With all the advancements in our industry, many are still stuck in an old methodology of designing jewelry. In the past, we created jewelry using solid forms of metal, often shaped wires, bending and cutting away the metal to form our desired shape. We left the solid shape, say in the form of a band, for the stone setter to continue to remove metal in the stone-setting process. To many, this is the way it is done and has always been done, even today with all the technology at our fingertips. In this paper, I will explore the myths behind why many jewelry CAD people still design as if they are preparing models by hand, as well as show a better way that will save money in materials and increase the quality and speed of finishing jewelry at the bench.

Author: Jerry Taylor