Downtown Honolulu jewelry lab attracts hobbyists and side hustles

By Cathy Cruz-George – Managing Editor, Pacific Business News
Jun 19, 2026

James Friedman, a jeweler, noticed a missing link when he moved to Hawaii 25 years ago: Local jewelers were struggling to grow their businesses due to limitations on casting, production and technical support, unlike in other metropolitan cities.

He opened El Dorado Casting Lab — nearly two decades and jewelry-related jobs later — in a 180-square-foot workspace on downtown Honolulu’s Bishop Street in 2019. The lab now houses four rooms totaling 800 square feet for casting services, jewelry-making classes, computer-aided design training, 3D-printing technology and co-working space forindependent designers. It’s a hub for hobbyists and professional jewelry-makers, who keep the craft alive. 

What is El Dorado Casting Lab’s business model?

We sell our castings by the gram, so we base sterling silver and 14-karat gold on the daily market. Customers drop off a wax model or send it to us, and we do all the work and hand it back cast and tumbled. We also have memberships and classes. Our basic membership is $200 a year and gives people access to the studio and open studio sessions. But our biggest revenue-driver is providing casting and production services to local jewelry designers. We're providing localized service that allows designers to be more engaged and take business into their own hands.

Describe the downtown space that you quadrupled in size since 2019. 

We've slowly expanded to kind of occupy the entire upstairs space. Now we have close to 800 square feet. We have four different rooms, a classroom, a community space for members to come in and work. And then we have some of the technology people need if they want to ramp up production. We've got 3D printing. We can do reproductions, and all the stuff that a regular small-scale jewelry production facility would have. We're supporting local independent jewelry designers, providing education for hobbyists and craftspeople and helping jewelry designers learn how to do more things themselves.

The price of gold now surpasses $2,400 per ounce. How does that affect a business like yours?

I do cast jewelry for clients in gold, silver and bronze, and oddly, the business has not been overly affected. Gold has more than doubled in the past year or two, and people are still buying jewelry retail. Every month or two, I have to spend $8,000 to $10,000 on gold because we'll use the gold and then replenish it. We have a really great relationship with our clients. If I cast your gold today, I price your gold today and you pay me today, because the price moves every day.

What sets El Dorado Casting Lab apart from its competitors?

The Honolulu Museum of Art has jewelry-making classes, and there are a couple other places around town that do more of a one-off, touristy kind of thing where you can come in and make a ring. They give you the pre-shaped metals and materials, and you make yourself a piece of jewelry. Those are retail establishments that are trying to bring traffic through their stores.

For us, it’s different. We’re selling skills. We’re selling education. We’re empowering independent designers, craftspeople and makers to have that side hustle, start a new business, or learn a new skill they can carry for the rest of their life. We provide casting services, production support, classes, CAD training and access to technology. We’re a community-based studio with an amazing community, and our goal is to support local jewelry entrepreneurs and help them grow.

Where do you see El Dorado Casting Lab in the next five years?

We want to continue to expand our education offerings and get more exposure, so our classes fill up faster. I've also established a nonprofit called Matter Forge. We're going to use that to help support local jewelry entrepreneurs through education seminars and better technology. We want to bring in more advanced equipment, including higher-end 3D printers that are essential to the jewelry industry. Ultimately, we're focused on empowering independent designers, craftspeople and makers by giving them the skills, tools, and resources they need to start businesses, build side hustles and grow their careers.

About El Dorado Casting Lab

Address: 1130 Bishop St., Honolulu, Hawaii 96813
Phone: 808-227-4683
Website:El Dorado Casting Lab

https://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/news/2026/06/19/el-dorado-casting-lab-jewelry-downtown-honolulu.html

Video interview

https://www.instagram.com/reels/DXFnusfk7gJ/

Make a Ring at El Dorado Casting Lab

You don’t need metalsmithing experience to join El Dorado Casting Lab’s three-hour couples/BFFs workshop ($400 for two people), where you shape, carve and alter wax that will be used to create custom rings from scratch. I grab a friend and meet founder James Friedman at his Downtown studio, which has been around since 2020. El Dorado offers casting services, training and support for entrepreneurs in addition to multisession classes and one-day workshops like this.

We begin by sawing off a small piece of hollow wax tube, then use a tool to widen it to our desired ring size. After lightly scoring our center lines, we use metal files to evenly round the edges. My friend and I both have ambitious designs, but Friedman patiently shows us how to use different files, carving tools, drill bits and more to achieve what we want. It’s a slow process for us, but every detail shows up in the final product, so we aim for that balance between perfection and going too far. After a quick sanding to buff out scratches and round the edges, I lightly wipe the green wax with orange oil to remove any last residue and hand my ring to Friedman, who takes it from there. A few days later, I pick up our designs, now cast in shiny sterling silver. —Katrina Valcourt

1130 Bishop St., #3, eldoradocastinglab.com, @eldoradocastinglab

https://www.honolulumagazine.com/we-tried-it-you-can-too/#arts-crafts