Turning Crumpled Paper Into 3D Printed Gold – Skraep

LuxMea Studio has created a product and a process they call Skræp – Delightful 3D Printed Gold. They say the idea – which has taken down a couple of awards – transforms crumpled scrap paper into gold jewelry and decorative objects via software intervention and 3D printing in a variety of metals.

They say that while a crumpled piece of paper can be made rather easily, modeling one for reproduction is a whole ‘nother ballgame, as it were. It seems a crumpled piece of paper is actually quite a complex form which relies on interactions between dozens of folds.

They say that the ability of LuxMea to accurately 3D print means the “charm and playfulness of crumpled paper can be recreated in a variety of materials with economic efficiency.”

The process happens through a “custom-built physics engine” which simulates the same forces hands apply in shaping a piece of paper.  They then use the output to capture the essence of these complex, crumpled objects.

“To bring Skræp to life, we used state-of-the-art 3-D printing technology. This allows us to produce the same crumpled-paper structure in lasting, high-quality materials,” says the company of the process. “Elegant silver, brilliant yellow and white gold, warm and romantic rose gold are shaped in ways that cannot otherwise be achieved using traditional jewelry-making techniques.”

And people seem to enjoy the results as the Skræp Pendant won an award in the prestigious A’ Design Competition recently held in Milan.

Now the company is contemplating a Kickstarter Campaign to fund the production of the Skræp Pendant and Cuff in a variety of colors and materials. They say there is also a plan in the works to make a toy version of the Skræp Ball in stone, plastic, and steel.

“We became fascinated by this juxtaposition, and it’s what made us decide to re-imagine the crumpled piece of paper in new ways – ways that accentuate the beauty lying just below the surface,” they say. “Skræp aims to give crumpled paper a proud new identity, while still maintaining it’s intimation of uselessness. The Skræp Pendant is the result of our original inspiration. The planes, corners, and crevices of the complex surface result in a stunning interplay between light and shadow.”

Although it may be modeled on waste paper, the final product is anything but cheap. The Avant-Garde Premium Collection piece in yellow gold can run all the way up to a staggering $4,200…  Would you buy one of the pieces from the 3D Printed Skraep Collection via LuxMea Studios? Let us know in the 3D Printed Skraep forum thread on 3DB.com.

– – –

It’s easy to create a crumpled piece of paper, but modeling one for reproduction via 3D printing? Not so simple. It seems a crumpled piece of paper is actually quite a complex form which relies on interactions between dozens of folds, and now LuxMea Studios say their line of jewelry based on accurately 3D printing the “charm and playfulness of crumpled paper can be recreated in a variety of materials with economic efficiency.” Using a “custom-built physics engine” which simulates the same forces hands apply in shaping a piece of paper, the process is meant to capture the essence of these complex, crumpled objects. You can read the whole story here: