Mold

• One of the most necessary tools for making gold bracelets or any other type of gold, silver or platinum jewelry is a jewelry mold. You can make your own mold from wax based on the design of your gold bracelet. Cut a block of jeweler's wax in half, filing the wax smooth before carving the design. Make sure all wax debris is removed from the finished mold and that the surface is smooth. Other mold options include a bracelet mat that is curved jeweler's wax designed to help make shaping the bracelet easier. You can also purchase a ready-made jewelry mold at jewelry supply and hobby supply stores. Once you have a mold, you can use it to create many different bracelets.
  
  

Casting

• Once your mold is perfected, your next step is to heat the gold or other metals and cast the molten material into the bracelet mold. Melt your gold by placing it into a container designed to withstand the high heat of the casting torch. Metal casting torches have specific tips for melting gold as opposed to other metals. The different tips help regulate the temperature and direction of the flame. Melting the metal is a matter of pointing the flame from the casting torch at the container until the gold is melted. Wearing gloves and with the help of a clamp, carefully pour the melted gold into the bracelet mold. You may lose some of the metal if you pour too fast, but you must pour the gold fast enough to finish while it is still molten. Make sure to fill your mold completely, then press or clamp it closed for about one hour. This will give the gold time to cool down and solidify the shape of the bracelet.
  
  

Finishing

• Finishing your gold bracelet begins with using a heavy metal file to file away any sharp bits of gold left over from the casting process. Next, file the gold bracelet with a lighter file designed to create a smooth surface. Files come in different shapes like triangular, round or square for easier access to hard-to-reach places on your jewelry. Next, sand the gold bracelet graduating from a medium grit to a very fine grit to finish. Your gold bracelet is ready to be polished with either a satin or glossy polish and a soft cloth. Wash away the residue from the polish with warm, soapy water. Finally, you can hand polish the gold bracelet with a jewelry polishing cloth.