Mathematics Jewelry Uses and Patents I-Beam based Jewels

August 1, 2018 by Joris Peels 3D Printing

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New York based couple structural engineer Beth Macri and software engineer Jason Gordon have started a jewlery business together. The tech duo was inspired through trying to use 3D printing to create unique jewlery for a friend. An I-Beam served as the inspiration for an architectural piece of jewlery that shows you the name of the wearer from another angle. The I-Beam jewlery is actually extruded letters and one can choose one to match your jewel. Their jewlery brand is called Mathematics and it is made through 3D Printing and lost wax casting. 3DPrint.com interviewed Beth to see how her jewlery brand came about.

Why did you start this business?

I went back to school for parametric arch and fell in love with 3D printing technology. I wanted to use this technology on a smaller scale and started to think of jewelry concepts that couldn’t be achieved without the 3D printing technology. Initially I was working on generative algorithm jewelry, however a friend of mine was having a baby and I wanted to make a unique letter necklace to commemorate the occasion.

Why an I-Beam?

The I-Beam was a part of my subconscious after my years of working as a structural engineer doing high end architecture.

Who is your target audience?

There really isn’t a target audience as we have customers ranging from college students to Fortune 500 CEO’s. Each necklace has a different style and a different meaning so it can tell the story for just about anymore.

What is your goal for this business?

The name was recently changed from Beth Macri to Mathematics, as Mathematics is a ubiquitous word and we want our jewelry to be ubiquitous.

How does the jewlery get made?

I didn’t develop the software, for my product I use basic Rhino modeling techniques and work alongside our local casting house that is using the latest in 3D printing technologies in jewelry.

Are you as a designer worried about how many other upcoming jewelry brands there are?

I am not worried about up and coming jewelry designers for two reasons. We have a patented product, so we are the only ones who can create these necklace. But we are also friends with many designers from our industry, and welcome more to our world; it’s empowering and fulfilling to work alongside so many other unique and wonderful designers.

The Mathematics Founders Beth and Jason Gordon

What is it like working with 3D printing?

It’s been a game changer. I wouldn’t be in business if it wasn’t for this technology. This technology pushes the boundary of what can be done in the jewelry industry.

I’ve noticed that with the demise of Facebook there is no way to indicate to the world that you are in a relationship. Perhaps this can be the way?

Our jewelry is the antithesis of sharing yourself with the rest of the world; it’s whatever you want it to be but it’s also private and personal to the wearer. We think this is a nice reprieve from oversharing with the rest society.

The most interesting thing about Mathematics jewelry was that the couple state that they patented the jewels. This is quite remarkable considering how much prior art there is in using extruded letters. A design grant was given to Beth Macri in 2015 for extruded letters that are in the form of a beam. One part of me is simply flabbergasted that as late as a few years ago someone had not registered this. Another part of me doesn’t like being restricted in the form that I can create. What do you think?