Time is precious and it cannot be contained; our children grow up in the blink of an eye and our memories serve as a reminder of our special moments in time.
Capturing those special moments through photographs has long been the traditional way to keep our most cherished close, but there is another fantastic way to record these memories using 3D printing technology and traditional casting techniques.
The 3D Jewellery Company, founded by Amy Hall, specialises in creating beautiful and stunningly detailed 3D printed casts and jewellery. Amy can 3D print a wide range of keepsakes, including charms, pendants and beautifully framed casts of children’s hands, feet and fingerprints within just a few days. Their creations are the perfect gift for Mother’s Day or simply as a memento. Here, we can see a beautiful parent and child clasping hands cast:
And here, we can see a beautiful baby feet cast that’s been expertly framed:
The Production Process
The process starts with Amy or a member of her team taking a life casting from the child or children, or a life casting of the subject. This is performed using a quick setting mould and once that mould has set, Amy then casts the mould with plaster. This part of the process only take around 15 minutes and once the plaster has set, the mould can be removed.
3D scanning equipment is then used to create a digital file of the cast. The scanning equipment captures every fine detail of the mould. This digital file is then sent onto GoPrint3D.
GoPrint3D and Form 2
Amy uses GoPrint3D to 3D print her casts. We take the 3D Model and shrink it down so it can be used as a charm or pendant before 3D printing the casts in plastic using the Form 2 3D printer. This is a stereolithography (SLA) 3D printer capable of capturing the finest details of the human hand or foot. We send the prints onto Amy once completed.
Casting
Upon receipt of the cast, Amy carefully prepares them. Casts are cleaned up and painted ready for display, while jewellery pieces are hand-finished. Amy uses PMC silver clay and presses the stamps to make an exact replica of the child’s foot/hand. Once fired, the jewellery is created in solid silver and they can be polished ready for framing. In the future, Amy plans on adding 3D miniature charms to her product portfolio through investment casting (potentially using Formlabs’ Castable Resin).
The Result: Stunning Pieces
The results really do speak for themselves. The jewellery and casts The 3D Jewellery Company create are stunning. Here’s a recent print for a happy customer:
And here, we can see a really sweet charm of a miniature baby’s foot:
This Mother’s Day, we can think of no better gift than one of these incredibly beautiful pieces of jewellery. To find out more about The 3D Jewellery Company or to make an enquiry, head over to their Facebook page and send them a message. Amy runs a personal business so you can be sure of the very best service.