Until now, the communication between a jeweller and a customer has been restricted. A customer has to look through catalogues of the jewellery previous designs before placing an order. It is imperative that the customers exact design be realized into the actual product. This is not always the case making the sale of the final product difficult.

For the jeweller, the design and manufacturing process also requires high levels of expertise and knowledge. The disciplines involved include fabrication, mould-making, casting, electroplating, forging, silver/gold smithing, stonecutting, engraving, polishing, and other technical expertise. Not only do the artisans have to be skilled, but they also require time and leave margin for error.

3D printing has proved to be particularly advantageous for the jewellery industry. With the help of Computer Aided Design (CAD) models, 3D printers produce castable jewellery in wax pull outs as well as resins amongst other materials. These outputs can be 3D printed to fit individual taste, desires and styles.

BENEFITS OF 3D PRINTING

forward BETTER CUSTOMER COMMUNICATION : Since the jewellery designs are created on a CAD file, customers can now see their idea or design before the order goes to production.

forward IMPROVED ACCURACY : No matter how complex the design, 3D printers enable jewellers to produce highly accurate casts and moulds of the desired product.

forward COST EFFICIENCY : Since the jewellery casts are directly 3D printed, there is minimal labour and wastage involved. This drastically reduces time and costs.

forward HIGHER CUSTOMIZATION : Jewellers can offer one-of-a-kind customized rings, bracelets, earrings that are personalized to each of their customers.

forward QUICK TURNAROUND TIME : Using 3D printers to create jewellery casts reduces the time to manufacture significantly, enabling jewellers to deliver their unique products in a matter of a few days.

forward INVENTORY LESS BUSINESS : Another advantage is that jewellers no longer have to maintain an inventory of all their products, they can just have CAD models ready to show and customize as per their client requirements and manufacture on demand.

CASE STUDIES

• 1. Italian Jewellery manufacturing companies 'La Protofusione' uses 3D printing to manufacture jewellery in shorter time and reduced costs.
• 2. 3D Printing Helps Jewelry Start-Up Ride the Mass Customization Wave
• 3. 5 Brands reinventing jewellery with 3D Printing
• 4. London Jewelry Manufacturer Opts for 3D Printing to Improve Speed and Quality
• 5. Digital venture combines 3D printing with savoir faire -
• 6. How A Jewelry Company Is Making $250,000 Pieces Using 3D Printing And Google Earth