Bringing Microcasting In-House: Why It Benefits Jewelers and Goldsmith Workshops 

Bringing micro-casting in-house is now an increasingly practical choice for jewelers and goldsmith workshops looking to reduce lead times, improve quality, and gain greater control over custom work.

Today, combining sales with an in-house workshop capable of handling even jewelry micro-casting means offering a faster, more flexible service that is better aligned with the expectations of customers seeking personalization, continuity, and high standards.

For years entrusted to external suppliers, micro-casting is now increasingly being brought in-house to meet growing demands for speed, quality, and flexibility, while also generating cost savings.

Bringing micro-casting in-house means gaining direct control over the production process and ensuring a more efficient, continuous service for the customer. 

Microcasting in Custom Work: The Limits of Outsourcing  

Micro-casting is a delicate step for many workshops, especially when working on one-of-a-kind pieces or limited volumes.

When this stage is outsourced, the issue is not just waiting time. Other variables often come into play that affect the quality perceived by the customer and the jeweler’s ability to keep a clear commercial promise.

Here, then, are the most common limits of outsourcing this process:

• unpredictable lead times
• possible quality variations from one casting to the next
• the need for in-house reworking to correct imperfections such as porosity or shrinkage
• difficulty in meeting the promised delivery times
• greater exposure to gold price fluctuations and quantity management.

These critical issues become even more evident during peak periods, when seasonality, custom orders, or last-minute requests put pressure on the organization.

In this context, in-house micro-casting management allows for a faster response to requests, while ensuring continuity between design, production, and delivery. 

"Gold casting: band rings created using the Orotig Prometheus casting machine"

Consistent Quality and Greater Material Flexibility 

In the goldsmithing sector, competitiveness also depends on the ability to work efficiently with different metals.

As mentioned above, the price of gold remains highly volatile, pushing many businesses to rethink lead times, stock levels, margins, and their commercial offer.

At the same time, interest is growing in alternatives such as platinum, which require the appropriate skills and equipment.

This requires workshops and companies to have greater production flexibility and the ability to handle small quantities of metal quickly and consistently.

As also highlighted during the latest VicenzaOro summit, the ability to respond quickly to the market with on-demand production has become one of the main competitive factors for goldsmith workshops and companies in the sector.

In this scenario, being able to adapt production quickly to customer requests, while maintaining consistent quality standards and reducing waste and rework, represents a tangible advantage.   

"Platinum wedding ring created using the Orotig Ackeron casting machine" 

Carlessi Jewelry’s Experience with the Prometheus Casting Machine  

Carlessi Jewelry mainly creates custom jewelry and one-of-a-kind pieces, often made in different metals and with tight lead times.

For a long time, casting was entrusted to an external service provider: a practical solution but not always aligned with the quality standards required by the workshop or with its commitment to always deliver the very best quality to its customers.

As owner Michele Carlessi explains, “The introduction of the Orotig Prometheus tabletop casting machine has allowed us to control the process directly and reduce response times for customers, ensuring greater flexibility and consistent quality.

"Michele Carlessi, owner of Carlessi jewelry (Bergamo, Italy)"

Prometheus was also chosen for its compact size: it fits easily into the lab space and is simple to use.

We can customize parameters such as temperatures and casting times according to our needs and the alloys we use to create our jewelry.

Another decisive aspect for us is the possibility of casting small quantities of material: when we need to produce a single ring, we can work with just a few grams of metal quickly and efficiently.”

Thanks to bringing micro-casting in-house, the workshop has been able to strengthen control over the production process, improve its ability to respond to custom requests, and maintain very high and consistent quality standards over time. 

Why Prometheus Fits the Needs of an In-House Goldsmith Workshop  

Prometheus is a compact, automatic tabletop casting machine for jewelry micro-casting in gold, silver, and platinum, designed to work even with small quantities of metal and deliver a finished product with a smooth, porosity-free surface.

The machine incorporates a patented system in which the crucible is positioned horizontally and aligned with the cylinder, ensuring rapid and smooth casting, automatic vacuum and overpressure functions, and a library of customizable programs—features that make it particularly appealing to those seeking greater control over the production process and consistent quality. 

"Prometheus compact casting machine by Orotig for gold, silver, and platinum" 

For a jeweler looking to bring casting in-house, practical considerations such as compact size, ease of use, and the automation of certain operational functions are also of great importance.

From this perspective, a compact solution can help integrate casting more easily into the workflow of an in-house goldsmith workshop, even where available space is limited. 

Bringing Microcasting In-House: A Strategic Choice, Not Just a Technical One 

Bringing micro-casting into the workshop is not just a technical improvement, but a true evolution in the jeweler’s operating model.

When a jeweler directly controls a delicate stage like this, they can respond more precisely to customer requests and make better use of their know-how thanks to:

• Greater control over quality and workmanship, with more consistent standards over time
• Reduced lead times and operating costs thanks to less waste, less rework, and lower dependence on external providers
• Greater flexibility in handling custom requests, urgent jobs, and limited production runs
• Better integration between design, casting, finishing, and delivery.

"Platinum solitaire made with the Orotig Ackeron casting machine" 

In a market increasingly oriented towards personalization and fast response times, bringing micro-casting in-house therefore becomes a distinctive asset. It does not replace artisanal expertise: it strengthens it.

And it enables the creation of a more consistent, profitable, and reliable service, in line with the expectations of customers who today choose jewelry not only for its value, but also for the experience it offers.

To explore how complementary processes can complete a workshop’s production flow, you can also read the article “Laser welding in jewelry”, which is useful for understanding how to manage porosity, precision repairs, and finishing on complex jewelry pieces.