxes, or your branded packaging.
Want to see this in person?
Visit our Yiwu factory or request a sample to inspect the craftsmanship for yourself.