Behind the Scenes: How a Piece Is Made
Every piece starts as an idea — sometimes a sketch, sometimes just a feeling. A shape I've been thinking about, a stone that arrived and suggested something. The design process at Camila D. Daneri isn't linear, and it rarely follows a plan.
The Sketch
Most pieces begin on paper. Not a technical drawing — more of a gesture. A silhouette, a proportion, a note about how a particular stone should sit. I'm thinking about how it will feel on the hand or against the neck, not just how it looks on the page.
Sometimes a design comes together quickly. Sometimes a sketch sits for weeks before I know what it wants to be.
Shaping in Wax
Before a piece ever becomes metal, it begins as wax. Each design is sculpted by hand in jeweler's wax — a process that requires patience, precision, and a certain intuition for how a form will translate once cast. The wax is carved, shaped, and refined until it holds exactly the right weight and silhouette.
This is one of the oldest techniques in goldsmithing — used for centuries to create pieces of exceptional detail and refinement. It allows for an organic quality that machined jewelry simply cannot replicate: gentle curves, surfaces that breathe, edges that feel considered rather than perfect. Once the wax model is ready, it's used to create a mold, and the silver is cast from it — the wax consumed in the process, leaving the metal form behind. Every piece is, in this sense, irreplaceable.
The Metal
I work in 925 sterling silver as my primary material. It's workable, honest, and responds beautifully to texture. After casting, each piece is cleaned, refined by hand, and finished individually. For pieces in 18k gold vermeil, the base is still sterling silver; the gold comes later, applied as a final finish over the completed form.
Handworking means every piece is slightly different. The surface isn't uniform. There are small marks that only exist because a human made this, not a machine. I don't try to hide that — it's part of what the piece is.
The Stone
Setting a stone is one of the most precise parts of the process. The seat has to be exact — too loose and the stone moves, too tight and it can crack. I set each stone individually, checking the fit before and after.
I select stones one by one, often holding several options against the metal before deciding. The way a particular aquamarine catches light in a specific setting, or the way an opal shifts colour against silver — that's not something you can predict in advance. You have to see it.
The Finish
Once a piece is assembled and the stone is set, it goes through finishing — polishing, cleaning, a final check. For vermeil pieces, the gold plating happens at this stage, applied over the completed silver form.
Then it's done. Photographed, wrapped, and either added to the ready-to-ship collection or sent directly to the person who ordered it.
The whole process, from first sketch to finished piece, is done entirely by me, in Madrid. Every order is made or packed by hand.
If you'd like a piece made specifically for you — a different size, a particular stone, a variation on an existing design — get in touch at camiladdaneri@gmail.com. That's what the made-to-order option is for.