I am proposing to create and 3D print several beads, and then string them together to form jewelry. This idea came to me during the Cornet Bay retreat, during our bead workshop. More than almost anything else we did on that retreat, making beads was meditative for me. Being able to zone out and entirely devote my attention to one task was very calming, and it’s what inspired me to devote my Blue Rabbit project to beads. Jewelry holds monetary, spiritual, and sentimental value across the globe, and nearly every culture has some form of personal adornment.

The concept of digitally created art is, while very new to the history of art-making, not a new concept for the digital world. In the article Theoretical Statement Concerning Computer/Robotic Paintings, Joseph Nechteval writes, “Electronic overload has smashed the narrow limits of assigned meaning. A doorway has opened. We have the power to shape our own meaning. We have the tools and the weapons for our own personal, magical transformation. With deconstruction, re-contextualization, non-conformity, and destruction we take symbolic control over given hierarchical systems.” (Nechteval, 120) This piece is part of a series of articles in Leonardo. Supplemental Issue, Vol. 1, a book that was published in 1988. Right from the onset of home computers and 3D printing, people were thinking about how they could challenge the system, how they could make art from this new medium that seemed right out of a science fiction universe.

Jewelry falls under the category of art, but many cultures wear and craft it for reasons other than pure adornment. In Ethiopia, certain adornments were used for spiritual or healing purposes. Roger McKay writes, “Amber has a special importance to the tribes of the eastern provinces. It has always been regarded as a specific against ill health and ill fortune. Aurignacian remains from the Old Stone Age show amber used as ornaments and as cures for asthma, rheumatism, and internal disorders. The Romans wore it as a protection against witchcraft, and gladiators against the possibility of sudden death.” Even across two very different geographical and cultural landscapes, this material was used for purposes other than aesthetic ones. Both of these cultures assigned a beneficial meaning to amber; the Ethiopian tribes used it for healing and ornamental purposes, while the Romans and their gladiators wore it because they believed it had innate protective abilities. This proves that all cultures and people are capable of taking the same object or material and interpreting its use and meaning in different ways.

In his article “On Jewelry Made in the Contemporary Southwestern (U.S.A.) Style” from Leonardo, Vol. 12, David E. Dear writes, “Jewelry making was a family pursuit, and some families continue the tradition today. Artifacts brought by the Spanish from Europe (some of which bore Moorish characteristics) had initially a strong influence on the Indian metalwork. They copied buttons, belts, iron bits for horses, knives, etc. … With the installation of railroad lines, the demands of tourists for jewelry of Indian tribes began to be felt.” (Dear, 303) I feel like this passage is a good microcosm of how the American Indian population was exploited; they copied the metalworking designs of European colonists, and then eventually were demanded to sell their work to tourists. This is an example of imperialism and yet another way of using the indigenous populations to turn a profit.

In more contemporary times, people are looking to 3D printing as a way of crafting jewelry and other trinkets, and making these designs publicly available. An article from 3ders.org, a website devoted to 3D printing news, reads, “Back in April this year, JewelDistrict, a Seoul, Korea based startup launched its 3D printing servicespecializing in printing precious metal jewelry. To work with JewelDistrict, you first upload your 3D model and select your desired material and finishes. JewelDistrict will then review your 3D model to make sure it can be 3D printed. Your 3D model is then printed using wax for lost-wax casting. The 3D printed wax model is turned into a rough casting in silver or brass. JewelDistrict offers also different options in terms of surface finishes, plating, and stone setting. According to the company’s CEO, Sungdo Lee, 3D printing technology has the greatest potential to dramatically change the jewelry industry. This is because while most 3D printed products are limited to decorative purposes only, 3D printed jewelry is readily wearable. Jewelry designers can create geometrically complex designs that can only be achieved by 3D printing.” I feel like this passage does a good job of explaining the process that is 3D printing jewelry, and how it has massive potential to alter the jewelry industry. If people can fully harness what 3D printing is capable of and use it on these adornments, the jewelry industry can easily shift from a monopoly on gold and diamonds to an entirely maker-driven movement and trade.

Current jewelry companies can also use 3D printing to revitalize their businesses. An article from IBTimes explains, “‘We can now create a virtual inventory of products and create pieces that are a lot more precise,’ American Pearl CEO Eddie Bakhash said in an interview. Bakhash’s father founded the company more than 60 years ago. The company began experimenting with 3D technology several years ago, but didn’t fully apply it until 2013. Though it competes with the famous likes of Cartier and Tiffany & Co., American Pearl is one of a growing number of retailers looking to 3D technology for custom jewelry, including Shapeways and even Amazon.com.” With 3D printing undeniably being the future, it would make sense that companies and businesses would start to incorporate it into their plans. Bakhash also adds, “The power the consumer has is clearly all there. American Pearl.com has more product than Tiffany’s now, because of this technology,”

The concept of jewelry – for personal adornment, for spiritual reasons, and for healing powers – has been around for thousands of years. However, it has always been seen as a skilled trade. With the advent of 3D printing, the skill of jewelry making can be readily learned by anybody, which has absolutely vast potential to completely change the face of the jewelry industry.