The term has so many different meanings that it’s almost useless. I don’t use it. The problem is that using tools is required for almost every jewelry item so now it’s necessary to decide what are the tools that would qualify as hand work vs. machine work. Casting? Maybe. Rotary power tools? CAD/CAM? Punch presses? Electric polishing machines? Power assisted engraving equipment? Who knows? It’s common for a craftsman to use several or none of these techniques in the course of a job and still describe their work as handmade while others would say that this disqualifies a piece. The other problem is that most modern items involve some assembly using manufactured parts. Heads, clasps, pin catches and gemstones are usually purchased as a component that may have involved automated manufacturing and a strict purist would argue that using such pieces means that it’s no longer 100% handmade. If it’s 99% handmade, can it still be described with that word?
OK, so they seem to mean that it was made by techniques other than lost wax casting or die striking. This probably means that it''s fabricated from wire (wire that quite possibly came from an automated mill by the way).
The advantage of this technique is that drawn metal has a certain density that isn’t possible with cast pieces, which helps the wear properties, and it can be more customized to exactly the right specifications than die struck pieces. It also makes it easier to pre-finish the components so that the final product can have a more detailed finish in difficult to reach spots like between the seating rings on a basket head or inside the gallery. People have been doing this for a long time so there is a certain ‘traditional’ feel to it that more modern methods have difficulty replicating.
The downside is that it’s labor intensive and therefore generally more expensive to produce. It’s also sort of an unusual talent and it’s difficult for manufacturers to hire workers with the appropriate skills. There’s not such a big demand for it because of the required pricing and it’s a tough skill to learn. Craftsmen find that they are better served concentrating their efforts developing other sorts of talents.
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