In fairness, Mappin & Webb has been working with digital design technology for some time now. Gemvision, a CAD software suite for jewelry designers, has been a favored tool for Mappin & Webb’s jewelers, and it is distributed by GVUK Design, which also happens to be the UK supplier for EnvisionTEC. GVUK was largely responsible for convincing Mappin & Webb to try bringing 3D printing into their own workshop.
“Mappin & Webb has been using Gemvision’s CAD design program for many years now, and with continual upgrades they have always kept bringing us new tools,” said workshop manager Mark Appleby. “Bringing 3D printing in-house has taken some convincing but finally we have found a printer that offers a level of excellence we demand.”
EnvisionTEC’s printers have been favored by jewelers, particularly the Perfactory family of desktop printers which are targeted towards 3D printed jewelry, among other applications. The Digital Light Processing (DLP) printers are capable of intricate detail and are calibrated to be ideal for casting. Another English jewelry company, Aconia Jewellry Casters, has been using EnvisionTEC products, including their EPIC resin and EC3000 materials, designed specifically for jewelry casting, for some time. They’ve been well pleased with EnvisionTEC, Aconia says, and they are now expanding their GVUK investment by adding Gemvision’s Matrix CAD software to their product services.
“It is important with the dominance of CAD-designed models that Aconia remain at the cutting-edge offering the highest level of service possible and Matrix is by far the most advanced design program for goldsmiths,” said Aconia’s managing director, John McCabe.
Word is still out on what the Queen herself thinks about 3D printing, but considering she’s already been turned into a 3D printed lollipop, I suspect she won’t disapprove too harshly of her Royal Silversmiths bucking tradition a bit. Discuss this use of the technology in the 3D Printed Jewelry forum over at 3DPB.com.