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Tutorial: Cosplay Jewel-Making
By cafe-lalonde
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Painless, and hopefully profitable for the cosplay crowd out there. I have to cast a large quantity of half-dollar sized dome jewels for Nia, and the experience has been kinda fun, so I thought I'd share it with you all. ^^
Thanks to HCC Cosplay for inspiring/instructing me to make them, though I found my own method, which is what this tutorial illustrates.
Aaaand thanks to ~spiked-stock, who pointed me in the direction of that site AND is keeping me sane while I make my Nia costume. x3 And is the best sewing teacher ever--I crashed her room for five hours the other night to make my skirt.
Hope this is helpful! Post if you have any questions!
Thanks to HCC Cosplay for inspiring/instructing me to make them, though I found my own method, which is what this tutorial illustrates.
Aaaand thanks to ~spiked-stock, who pointed me in the direction of that site AND is keeping me sane while I make my Nia costume. x3 And is the best sewing teacher ever--I crashed her room for five hours the other night to make my skirt.
Hope this is helpful! Post if you have any questions!
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© 2009 - 2021 cafe-lalonde
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Great tutorial!
Quick question though, how did you make the lining around the red jewels on your shoes? I'm trying to make a necklace with a similar look (Juliet's necklace from Romeo x Juliet anime) and I'm having trouble finding tutorials for it. :S
Did you just create a base out of clay, bake it (or let it dry), and then add the gem? Or was there another method involved? Thanks in advance!
Quick question though, how did you make the lining around the red jewels on your shoes? I'm trying to make a necklace with a similar look (Juliet's necklace from Romeo x Juliet anime) and I'm having trouble finding tutorials for it. :S
Did you just create a base out of clay, bake it (or let it dry), and then add the gem? Or was there another method involved? Thanks in advance!


The process of casting "real" polyester resin is more difficult, must be completed outdoors, and involves different proportions of the resin + hardener than I mention in this tutorial! This was mostly meant to be the easiest-possible process to getting resin gems, and involves this resin "epoxy" (doesn't dry as rock-hard, potentially less pure, etc) instead of the real stuff. That's why I mention that specific brand as opposed to this being a generic tutorial on how to cast resin! (I hope that makes sense)

Holy gee, I have tried polyester resin after some time since I see this lovely tutorial, and I have to say I like it. Despite the smell, it goes away after a few weeks and I can work the resin with some sandpapering and grinding work 
The biggest problem in itself is get the molds done before casting the resin XD

The biggest problem in itself is get the molds done before casting the resin XD

Hmm, this may work if you let each individual layer completely cure before pouring the next one? However, you're bounded by 'gravity', if that makes sense--you would pour a partial color into the gem mold, and it would fill the bottom. Then the next layer would fill it and they would go from the 'front' to the 'back' of the jewel. This might look neat for spherical gems, though you might get a 'muddy' color looking through the first color because it would have every color behind it (and form kind of a multi-color brown). But, it would allow you to have 'rings' of color coming out from the center! Layering the colors wouldn't work with any other shape, methinks.
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