We have created several useful calculators and charts to help you easily estimate the cost of casting your items in many of the popular metals. This can be very helpful in the beginning stages of your design and allows you to compare costs before you make a decision. Once you have decided, give us a call or send us an email so we can confirm your price and place your order.
How are my labor costs determined?
How are my metal charges determined?
How do I approximate my metal costs if I know the metal weight?
How do I approximate my metal costs if I only know the wax weight?
How do I calculate my metal costs if I know the metal weight in one metal but would like to know it in another?
How are my labor costs determined?
Labor charges are determined by the nature of the product (ie., size and complexity) and by finishing requirements. Labor charges for casting and finishing are separate from and in addition to metal costs.
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How are my metal charges determined?
All metal prices are based on the closing spot price on the day of invoicing.
Gold charges are based on the London P.M. spot price on the day of invoicing plus $160.00 per troy ounce, based on the raw weight of your product.Please contact us for price quotes for platinum silver and palladium white gold.
Sterling silver charges are based on the Handy & Harman spot price on the day of invoicing plus $8.00 per troy ounce, for raw castings. For finished or semi/finished product we add 4% to the finished or semi/finished weight to account for metal lost in the finishing process.
DeOx sterling silver charges are based on the Handy & Harman spot price on the day of invoicing plus $10.00 per troy ounce. For finished or semi/finished product the same 4% charge applies.
Fine silver charges are based on the Handy & Harman spot price on the day of invoicing plus $10.00 per troy ounce, and, once again, the 4% charge applies for finished or semi/finished product.
Bronze charges are .50 per DWT with a 4% charge for finished or semi/finished product.
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How do I approximate my metal costs if I know the metal weight?
Here are some examples:
- To determine approximate gold costs when you know the gold weight of your piece, click to open our Gold
Pricing Estimator. Get the London P.M. spot price in USD by clicking on the link http://www.lbma.org.uk/statistics_current.htm, and enter it in box #1. Select the appropriate karat with the pull-down menu in box #2. Enter the gold weight in box #3, and use the pull down menu to select DWT, grams or Troy ounces, then press calculate.
- If you want to cast your piece in silver and you know its silver weight, click to open our Silver Pricing Estimator. Get the Handy and Harman base price by calling 1-914-696-8681 and enter it in box #1. Then select the type of silver using the pull-down menu in box #2. Enter the silver weight in box #3, and use the pull-down menu to select DWT, grams or Troy ounces, then press calculate.
How do I approximate my metal costs if I only know the wax weight?
If you only know the wax weight of your piece, click to open our Ratio of Wax to Metal chart. Find the Specific Gravity of the metal you want to cast.
Here are some examples:
- If your wax weight is 1 DWT and you’d like to estimate the metal cost in 18K gold, multiply 1 by 15.5 (the specific gravity of 18K gold) which will equal approximately 15.5 DWT of 18K gold. You can then use this figure in our Gold
Pricing Estimator as the weight of object in #3.
1 DWT (wax) x 15.5 (specific gravity) = 15.5 DWT (18K gold)
- If your wax weight is 1 DWT and you’d like to estimate the metal cost in sterling silver, multiply 1 by 10.4 (the specific gravity of sterling silver) which will equal approximately 10.4 DWT of sterling silver. You can then use this figure in our Silver
Pricing Estimator as the weight of object in #3.
1 DWT (wax) x 10.4 (specific gravity)= 10.4 DWT (sterling silver)
How do I calculate my metal costs if I know the metal weight in one metal but would like to know it in another?
Here is an example:
You have a sterling silver piece that weighs 1 DWT and want to know what it would weigh in 18K gold. First, click to open our Metal Weight Factors chart. Under the “Query” column go to 18KY Gold. In that section find sterling under the “Known” column, and then to the right you see 1.48 in the “Factor” column. Take that factor of 1.48 and multiply it by your silver weight of 1 DWT to get the approximate weight of your piece in 18K gold.
1 DWT (sterling) x 1.48 (factor) = 1.48 DWT (18K gold)back to top
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