Image Source: 3d natives
One of the applications of 3D printing is Jewellery making. Now let us know its advancements in this sector. Recently Imaginarium, a 3D printing service-based company broke a surprising record last year. They contributed to the creation of the ring with the most diamonds in the world: 7,801 to be exact. This was entered in records last September and was made possible with additive manufacturing. They named the Divine – 7801 Brahma Vajra Kamalam, which was modeled using computer-aided design (CAD). The mold was 3D printed using direct castable resin before being cast in gold. This was a long-term job that started in September 2018.
Mainly in the jewellery sector many of them are turning into 3D printing to create complex custom molds. First the 3D model is printed with wax. It is then wrapped in a refractory material, thus making it possible to obtain a mold. Later wax is heated to create a vacuum inside the mold which is filled with molten metal – gold, silver, bronze. Finally the mold is broken to obtain the product. Jewelers can create more original models using additive manufacturing which is not possible via traditional methods.
This is the reason motivated Kotti Srikanth, manager of Diamond Store by Chandubhai, to use the Imaginarium printing service. His aim was to design a ring with as many diamonds as possible, knowing their positions. After a lot of iterations they opted for a flower shape, specifically Himalayan camellia flower. This offers a perfect balance between traditional and modern forms.
With the help of CAD modelling we are able to place as many diamonds as possible, then the collaboration with Imaginarium could begin. They explained that the ring was divided into seven sections namely six flowers and the ring. Each flower has a different shape. RapidShape resin machine was used to 3D print the model of the ring. In this the material would be directly castable making it easy to create the gold piece.
Kotti Srikanth adds ” Imaginarium were able to manufacture the petals and the ring in the shape we imagined using high-quality materials. We received the castings very quickly and Imaginarium even helped us ascertain the number of diamonds once we had set them in the ring.” The record was beaten last November with a ring containing 12,638 diamonds. So this is the role of 3D printing in jewellery sector.
