Sep 10, 2015 | By Tess
San Francisco based jewelry designer Sarah Graham has been creating original and hand crafted jewellery for over two decades now. Her trademark, detailed yet delicate and inspired by nature designs, have remained popular throughout her career. In recent years her process has undergone a change, however, as she has begun to incorporate 3D printing into her jewelry making.
Her designs, which for years have captivated and appealed to jewelry buyers and enthusiasts, have not depreciated in their quality, as each piece of jewellery is carefully crafted and designed by Graham. Only now, she uses 3D printing to facilitate and speed up the process of testing and casting her pieces, making for a smoother production process.
Not only that, the detail of the designs is arguably even better since Graham has started using a 3D printer. As she explains, "There are certain aspects of jewelry making and craftsmanship that are super important: things need to be beautiful, and it needs to also be well-made. Using CAD and a 3D printer helps me achieve a technical level I couldn't achieve on my own."
Sarah Graham's jewellery making studio has been equipped with Formlab's Form 1+ 3D printer, a standard, high-resolution desktop printer, since November of 2014. Previously, she had brought her designs in to an external 3D printing service, but found the process long and expensive. With the Form 1+ 3D printer on hand, she has been able to print prototypes and molds of her designs with ease and in only a few short hours. She adds of her new process, "I just sit there and print all day long."
One of her collections, the "Fingerprint" design set, which includes rings and necklaces bearing finger imprints, has especially benefitted from the use of additive manufacturing. Each of the pieces is one of a kind, and custom designed with the imprint of the client's fingerprints. By using a digital scanner, Graham is able to scan the fingerprints to be used before she 3D prints and casts the one of a kind pieces. When first trying the 3D printer for this task she was shocked at the detailed and high quality results, maintaining that the quality was comparable to that of the expensive service printers she used before.
Graham's most recent designs, the Oak collection, debuted in May of this year and continues her interest in organic, natural shapes combined with a personal touch. The collection, inspired by her childhood memories of her home's big oak tree, also utilizes the precision made available from the Form 1+ 3D printer. For this collection as well, as Graham was particular about the textural effect of the oak leaves, the 3D printer allowed her to print out several test models, make adjustments quickly and reprint until she was satisfied with the look of the jewelry.
Graham's incorporation of 3D printing technology into her own craftsmanship continues to improve and facilitate her own method, while also providing a model for other small jewelry designers. As she demonstrates, even a high-resolution desktop 3D printer such as Formlab's Form 1+ 3D printer can completely change the jewelry designing and production process. As Sarah Graham aptly and enthusiastically concludes of her own career, "To find a way to combine technology and handcrafted pieces: I feel like I've got the best job in the world."
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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