“They say if you like what you do, it’s not really work—it’s enjoyment. 3D printing has brought that to a new level.” – Isaac Cohen
Isaac Cohen in his Boca Raton Studio, with his Form 2.
In Isaac Cohen’s workshop, there are tools for every part of the jewelry-making process: sketches pile on his mahogany desk, a desktop 3D printer and an electroplating machine sit on a nearby table, and finishing tools clutter his workbench. The tiny room is brimming with evidence of the hard work that has made his business a mainstay in Boca Raton, Florida for over 30 years.
Engaging the Client with 3D Printing
At 4 am, Isaac is still working in his studio, adding the final touches to a custom ring. For each piece, he begins by hand-sketching the client’s idea and transferring the concept to CAD. With his Form 2 SLA 3D printer, he prints multiple rings at once so that the client can try on the same design in different proportions. These try-on rings give Isaac’s customers a deeper sense of ownership over the design process. He explains, “You’ve got to have the right size ring for the right sized hand. If it’s well-proportioned, it looks way better.”
Next, the client’s selected ring is sent to the casting house. After casting, Isaac pre-finishes the ring at a buffing wheel until it has a mirror-like shine. After the diamonds have been set, Isaac adds a final polish to finish the piece. At last, he presents the ring to the client: “I look at their face when I present the piece to them, and I immediately sense that they’re happy or we need to go back to the drawing board. Of course, most of the time, I see a big smile.”
Before 3D printing, Isaac was limited to hand-carved waxes or expensive prototypes from service bureaus. Hand-carving was tedious and imperfect; it was impossible to achieve a consistent, symmetrical shape by hand. Now, 3D printing with Castable Resin on the Form 2 has made it easy for Isaac to create flawless jewelry. He explains, “You have to offer your customers the highest degree of quality on your products. The only way to achieve that is by giving them perfection.” In pursuit of this perfection, Isaac is involved in every step of the design process. But for him, it’s all worth it: “I have a passion in this business. I like what I do. And they say if you like what you do, it’s not really work—it’s enjoyment. 3D printing has brought that to a new level.”