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Custom designed jewelry came into existence as far back as the 1800s. In some cases today, some of these old techniques have been modified and are still being used. However, after the introduction of computer technology, and along with a technique called Computer Aided Design, custom designed jewelry has a new standard or level. With the help of CAD and Computer Aided Manufacturing, designs that were not even imagined, can now be created with ease. Along with excellent designs, using these techniques has helped to provide customers with more choices of design and ultimately higher quality products.

Are you familiar with the process of making custom designed jewelry? This process is called lost wax casting. In this process, the experts use small knives and scalpels to make a cut out of the jewelry from the wax to give it its shape. After that, the replica or the model is poured in a flask, and it is filled with plaster that is known as investment. Then it is allowed to dry, and once the model hardens, it looks like the exact model inside the flask. Once this procedure is over the model is burned out of the flask, and all that remains is the crater of the design.

After the burning process is over, melted metal is inserted in the flask by using vacuum casting. Once the metal has hardened and is cool, the plaster itself is broken. It is done to bring out the un-finished jewelry casting, which is then filed, cultured, and prepped for the final stages. This assembling procedure includes the setting of gemstones or setting of other precious metal parts to make a complete jewelry piece. For the making of a custom jewelry design, the jewelers follow this process to give shape to the design.

In the CAD jewelry process, many of these steps are forgone because the software allows the user to create mockups before the item is even made. With the help of computer programming, you are able to produce unlimited designs, and the measurements are so accurate that you do not stand the risk of losing any stone later due to the metal’s weakness.

Now lets have some discussion on Computer Aided Design and it’s usages when making custom jewelry. Computer Aided Design is, basically, an upgraded process of making mechanical designs made with highly developed software.

After making these drawings, they are fed into different replica machines that are known as CNC mills. The work of these machines is to remove the material from the lump of wax to create the jewelry model. This is the main difference between man- made designs, and the design made by a machine. They are far more precise and accurate. With the help of 3D-CAD in custom jewelry designing the designers are able to make changes in a design any number of times. Ultimately, you are able to attain the exact custom-made design with the most efficiency and to the most exactness of detail.

Today, custom designed jewelry has become very popular. The most famous among all custom designed jewelry is the 3D-CAD design. It is Computer Aided Design, which has changed the whole facet and landscape of custom designed jewelry. Earlier, people could not comprehend or even see renditions of these kinds of designs. However, now with the help of CAD, people are able to create designs of much higher quality and of greater flexibility. Here we will talk about this new phenomenon but, before learning more about the CAD designs, we must learn and fully understand the custom jewelry design process.

A process called lost wax casting is used to make most custom made jewelry. A jeweler or an artisan carves a prototype of the jewelry out of the wax with the help of small knives and scalpels. Then he pours plaster all around the wax prototype, also known as the model. Once the plaster hardens, it forms an exact impression of the given model in the flask. After that, the wax model is burnt out of the flask, and it leaves a cavity of the jewelry design. Then, molten metal is slowly injected into the flask with the help of centrifugal or vacuum casting. When the metal cools down, it also hardens. Then the investment stands ready and reveals the jewelry casting. Finally, the casting is polished and filed, and if needed, any gems can be set into the jewelry. The custom jewelry can be an engagement ring, an anniversary ring, or virtually any other item.

Custom CAD design involves a different process of creating a jewelry item. It is a sophisticated modeling process with the help of advanced software. It enables the user to plot detailed coordinates for the mechanical drawing. 3D-CAD software has countless kinds of designs, which can easily outdo traditional tools and methods. One of the most important benefits is that the 3D-CAD jewelry design enables you to see the computer rendering before the completion of the jewelry. In the traditional methods, the jewelers would make crude sketches of your own concept, and leave the rest to your own imagination. However, in 3D-CAD, you can see the realistic images of the different designs that help the designer and ultimately you, make a final decision.

