Every Nile and Nova piece begins long before it reaches your jewellery box.
What starts as a design shaped between Rome and Cairo passes through digital precision, lost-wax casting and the hands of several specialised artisans. The result is handcrafted 925 sterling silver jewellery made over multiple days, not produced in a single automated step.
Understanding that process matters to us. It reveals the time, skill and human attention held within every finished piece.
From an Idea to a Master Model
The process begins with an artisan drafting the piece in two or three dimensions using AutoCAD. At this stage, the proportions, structure and finer details of the design are developed before anything physical is produced.
Once the design has been approved, a specialised 3D printer creates a wax or resin version. This printed piece is then cast in molten metal to produce a solid master model: the original form from which the mould will be made.
Creating the Silicone Mould
The master model is encased in silicone, which captures its shape and detail. Once set, the mould is carefully opened with scalpels to remove the master and reveal a negative impression of the design.
Small channels, known as sprues, are incorporated into the mould. These create the route through which molten wax can enter, allowing identical wax replicas of the original design to be produced.
Lost Wax Casting in 925 Sterling Silver
Molten wax is injected through the sprue openings to create multiple wax versions of the piece. These replicas are attached to a central wax stem, forming what is known as a wax tree. The tree is placed inside a casting flask and surrounded by a fine investment plaster.
The flask is heated so that the wax melts away, leaving precise cavities within the hardened plaster. Molten 925 sterling silver is then poured into those spaces, replacing the wax and recreating the jewellery in silver.
Once the metal has cooled, the plaster is removed to reveal a silver tree. The individual pieces are clipped from the central stem, while the excess silver from the sprues is collected so it can be remelted and used again.
Where the Handwork Begins
Casting creates the foundation of each piece, but it does not create the finished jewellery. From this point, the work is completed through a series of skilled manual stages.
Each piece is filed, ground and sanded by hand to remove casting marks and refine its form. Depending on the design, artisans may also drill, solder, engrave or add texture. Separate elements, including chains and charms, are assembled individually according to the design specifications.
This is why handcrafted, or cast and finished by hand, is the most accurate way to describe our jewellery. Modern technology gives the original design consistency; the hands of the artisans give each finished piece its detail, comfort and character.
Stones Colour and Finishing Details
For designs that include stones, every stone is set by hand to achieve a secure and precise finish. Decorative treatments such as enamelling, oxidation for darker details, protective plating or other surface finishes are added after the main assembly and initial grinding and sanding stages.
The exact work varies from one design to another. A clean sculptural piece may depend on careful smoothing and proportion, while a more detailed design may pass through engraving, stone setting, enamelling or several stages of assembly.
Polished by Hand and Independently Verified
Every piece undergoes several stages of hand polishing to smooth its surfaces, define its details and bring out the natural reflectivity of the silver. The workshop then carries out its own quality checks before the jewellery is submitted for official testing.
In Egypt, our production batches are submitted to the official Hallmarking and Weighing Administration. The silver is tested using specialised equipment to verify its metal purity. Once the 925 sterling silver standard has been confirmed, the official hallmark is applied.
This independent verification is more than a finishing detail. It confirms that the silver has been tested for authenticity before the piece is ready to be sold.
Made Across Many Hands
A single piece can pass through three to five specialised artisans in Cairo. The people involved may include a CAD engineer, 3D printing operator, wax and casting technician, silversmith, stone setter or enameller, and polisher.
The full process takes place over several days. Each stage has its own purpose, and each specialist contributes to the final result. Behind one small piece of jewellery is a network of skill that is easy to overlook once the surface has been polished.
Craftsmanship From Cairo
Our jewellery is produced in Cairo, drawing on generations of Egyptian silversmithing knowledge while incorporating contemporary tools and techniques. That balance reflects Nile and Nova itself: a brand shaped between Rome and Cairo, bringing different influences together in one story.
For us, craftsmanship does not mean rejecting modern technology. It means using each tool with purpose and preserving the human skill required to turn a cast form into jewellery that feels considered, finished and personal.
Jewellery Made to Become Part of Your Story
Knowing how something was made changes the way we value it. Before a Nile and Nova piece becomes connected to your memories, it has already travelled through a detailed process of design, casting, hand finishing and official verification.
It carries the work of the people who shaped it and the meeting of the two cities behind our brand. From there, its next chapter belongs to you.
