Basic Wax Modeling

Basic Wax Modeling: An Adventure in Creativity by Hiroshi Tsuyuki is an essential foundation text in the art of jewelry wax modeling and lost-wax casting. Revered by jewelry educators worldwide and used as a core textbook at the Jewelry Studies Institute in Tokyo, the book offers a structured and highly visual introduction to one of jewelry design’s most enduring techniques.

Across eleven step-by-step projects, Tsuyuki demonstrates how to use the various wax types, tools, and modeling approaches essential to creating professional-quality rings, pendants, and brooches. Each project is accompanied by precise explanations, detailed process photos, and clear supplementary drawings that guide learners from beginner to intermediate skill level. The author’s approach ensures that by completing each exercise, readers will understand both the artistic and technical aspects of jewelry design.

The book also includes a comprehensive appendix with five useful reference charts: ring sizes, plate and wire gauge comparisons, weight conversions, millimetre–inch conversion, and diamond carat-to-diameter relationships—resources highly valued by professional jewellers and students alike.

Originally published in 1985 and now available in a revised hardcover edition (112 pages, 283 black-and-white illustrations), Basic Wax Modeling remains the definitive introduction to jewelry wax modeling. The text was written in collaboration with The Japan Jewelry Craft School, ensuring linguistic clarity and technical precision for international readers.

Praised by professionals and instructors for its clarity and practicality, this book continues to be an indispensable resource for jewellery design programmes, studios, and individual artisans seeking mastery of wax modeling and casting techniques.