It is paramount to find a qualified jeweler to assist you with making your custom jewelry design come to life. Like different kinds of occupations and trades, there are also different kinds of skillful jewelers. If you want to buy a piece of custom jewelry, then you must pre-screen the jeweler to know whether he or she is capable of making custom designed jewelry. Try to look at their different designs, and determine their competence, design skills, and craftsmanship. You must be sure whether they are capable of making the exact design that you want. Once the jewelry is made, it is extremely difficult to make changes. The jeweler will not remake it without charging extra service fees. Custom designed jewelry is the best choice, if you can get it made by an authorized and qualified jeweler. Find one such jeweler, and your dream custom designed jewelry dreams will be fulfilled.

For years custom designed jewelry has been created using old world techniques dating as far back as the 1800′s. Until recently, almost all-custom designed jewelry was created using these methods. The introduction of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) has changed all that and in it’s wake ushered in a whole new universe of possibilities. Designs that were never thought possible can be made to the highest quality standards.

How is Custom Designed Jewelry Made?

Before learning about the benefits of 3D-CAD you’ll need to know more about the custom jewelry design process. Most jewelry is made using a method called lost wax casting. A skilled artisan/jeweler hand carves a jewelry prototype out of jewelers wax using small scalpels and knives. This wax prototype also known as a “model” is placed in a flask and plaster called “investment” is poured all around the model. Once the investment hardens an exact impression of the model is formed inside of the flask. The wax model is burned out of the flask leaving a cavity of the jewelry design.

Next molten metal is injected in the flask mold using vacuum or centrifugal casting. When the metal cools and hardens the investment is broken away revealing the un-finished jewelry casting. This casting is filed, polished and prepped for assembly, which may include setting the gemstones or welding other precious metal parts to the casting.

The process of hand carving the wax prototype has always been the accepted process for creating custom jewelry. The problem with this process is that the human hand can’t be as precise as a computer-aided machine when carving the model. Precision equates to more design possibilities and much higher quality jewelry production. In the end you’ll have a product that looks crisper and won’t be prone to stone loss or breakage.

What is Computer Aided Design?

Computer Aided Design is a sophisticated modeling process using advanced software to plot coordinates for mechanical drawings. These drawings can be exported to various types of prototyping machines called CNC mills or growing machines. CNC mills cut-away material from a block of wax to make the jewelry model. The growing machines layer material from side to side much like a printer to build the model, samples of this process can be viewed at http://www.andrewsjewelers.com/ .The precision of these models exceeds what any human could do while hand carving the jewelry model. Design possibilities become limitless because the 3D-CAD software enables the designer to create parts and design elements that aren’t possible using outmoded tools and methods.

Another benefit of 3D-CAD jewelry design is the ability to see a computer rendering before the final completion of the jewelry. In old methods the jeweler would create crude counter sketches of your concept and the rest would be left to your imagination. Now the designs that the jeweler creates in 3D-CAD can be rendered to photo-realistic images for you to view before making your final decisions.

Choosing a Jeweler for Custom Jewelry Design

Like any other occupation or trade there are good jewelry craftsmen and there are bad ones. It is important to pre-screen your jeweler to determine if he/she is skilled at making custom designed jewelry. Ask to see their portfolio and examine their designs to determine if the flair they have for jewelry design matches your style requirements. Also, pay close attention to their communication and interpretation skills because much can get lost in the translation of your ideas if you’re not careful. Once the jewelry is made its too late to make changes and the typical jeweler will not re-make it again without added fees.

At this point higher qualified and better skilled custom jewelry designers have moved to using 3D-CAD to create their designs. If you feel 2 jewelers are equally matched in aptitude and skills then you should choose the one that is using 3D-CAD design. You’ll pay a little more to have your jewelry created in 3D-CAD but the final results will be amazing. The jewelry will look 1000% better than if it were hand carved and it will last much longer because of the precision of the jewelry model.

Andy Moquin
President
Andrews Jewelers Inc.
andrew@andrewsjewelers.com
716-630-7091