现代首饰制造行业常用的失蜡铸造工艺是由古代铸造工艺发展而来的。距今5000多年前的新石器时代晚期，我国古代工匠就在青铜器的制造中广泛采用了失蜡铸造工艺。当时的工匠根据蜂蜡的可塑性和热挥发性的特点，首先将蜂蜡雕刻成需要形状的蜡模，再在蜡模外包裹黏土并预留一个小洞，晾干后焙烧，使蜡模气化挥发，同时黏土则成为陶瓷壳体，壳体内壁留下了蜡模的阴模。这时再将熔化的金属沿小孔注入壳体，冷却后打破壳体，即获得所需的金属铸坯。现代失蜡铸造技术的基本原理并无二致，只不过更加复杂精密。这主要体现在对蜡模的型位精确的要求更加严格。现代工艺中蜡模的获得不只是对蜡的直接雕刻，还可以通过对金属原模（版）的硅胶模压得到阴模，再由硅胶阴模注蜡后得到蜡模。浇铸材料也不再是黏土，而代以铸造石膏。这样的产品比古代的铸件精细得多。
The lost wax casting technology commonly used in modern jewelry manufacturing industry is developed from ancient casting technology. More than 5000 years ago in the late Neolithic Age, ancient Chinese craftsmen have widely used wax loss casting technology in the manufacture of bronzes. According to the plasticity and thermal volatility of the beeswax, the craftsmen first carved the beeswax into wax molds which needed to be shaped. Then they wrapped clay around the wax mold and reserved a small hole. After drying, the wax mold was roasted to make the wax mold vaporized and volatilized. At the same time, the clay became a ceramic shell, and the inner wall of the shell left the shadow mold of the wax mold. Then the molten metal is injected into the shell along the small hole, and the shell is broken after cooling, and the required metal billet is obtained. The basic principle of modern lost wax casting technology is the same, but it is more complex and precise. This is mainly reflected in the stricter requirements for the precise position of wax mold. Wax mold in modern technology is not only the direct carving of wax, but also can be obtained by pressing the metal mold (plate) into the silicone mold, and then the wax mold is obtained by injecting wax into the silicone mold. Casting materials are no longer clay, but cast gypsum. Such products are much more sophisticated than ancient castings.
夏、商、周三代创造了灿烂辉煌的青铜文化，大量造型复杂、纹饰繁缛、工艺高超的青铜铸件流传至今。春秋时期创造出失蜡法、叠铸法等先进技术，铸成后的加工采用了镶嵌宝石、红铜以及错金技术。到战国时又出现了鎏金工艺。在春秋晚期，中国进入早期的铁器时代，及至战国，冶铁已非常盛行。西汉时冶铁成为最大手工业部门，当时采用炒铁技术。到了南北朝时又发明了灌钢法炼钢新技术，炼炉的鼓风设施亦有创造发明，汉代使用水力皮橐，宋代发明木风扇，明代改进为木风箱。在商朝时，我们的祖先对于冶铸青铜器的技术已经非常纯熟，到了春秋时期则进入铁器时代，甚至到了战国中期以后，更发展出一整套的炼钢技术，包括了渗碳钢、百炼钢、炒钢、灌钢等等。因为中国是世界上最早采用高炉炼铁的国家，所以在古时候炼铁技术是属于高水平的。其次又在很早的时候就有了比较强的鼓风系统来加强炉子的温度，可以缩短冶炼的时间。经历了渗碳钢、百炼钢、炒钢等过程，『灌钢法』的发明，是重要的里程碑。方法是选出素质较高的铁矿，冶炼生铁后，再将液态生铁浇注在熟铁上，经过融炼使得铁渗碳而成为钢。这种方法不但加快了冶铁的时间，并减少锻打的次数，而且操作方法简便，同时对后来的炼钢的技术产生深远的影响。
The Xia, Shang and Zhou dynasties have created brilliant bronze culture, and a large number of bronze castings with complicated shapes, complicated patterns and superb workmanship have been handed down to this day. In the Spring and Autumn Period, advanced technologies such as wax loss and superimposed casting were created, and gemstone, red copper and misaligned gold were used in the process of casting. In the Warring States period, gold gilding appeared again. In the late spring and Autumn period, China entered the early iron age, and by the time of the Warring States, iron smelting was very popular. In the Western Han Dynasty, iron smelting became the largest handicraft industry. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties, a new steel-making technology was invented by irrigating steel, and the blast facilities of the furnace were also invented. In the Han Dynasty, hydraulic masks were used, wood fans were invented in the Song Dynasty, and wooden bellows were improved in the Ming Dynasty. In the Shang Dynasty, our ancestors were very skilled in the technology of bronze casting. In the Spring and Autumn Period, they entered the Iron Age. Even after the middle of the Warring States Period, a whole set of steelmaking technology was developed, including carburized steel, hundred steelmaking, steel frying, steel pouring and so on. Because China was the world's earliest country to adopt blast furnace ironmaking, so in ancient times ironmaking technology was of high level. Secondly, there is a strong blast system to strengthen the temperature of the furnace in a very early time, which can shorten the smelting time. After carburizing steel, hundred steelmaking, steel frying and other processes, the invention of "steel pouring method" is an important milestone. The method is to select high-quality iron ore, smelt pig iron, then poured liquid pig iron on the wrought iron, after melting iron carburizing into steel. This method not only speeds up the time of iron smelting, but also reduces the number of forgings. It is easy to operate and has a far-reaching impact on the subsequent steelmaking technology.