When it comes to making original jewelry, the challenge often lies in finding new ways to design and craft pieces. Professional-looking jewelry usually requires extensive investment in not just material but also in production equipment. Taking a piece of jewelry from concept to production is a serious undertaking.

However, 3D printing and CNC machining can make it much simpler and much more affordable, all while opening up new creative horizons. 3D printed jewelry and CNC jewelry can be as unique or classic or somewhere in between as you can design jewelry pieces precisely the way you want.

Every object made with 3D printing is based on a 3D model in a CAD computer file. Once a correctly formatted design is uploaded to a 3D printer, the printer then faithfully reproduces it with the selected material layer by layer. The kind of material printed determines the type of printer being used; plastic and many other materials are printed by building layers up, while most metals are built by sintering layers of metal powder together.

This means that custom 3D printed jewelry is an incredible opportunity for creativity. All you need are 3D printed jewelry files that are formatted correctly. There is no manipulating wires or creating casts. You can make jewelry pieces at all sorts of odd angles that are difficult or even impossible using other methods.

What is very interesting is to combine 3D printing with Computer Numerical Control in your jewelry design. CNC operates on the same principles as 3D printing, but instead of following the design file to build an object, it uses the design file to direct a machine to subtract material to create an object. CNC machines include mills, lathes, presses, and much more. You can use 3D printing to make one element of your design, then refine it using a CNC machine. 

Is 3D printing being used in the jewelry industry?

Yes! Even if you are looking to design jewelry in materials that are prohibitive to 3D printing, 3D printing is being used to create wax designs that are customized; then the final design is used to create casts. This allows a designer to test for fit or tweaks to the design with accurate but inexpensive prototypes to show a customer. It makes it much easier to be sure of your plans before setting them in metal or adding stones. Custom jewelry has taken massive advantage of this new capability.

At Jawstec, our expert team can help you learn how to create 3D printed jewelry and CNC jewelry that is perfect for you or your customers. We have years of experience designing, developing, and finishing many different kinds of products, large and small alike. Reach out to us for a 3D print quote or CNC quote today!