When I design and make jewelry I usually start by sculpting in a clay that shrinks when firing. That way I get better details in small pieces.
I start sculpting by forming the clay roughly to it’s shape with my fingers, after drying I carve the details with a scalpel.
By using molds and clay that shrinks I sculpt pendants, rings, earrings in different sizes. Sometimes, to duplicate them I use molds – but since details get lost in molds, I still reshape and carve every item by hand before firing and finishing.