Repreosa factory

my hand holding a piece in need of sand blasting

The Reprosa Factory is a great little shop in Panama that makes beautiful jewelry using the techniques of pre-Colombian societies.

1.  make a wax figure in the desired shape.
2.  pour plaster of paris around the wax figure.
3.  let the plaster harden.
4.  melt the wax, leaving the shape in the plaster.
5.  use a centrifuge to spin the molten silver into the space in the plaster.
6.  wash off the plaster, shine up the piece, and voila!

The people making the wax molds

a beautiful polished piece, waiting for final treatment