Polène jewelry is handcrafted near Venice and Florence in Italy, two regions known for their exceptional craftsmanship. Explore the various stages of manufacturing that guarantee a high-quality piece, from lost-wax casting to 24-carat gold galvanizing.
This ancestral technique, borrowed from sculpture, allows precision casting to make complex, highly detailed works in a single piece. A wax-injected silicone or rubber mold is created to capture the shape of the jewelry prototype. Additional pieces of the wax jewelry are added and arranged on a metal rod, called a “shaft”.
This shaft is then run through an oven and infused with brass, a copper and zinc alloy that will serve as the jewelry’s base. Heat causes the wax in the mold to melt and be replaced by molten metal.
After being removed from the oven, the shaft is placed in a water bath to cool. Each jewelry piece is revealed by hand.
Depending on the design of the jewelry, these components are soldered together. This is common with chain links and stud earrings.
Subtly signed, the jewelry in the collection bear the brand name, its symbol, and the words “Made in Italy”. These engravings are precisely made using lasers.
A number of steps are taken to refine the shape of the jewelry, the fluidity of its lines, and the perfection of its texture. Rubbing the jewelry with sandpaper removes marks and irregularities. Polishing with the help of exfoliating paste and rotary discs takes it a step further. The artisans must be extremely careful and meticulous as they make these adjustments to the jewelry’s look in order to achieve exactly the right amount of shine and reflection and to ensure that the piece is completely free of imperfections.
This step gives the jewelry its signature hue. Polène uses 24-carat gold for high-quality, long-lasting plating. A layer of palladium is applied before the plating to improve its adherence and durability. The jewelry is positioned on a conductive copper wire before being immersed in a gold-ion bath by the artisan-gilder. The copper permits an electrical current to travel over the jewelry, attracting the gold particles and coating them.
