[MUSIC PLAYING]
The amount of 24 karat gold jewelry
being sold at the Baitai wholesale show room
was staggering for me to see.
All styles of jewelry were being selected by buyers
with volumes sold in the kilos.
Large 24 karat gold objects in traditional Chinese designs
were constantly being selected and sold
while I was in the show room.
I witnessed the electroforming process
to make these 24 karat gold objects in the company's
factory.
Highly skilled artisans would carve a variety
of intricate designs into the waxes that would eventually
become the final gold objects.
The first carved wax was used to create a mold in which wax
could be injected to create multiple waxes that
would go through the electroforming process.
This wax carver is preparing an assembled little girl figurine.
The heads of these figurines are injected using a harder wax
and then attached to the bodies.
The harder wax allows the carver to obtain sharper and crisper
details in the facial area.
The facial expressions will change from wax to wax,
though the design can be customized
offering a variety of figurines in 24 karat gold.
Highly intricate traditional Chinese designs
were being carved into these objects
by hand throughout the factory.
Part of the wax process can involve
using a wax pin to apply wax for the purpose of filling in voids
and building up in areas of the object.
Cold carving tools are used to remove parting lines
and further detail the wax models.
After the waxes have been completely detailed,
they are moved into the plating department.
Here a silver metal-conducted paint
is applied so the gold will adhere to the wax
during the electroplating process.
The paint is applied by hand using a fine paint brush.
This allows the jeweler more control
in applying an even coat on the piece
and in between all the fine details.
The silver paint is constantly swirling
to keep the content properly mixed.
Once the silver paint has been applied,
the workers examine the piece for consistency.
Fine sandpaper is used to remove any imperfections that
would show up in the final electroform gold piece.
After the electroplating process,
the wax is left with a matte finished
layer of 24 karat gold.
Workers use a tungsten carbide burnisher to burnish
the raised areas of the design.
This creates a beautiful combination
of highly polished raised areas against matte
finished recessed areas.
After the electroforming process,
the wax sprues are removed from the design leaving holes
in the bottom of the piece.
The wax inside will remain and act as a support
preventing the gold from collapsing
during the burnishing process.
After burnishing, the pieces are heated
causing the wax to melt and drain out through these holes.
Baitai had several automated, chain-making machines
manufacturing a variety of chain styles in 24 karat gold.
I have witnessed many kilos of these chains being
sold in their showroom.
In contrast to automation, there were numerous bench jewelers
assembling a variety of chains and bracelets by hand.
Some painstakingly attach links with hand
formed beads while others were soldering the links
and bracelets together.
Many of the torch techniques involve soldering or fusing
pieces together.
S-hooks are traditional for 24 karat gold chains, necklaces,
and bracelets.
This jeweler is melting the small remnant
of the sprue, which was left over from the casting process.
In this area, I watch jewelers using a high speed
wheel with a sharpened steel pointed tool
to cut a high polish groove in the center of a textured finish
earring.
The combination of high polish against textured finishes
is very popular for the 24 karat gold jewelry.
A similar device was used to cut high polish
areas into chain links.
These textured beads were maneuvered
at an amazingly fast pace to create the high polish designs.
Everything from high technology like this laser welder to hand
fabrication were used to create literally
tons of 24 karat jewelry at the Baitai factory.