
Physical Digital
Engagement ring reverse engineered from grandmother's old ring
The 3D printing of jewellery is now a norm, the technology is being implemented into production chains from prototyping plastic parts, casting moulds right through to the manufacturing of precious metals in order to create rings, necklaces etc in all manner of complex geometries.
But what if new and complex wasn't what you were after, what if you would like to turn something old and priceless into something new and thoughtful. That's what an engineer at UK firm, Physical Digital, wanted to do for a proposal he was planning.
He wanted to take a relative's ring and use that as a base to create a piece that would mean the answer to the inevitable question would be 'yes'.
The initial stage of ‘Project Proposal’ involved the engineer travelling halfway across the world to Australia to collect a ring, which had belonged to his fiancée’s grandmother, from his fiancée’s parents. Then came the interim stage which required many subtle hints and loaded questions to discover the style of ring that the lucky lady preferred.
Using the GOM ATOS Triple scan, a high resolution scan of the ring was captured and the size of the diamonds within the ring analysed from the scan data. The man in question said: “I knew that the ring holds great emotional value to my fiancée and to my future mother-in-law and for that reason I wanted to incorporate the diamonds within the design of the engagement ring.”
Using these dimensions and Geomagic Design Direct modelling software a new engagement ring was designed. This software enables the applications engineers at Physical Digital to create new designs rapidly or manipulate and edit existing 2D and 3D geometry. There were many style iterations before the final design was approved. Thus it was that a treasured family heirloom met the latest technology to create a happy union of old and new.
The design was sent to a number of printing and casting companies to review the practicalities of manufacturing the ring. After a few more design changes to take into account these practical issues, the ring was 3D printed in wax and will subsequently be cast in platinum. The new ring will then be sent to a local jeweller to be polished and have the stones set. The result is a unique combination of the engineer's personal design and his fiancee's family diamonds, brought together by the latest technology.
Let's just hope, after all that trouble, she says yes!