Jewelry making has long been one of the most popular crafts. Whether you love adding beads to strings, hammering your own rings, or working to make any other type of jewelry, this article could be for you.
3D printing offers an excellent option for those who want to create their own jewelry at home. You can make a piece like a ring in less than an hour, giving you the opportunity to unleash your creative mind. But how exactly can you make your own 3D printed jewelry?
Let’s take a look at 3D printing jewelry and the steps you need to take, followed by an exploration of the types of printers you can use to make your jewelry.
how to make 3d printed jewelry
Jewelry 3D printing is easier than many people expect. Both FDM and resin-based printers will have an easy job of replicating many of the designs you find online, and the size of many jewelry items makes them very quick to print. You can find the steps of this process outlined below.
Step 1: Find or create the files
You can find countless 3D jewelry models available online. Websites like Thingiverse allow you to download files for free, allowing you to get started right away. You can also check out websites like CGTrader if you don’t mind paying for your files.
Some people will choose to design their own 3D printed jewelry. While this approach is more challenging, software like Blender and Fusion360 can give you incredible freedom when creating your own designs.
For our impression, we decided to choose a piece that everyone can recognize: Sauron’s ring of power, the unique ring. For this we use a design from tato_713 on Thingiverse.
Step 2: choose the material
Once you have a file in mind, it’s time to choose the right material for your 3D printed jewelry. We chose an orange silk PLA for our design, as the metallic aspect of this filament makes it ideal for a piece like The One Ring.
For those looking for something more resistant, ABS, PETG or even nylon can be a good option. You might also consider using soluble filaments such as PVA to enable intricate jewelry supports with extra flair.
Step 3 – Choose the Right Slicer Settings
Choosing the correct cutter settings can have a dramatic impact on the quality of your 3D printed jewelry. You need to set the correct heat and speed options for your material, but there are a few other settings to consider when 3D printing jewelry.
- layer height: The layer height of a print determines the level of detail it can achieve. We use a layer height of 0.08mm for our print, but this is as low as possible with the 0.4mm nozzle we’re using. You might consider using a finer nozzle, but you also need to make sure your printer can achieve the layer height you want.
- outside speed: The outside print speed setting allows you to slow down your printer while working on the finer parts of your 3D printed jewelry. It may take some experimentation to get the best speed for you, but we found that 20% works well for capturing details like The One Ring.
- filling: Most people work to use as little padding as possible while achieving the strongest impression, but jewelry is not functional; they are decorative. Increasing the weight of a piece like a ring by using 100% infill can be a good way to make it feel more substantial, but this is optional.
Once you’ve found the settings that are right for you, you can export your 3D printable jewelry file and move on to the next step.
Step 4: 3D print your jewelry
One of the best things about 3D printing is the time it gives you to enjoy other hobbies without diminishing your bottom line! Of course, that’s just a nice way of saying that you’ll have to wait a bit before you can wear your new jewelry.
Our One Ring took about 1 hour and 20 minutes to complete with our setup. Larger pieces like bracelets, necklaces, and earrings can take much longer. As long as your bed is level, your setup is correct, and nothing goes wrong, it will be worth the wait.
Step 5: Finishing Your 3D Printed Jewelry
Finishing your jewelry is totally optional. We decided to leave our ring in the state it came out of the 3D printer, but you can see some alternative finishing ideas below.
- sanding: Sanding is one of the most popular ways to finish 3D printed jewelry. You can use plain sandpaper or a precision sanding tool for this, and some people will even cover their finished piece in epoxy for an added shine.
- chemical steam: Chemicals may be used to smooth the surface of certain plastics. PLA can be smoothed with isopropyl alcohol vapor, while ABS can be smoothed with acetone vapor. It’s worth making sure you know what you’re doing before you start this process.
- patinas/polished: Some filaments contain small amounts of materials such as copper and steel. This gives them weight, while at the same time giving them qualities normally reserved for metals. Copper and bronze filled strands can have a rich patina, while steel strands can be polished or brushed for an authentic look.
Choosing the best 3D printer for jewelry making
Choosing a 3D printer to make jewelry shouldn’t be too difficult. There are many great value printers on the market that offer excellent accuracy, such as the Creality Ender 5 or Ender 5 Pro, and it’s easy to figure out what to look for.
Layer height is very important for your 3D printed jewelry, and this means that printers with lower minimum layer heights are better. The Ender 5 has a minimum layer height of 0.1mm, while the printer we use, the Flashforge Creator 3, has a minimum layer height of 0.05mm. This makes Flashforge better for detailed printing.
In addition to layer height, you should also think about the types of materials you would like to print on. Some printers can only work with materials like PLA and PETG, with examples like nylon and ABS requiring housings for effective printing.
Enjoying your 3D printed jewelry
Making your own jewelry can be a fun way to express yourself without spending a fortune in the process. 3D jewelry printing is easy and fun, making it a great project for kids and adults alike. You just need to make sure you dress to impress.
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