311. What Is Mitsuro Hikime? The Ancient Japanese Wax Jewellery Technique Jewellers Are Falling in Love With

In this episode of the Jewellers Academy Podcast, Jessica Rose is joined by jeweller and tutor Lorna Romanengi to explore the ancient Japanese wax jewellery technique of Mitsuro Hikime.

Lorna shares what Mitsuro Hikime is, how the honey wax is made, why the technique creates such beautiful organic textures, and why so many jewellers are falling in love with this expressive way of working.

They also discuss Lorna's journey with the technique, how Mitsuro Hikime can be used to create rings, pendants and sculptural jewellery forms, and what happens once your wax pieces are cast into metal.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• What Mitsuro Hikime means

• How this ancient Japanese wax technique creates natural striations

• Why the process asks jewellers to slow down and work more intuitively

• How Mitsuro can be combined with traditional wax carving

• Why casting is only one part of the process

• How finishing, polishing, keum boo and patinas can enhance your final pieces

The new Mitsuro Hikime course with Lorna is available now at Jewellers Academy and is also included in the Diploma in Wax Jewellery.

Resources mentioned in this episode:
Mitsuro Hikime online course: https://www.jewellersacademy.com/mitsuro
Diploma in Wax Jewellery: https://www.jewellersacademy.com/diploma-in-wax-jewellery
Lorna Romanengi Jewellery on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lornaromanenghijewellery