3D Printed Ring Leads to Beautiful Engagement

July 29, 2014 by Hannah Rose Mendoza 3D Design 3D Printing

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It seems that proposals and all of the things that follow them are getting more elaborate every year. Ever since the first person decided to do things a bit differently, the bar has been set and scores of lovers have tried to leap over in a wide variety of increasingly lavish acrobatics. Not to be outdone, Alwin Wong set his sights on his own unique way of creating a personalized engagement extravaganza.

It all began a year ago when he decided that rather than buying an off the shelf engagement ring, he would rather design one himself and have it custom made. He began, auspiciously, during Chinese New Year and over the course of several months developed a design he particularly liked. He created the model for the ring using 3D software and left no detail unattended, down to the inclusion of the first letters of his and his girlfriend’s names on the interior of the band.

Meanwhile, his girlfriend, Sarah Yong, remained completely unaware of his plans.

Once the design was completed, Wong sent the 3D file to Makerzone in order to have it printed so that he could test and refine this design. It was very important to him to ensure that the prongs holding the stone, known as cathedral claws, were strong enough to hold the diamond in its place. The modification of the design to an acceptable final prototype required that it be reprinted three times, but this was no problem for Wong as he wanted nothing short of the best for his future wife.

When all of the modifications have been made and a finalized larger-than-life 3D prototype had been printed, Wong brought it with him to a jewelry store in order to have the ring created in stone and precious metal. Using the prototype as a guide and after careful selection of diamonds to be used, the ring itself took two weeks to complete. When asked about the cost of the ring, Wong replied, “Sarah gave me a budget for the ring, but I didn’t tell her the actual price of the ring because it should remain as a mystery.”

A ring of this nature cannot be presented in simply any old box, however. Therefore, Wong got in touch with William Coleman, an American craftsman with a shop on Etsy, who created a beautiful custom-made box of Sycamore and brown walnut wood. The front of the box is adorned with a heart-shaped plinth engraved with the letter S. After a further 2 1/2 weeks the box made its way from the US to its destination in Malaysia.

Finally, the stage was set. With help from his friends Wong wrote his proposal in giant pink letters on a grassy lawn. Who could say no after such a thoughtful gesture? Certainly not Sarah, and her answer was greeted with a happy applause and cheers of their many friends.

It just goes to show that there is beauty in things that come from the heart and is no reason why love shouldn’t get a helping hand from 3D technology. This was not the first documented proposal using a 3D printed ring, and it will certainly not be the last. An Israeli man proposed to his love with a 3D printed custom engagement ring as well, earlier this year. Would you consider 3D printing an engagement ring for your significant other? Let’s hear your thoughts in the 3D printed engagement ring forum thread on 3DPB.com.

[Source: Yahoo]