Jack Hillel founded Yaakov Hillel Jewelry in 2008, debuting with handmade, nature-inspired jewels in 24k gold. The brand was a winner in the 2009 JCK Jewelers’ Choice Awards, and the private jeweler has gone on to create offerings like custom-made exotic car coasters. In the past several years, he’s moved into jewelry app development.
At the 2023 JCK show in Las Vegas, Hillel demonstrated his B2B-targeted apps including Jewelers’ Assist, which he describes as “the ultimate jewelry designers’ and manufacturers’ solution platform, which consists of seven main features.”
Those main features assist with everything from calculating the costs of casting and precious metals to converting weight units to estimating total costs of custom designs.
“Calculating the cost of production is a critical step while launching a product in the market,” the brand says in a press release. “At times it may take days and even weeks to determine the cost and the metal to be used.… Designers are often discouraged with the hefty results without knowing other available options. With Jewelers’ Assist App, one does not need to be an expert on jewelry production or on calculating the cost of production.”
A Weight and Casting Cost Calculator will give the approximate cost of a potential piece in major precious metals—silver, gold (10k, 14k, and 18k), and platinum. The app’s Jewelers Ledger keeps itemized costs of a design, with a breakdown that can be saved and emailed for record keeping.
The Scrap Metal Calculator evaluates the current market value of scrap metal with prices based on precious metal type, while the Precious Metals Current and Historical Market Price feature allows users to see current and past market price for the metals. And Common Setbacks for Designers provides tips for users to avoid unforeseen discrepancies and flaws in cost calculation.
A video demo of the Jewelers’ Assist app
If you’re generating CAD files, the company’s STL Master gives “rendering, limited augmented reality functionality, and sharing options,” Hillel says. The feature allows users to view their CADs in 3D from every angle, with a number of rendering options, backgrounds, and augmented reality. The feature automatically provides the designs’ volume, which can be transferred to the Weight and Cost Calculator.
When it comes to making eternity bands, Hillel’s Ring OS is specifically designed to make the process of creating CAD jewelry files easier and more efficient. While the app is currently only available for eternity bands, the company says it has plans to expand to other styles including engagement rings and wedding bands in the near future.
A jeweler should specify the ring finger size, and select one of four stone shapes (round, princess, emerald, or oval), stone size, and prong style to design the ideal eternity ring for its customer. An algorithm within the app generates a CAD file of the eternity ring within seconds, says the company, compared with the approximately 2.5 hours it takes for a CAD designer. The CAD file can then be converted to an STL (stereolithography) file, which is commonly used for 3D printing. The app also utilizes augmented reality technology to visualize the ring on a finger.
“My very sophisticated ring builder software can create certain rings within seconds, and gives the opportunity to try them on using augmented reality technology,” says Hillel.
Jewelers’ Assist is available on the App Store and Google Play.
Photo courtesy of Jewelers’ Assist
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