Three-dimensional printing is one of the most revolutionary inventions, which has been widely used in recent years. It is able to change the traditional jewelry industry in a dramatic way, and today we shall talk about the transformations awaiting us in the next five years.
In 1983, an American engineer, Charles Hull, invented a new printing method permitting to create three-dimensional objects. 3D-printers create a hard model by way of “growing” it layer by layer to form an exact copy of a digital 3D-prototype. Unlike a two-dimensional printer that outputs two-dimensional information on a paper sheet, its three dimensional counterpart is already able to display information in three dimensions, that is to create three-dimensional physical objects.
Three-dimensional printing began to flourish in the past few years thanks to mass production of 3D- printers at more affordable prices, the development of digital technologies and the expansion of the list of materials used in printing. They say that the third industrial revolution is not far off.
Jewelry belongs to the category of goods that today can be created with the help of 3D-printers. Amazon.com, the U.S. online supermarket number one, has already established a section of 3D-goods, where "printed" jewelry occupies a whole “shelf” - a separate category called "3D Printed Jewelry for the Fashion Forward."
This is a great opportunity for independent designers seeking access to a large consumer market. Printing your own jewelry from designer patterns is becoming a fashionable trend in the West.
The list of materials used to produce jewelry with the help of three-dimensional printing is continuously expanding. For example, at the end of June, Shapeways, a New York-based company offering 3D-printing services for designers and development engineers, added platinum, 18-karat gold, 14-karat rose gold and 14-karat white gold to its range of metals that can be used in 3D-printing. Currently, the company offers a wide range of materials for 3D-printing jewelry.
In his 2013 State of the Union speech, President Obama said 3D-printing held the potential to revolutionize the way we make almost everything.
What does all this mean for the traditional jewelry industry?
From the perspective of the end user, it is simplicity, convenience and fast delivery of your order. For example, if you have lost one of the earrings, you may want to order its replacement. Using 3D-printing, you can just buy a file with a three-dimensional model of your earrings (CAD-file) and print the missing earing at home on your own 3D-printer, or contact one of the printing centers. However, if there are gems in your earrings, you will need the help of a jeweler to set them into your jewelry piece.
In terms of jewelry retail, there are also many advantages. Firstly, you do not need to spend money on equipment and its maintenance. It will exist in virtual form, as a catalog of designs and related samples. For the seller it will be enough to stock up on raw materials and computer files to manufacture the order.
High-speed printing performed to order means that the need for stocks of finished products will decrease, and therefore, manufacturers can reduce the cost of storage space, storage and warehouse staff.
3D-printing will allow manufacturers to significantly lower production costs, in particular by reducing the cost of labor. In other words, most of the work will be done not by jewelry artisans but... by industrial printers. In small-scale and single-piece production, this may reduce the costs two- or threefold.
“Now, with the advent of our platform, we’re no longer taking off-the-shelf parts and welding. There’s no jeweler at a bench with a blowtorch. The cost and labor savings is phenomenal. And we’re empowering consumers to make jewelry in real-time,” said Eddie Bakhash, CEO of American Pearl, cited by the Forbes.
American Pearl can be called one of the pioneers of 3D-printing in the jewelry world. The company offers a service to re-create a piece of jewelry by its photograph. In the first place, they prepare a computer-based 3D-prototype of the piece. Then, a three-dimensional printer creates an exact copy based on this prototype. The company’s gem polisher and setter completes the process, showing the client a sparkling duplicate of hers or his jewelry piece. It is ideal for recovering lost family values, for example. American Pearl has a patented computer-aided design system and three-dimensional printer Solidscape T-76 in its equipment fleet.
Three-dimensional printing has the potential to restore production in countries, which are now mainly importing goods. The main problem of competitiveness, in particular among the American jewelry manufacturers, is the high cost of labor in the United States. The country cannot compete with cheap foreign production (meaning China, Thailand and India) in terms of costs.
Three-dimensional printing solves this problem in a simple way - the printer does not have to be paid; the only thing you will have to do is to purchase it, as well as consumables.
Furthermore, production will be localized concentrating closer to consumers. Hence, reduced shipping costs and the entire associated logistics for finished goods. Probably, the role of large-scale centers of mass production will gradually decline.
Both for small and large manufacturers it will be much easier to translate ideas into prototypes and marketable goods. Flexibility of production based on three-dimensional printing will make it possible to produce trial lots of goods avoiding high costs needed to launch a new production process.
Of course, the spread of three-dimensional printing will raise many new questions. What will happen to the profession of a goldsmith? After all, 3D-printers will be able to perform many jewelry functions faster and cheaper than a human being, while avoiding errors inherent to humans.
How jewelry brands will protect their intellectual property? Technologically, it will not be difficult to copy jewelry pieces produced by Tiffany, Cartier and other luxury brands based on their pictures and ads. Answers to these questions are yet to be found.
3D-printing opens up new possibilities for the jewelry industry. With its introduction, manufacturers will be able to reduce production costs, improve efficiency and production flexibility, as well as to offer customers a million ways how to make jewelry truly personal and unique. In the next 5 years, we shall see the rise of new names and designers winning over the 3D-printing to the benefit of their creative talent.
Olga Patseva, Editor in Chief of the American Bureau, Rough&Polished
