Mar 27, 2017 | By Tess
Wax 3D printer manufacturer Solidscape, Inc. has announced the winners of the Baselworld Solidscape Design Competition, which highlights the best and most innovative 3D printed designs in the fields of jewelry and fine arts. The event, which marked the seventh annual Baselworld Design Competition, brought in a total of 43 submissions, a record number for the competition.
Baselworld, for those unfamiliar, is a global watch and jewelry show which every year brings together the crème de la crème of the luxury industries. As part of the event, Stratasys subsidiary Solidscape, known for its high-precision wax 3D printers specifically engineered for jewelry design, has highlighted some of the most remarkable 3D printed designs in the field.
“Solidscape is proud to showcase the most creative and innovative jewelry designs that embrace cutting edge 3D printing technology,” said Fabio Esposito, Solidscape President. “This year’s winning designers have created complex geometries and organic shapes that are impossible to produce through traditional hand carving techniques. These designers are thrilled because Solidscape’s precision 3D printing technology allows them to unleash their imagination and push the boundaries of creative design.”
Anna Popovych's "Drop of Freedom" ring (left), Daniel Coffey's “Elementum 17” ring (right)
Now, let’s get to the good stuff: the winning projects.
In the jewelry category, two winners were chosen per sub-category (Platinum, Gold, and Silver) for a total of 6 winners. One of the Platinum Awards was given to Ukrainian designer Anna Popovych for her stunning “Drop of Freedom” ring. The elaborately designed ring (looking like something out of The Lord of the Rings), was inspired by organic natural forms and is part of a series of CAD designed jewelry. The second Platinum Award was given to American designer Daniel Coffey for his “Elementum 17” ring, which features an elaborate structure made possible thanks to 3D design and high-precision 3D printing.
The Gold Awards were given to Stuart McGrath, an Irish designer from Armoura Designs, and Ananya Chuechanglek, from Thailand. McGrath’s winning piece, entitled “Rainforest,” is a chunky, highly embellished ring that draws inspiration from the flora and fauna of the world’s lush rainforests. Chuechanglek’s ring design was inspired by a traditional “Chalom” basket, and captures the fine details of interwoven bamboo on a tiny scale.
Stuart McGrath's "Rainforest" ring (left), Ananya Chuechanglek's "Chalom" inspired ring (right)
One of the Silver Awards in the jewelry category was awarded to Indian designer Meenakshi Rawa, for her beautiful “Leaf hair pin”. The 3D printed piece does a wonderful job of recreating the fine, natural details of a leaf, making for an intricate and stunning accessory. Canadian designer K. Abeney of CADLoft was the recipient of the second Silver Award, for their “Resting Butterflies” pendant. The pendant’s design combines geometric patterns and natural forms, namely those of butterfly wings.
Meenakshi Rawa's “Leaf hair pin” (left), and K. Abeney "Resting Butterflies" pendant (right)
In the Fine Art category, only one winner was selected based on their designs that fell outside of the jewelry category, but which were made using 3D design and printing techniques similar to those used in jewelry-making. As Solidscape summarized: “They require mastery of CAD design and Solidscape’s industry-leading high precision 3D printers to create flawlessly castable pieces.”
The winner of the Platinum Award for Fine Art was Thailand’s Prachaya Viriyasuthee of Triratana Jewelry, who designed a breathtaking incense burner inspired by the lotus blossom. The iconic lotus blossom, which symbolizes peace and tranquility, was recreated beautifully using 3D design and printing.
Prachaya Viriyasuthee's lotus blossum incense burner
Being a Solidscape contest, all entries had to use and leverage the company’s 3D printing equipment in their jewelry-making process, notably for the making of detailed wax models. All the winning pieces are currently on display at Solidscape’s Baselworld exhibit, where they will be until March 30, or can be viewed online.
Posted in 3D Design
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