MOLDED ICE SCULPTURES

ARE STILL POPULAR

A few years back, ice molds were all the rage. Those carvers that still do mold some sculptures swear by them. And molds have often helped many expand their businesses without having to hire extra staff.

Molds are probably more popular with hotels where they are used mostly to produce designs for a food presentation on a buffet display.

Molding ice sculptures has come a long way.  At first, ice molds produced a white product, but even so, the finished sculptures were still in demand, especially when they were colored.

And believe it or not, there are some cultures that prefer a tinted sculpture to the crystal clear sculpture.  Molds that produce crystal clear sculptures are harder to find.

The Fitzgerald molds developed by Dennis Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Ice., Spokane, WA are no longer available but there are quite a few still in use today.

Icecraft International, Yatala, near Brisbane, Australia, is the largest producer of ice molds in the world and still manufactures molds and sells them to more than 110 countries around the world. These molds are frozen inside a freezer and the company has developed a way to make crystal clear sculptures.

In Britain, Ice Sculptures Ltd will still manufacture molds on demand. They are expensive but as Michael John who produces the silicone molds says, ‘ You get what you pay for. These molds last a long time and it doesn’t take long to recover your investment’.