The sandcasting process is still preferred by most Navajo jewelry makers who cast their work. A traditional technique in jewelry design, it is accomplished by Navajo smiths in much the same way as in early days. A design, including air vents and a channel, is carved into a flat piece of stone. Another flat stone is clamped tightly to the carved stone, and molten silver or gold is poured through the open channel into the carved mold. When the piece cools, it is removed from the mold. The rough piece is then cleaned, filed and polished.