Jewelry Technology Talk   

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JCK 09 will mark the arrival of still another new system from EnvisionTec. This year the buzz is about the Aureus printer that will nearly double the capacity of the EnvisionTec desktop machine. According to company president Al Siblani, the new system boasts Intelligent peeling with different peeling and leveling speeds within same cycle as well as better gray scale control to increase depth of curing control on inner and outer contour to provide a better and smoother surface.
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Over next few weeks there are a number of exciting conferences for jewelry professionals who want to get ahead of the curve. I plan on attending and/or presenting at all of these events so here is rundown on what you can expect to find.

Beginning today in Schaumburg, Illinois we attend the annual conference, RAPID, where scientists and experts from around the world will present papers and exhibitions on AF (Additive Fabrication) and 3D Scanning technologies.
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We had a group of students from Thammasat University visit with us this week. They were presenting a business plan in a competition called the New Venture Championship sponsored by Intel, Tektronix, and Columbia Sports among others. The focus of their proposal was the development of new amorphous precious metal alloys that have very unique properties.
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Commercially known as Liquidmetals, other popular terms are ...Read More

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Everyone has been asking me what the future will bring for CAD/CAM ......so here is a peak at what we will be doing. An industry professional once asked me for a machine that he could insert a cocktail napkin jewelry sketch and have a finished gold ring come out the back. While that may not be possible right now, we may not be to far off
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For the most part, the jewelry industry has been tied to investment casting to develop the complex geometries that designers create in CAD. In the years to come we will able to skip that casting step altogether. There are two technologies that show promise for melting and forming precious metals directly from our CAD designs. They are Selective Laser Sintering and Electron Bea...Read More

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The word from NYC this week was upbeat and busy at the show. Everyone I spoke with who either exhibited or attended told me that they were having a good show. In most cases…. to their own surprise given what we hear every day about the economy.
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The last of the three MJSA Innovation Award winners, V-Ray for Gemvision Matrix was one of my picks as well for jewelry technology of the year. V-Ray along with the team at Gemvision have provided our industry with the ability to render a CAD jewelry design that is so realistic that you believe it was made of metal and sto...Read More

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In spite of all the doom and gloom, there really is something new under the sun. It looks like traditional Mokume Gane but, this innovative manufacturing process holds the promise of much lower price-points and a variety of new combinations never before possible.
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Traditional Mokume Gane requires quite a bit of talent and training to create billets that work at the bench. In most cases, bench jewelers today have been relying on material suppliers like Hoover and Strong or Reactive Metals to provide what they thems...Read More

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For nearly 40 years I have traveled to NYC in March to search for better ways to produce jewelry at theMJSA Expo New York. Unlike the other major jewelry trade shows, MJSA has always been focused on manufacturing technology and not so much on finished jewelry. In the 60’s when I traveled by train from Baltimore with my father, that meant finding casting, stamping, and all sorts of cool hand tools. Today, the tools are considerably different with most of them computer controlled but my quest remains the same each and every year.
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Beginning in 2003, the MJSA Innovations Awards have been the only sou...Read More

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When the dust settles from this economic mess, the jewelers left standing will no doubt have employed technology to survive. One of my recent technology explorations for CAD/CAM has been to research new methods to scan the complex geometries we use in fine jewelry. While laser scanning has become more accessible in both price and ease of use, laser technology often falls short when designs get too complex.
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To achieve scans of these complex designs, a new form of CT scanning has emerged with ultra-high resolution being termed Micro-CT.  For my 2008 presentation at the ...Read More

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Each year the November issue of the MJSA Journal provides “one stop” shopping for those curious about what is new in jewelry technology. This year, MJSA Journal has a wealth of new products and services just in time for those looking for ways to improve their business in uncertain times.

Technology serves us best when it provides new efficiencies in our day to day operations.  In the November issue, Kevin Lindsey provides a Bench Test for the new TIG ( Tungsten Inert Gas ) welder, Master Jeweler Plus from Orion. 
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Last week Victor Soto placed a comment here asking about the CAD program RhinoGold and how other CAD programs like this might compare with Gemvision Matrix for jewelry design.

The most influential CAD program for jewelry to date has been Rhinoceros by McNeel and Associates in Seattle..
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Bob McNeel and his group of talented developers launched Rhinoceros in 2000 as an open source software program th...Read More

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On Saturday we broke into classroom training on a variety of subjects. While most of the sessions were conducted by Gemvision staff, there were others that were lead by experienced users. Jim Tuttle , owner of Green Lake Jewelry Works in Seattle presented to a very large crowd. Jim continues to grow and evolve his business while refining a technology enhanced custom design process that is near perfection. I have visited his store myself and it is a model for innovation.

At lunch we were introduced to the American Gem Society and the benefits of that prestigious organization. Ruth Batson announced that the 75^th Annual AGS Conclave to be held in Chicago in...Read More

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Gathering in Schaumburg Illinois last weekend were more than 300 of the most innovative jewelers in our industry. The participants of the three day educational symposium invested in CAD/CAM to define the business models of the future, with a focus on custom jewelry design.
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Gemvision continued this year to lead in the development and innovation of CAD/CAM technology with release of Matrix 6.0 design software and the revolutionary Revo Model C wax milling system.

At the opening session Gemvision president, Jeff ...Read More

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