3D printing for jewelry
Jewelry 3D Printing

3D Printing for Jewelry Retailers & Casting Houses

From retailers and designers producing custom jewelry to large casting houses manufacturing at scale, jewelers can scale their business with Formlabs’ reliable ecosystem of jewelry products.

A Complete 3D Printing Solution for Jewelry

Formlabs SLA 3D printers' seamless print process, high accuracy, and smooth surface finish allow you to move directly from design to production. Whether you are 3D printing try-on pieces for customers, ready to cast custom jewelry, or masters for reusable jewelry molds, Formlabs offers a material up to the task.

Formlabs Ecosystem

Compare Formlabs Castable Resins

Castable Wax Resin

Applications

Fine filigree 
Lightweight jewelry
Dental

Compatibility

Form 2
Form 3/B/+
Form 3L/BL
Form 4/B
Form 4L/BL

True Cast Resin

Applications

Medium to heavy jewelry
Medallions
Figurines
Small engineering components up to 5 mm thick

Compatibility

Form 4/B

Castable Wax 40 Resin

Applications

Medium to heavy jewelry
Small engineering components

Compatibility

Form 2
Form 3/B/+

Why Go Digital?

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Lower Costs

Avoid the high up-front investment of tooling and reduce labor costs.
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Faster Turnaround Time

Produce high-quality patterns within 24 hours.
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Design Freedom

Create intricate shapes that would be difficult to achieve with wax molding.

Investment Casting with True Cast Resin

Create castable parts in hours, cutting down on manual labor. Formlabs SLA 3D printers' rapid print process, accuracy, and surface finish allow you to move directly from design to production.

Pattern Design
1. Pattern Design

Design the part in CAD software. Find design guidelines and best practices in the True Cast Resin Application and Usage Guide.

Pattern 3D Printing
2. Pre-Heat and Mix Resin

Heat and then mix the resin prior to printing to ensure that the wax component is completely liquid and evenly dispersed.

Pattern Preparation
3. Pattern Printing

3D print with True Cast Resin following Formlabs’ instructions.

Shell Making
4. Wash Patterns

Thoroughly clean the printed patterns using a Form Wash with IPA for 5 minutes to remove any residual uncured resin. Rinse the parts for a second time in clean IPA to ensure that the patterns are completely clean. Uncured resin on parts may result in casting defects. 

Pattern Burnout
5. Dry With Compressed Air

Use compressed air to dry the printed parts completely. This will ensure the parts are free of any uncured resin and IPA prior to casting.

Casting
6. Post-Cure Patterns

For best casting results, post-cure the parts to complete the polymerization reaction started during printing. This will improve the strength and robustness of the patterns and reduce defects during the casting process.

Shell Removal
7. Build the Sprue Tree

To prepare for casting, attach the prints to a wax tree using spure wax. Attach the tree to a casting flask.

Cutting off
8. Prepare the Mold

Mix the investment and water following the investment manufacturer’s instructions. Slowly pour the investment into the flask.

Pattern Burnout
9. Burnout

Place the flasks in an oven and follow the burnout schedule recommended by your investment material.

Casting
10. Cast

Cast metal in flask. 

Shell Removal
11. Recover the Parts

Reclaim the cast parts, remove them from tree, and use sand blasting to clean off any residual investment if needed.

Cutting off
12. Finish

Post-process and finish parts as needed.

Fittings and Consultations

Fittings and Consultations

Take advantage of the Formlabs SLA 3D printers to create “fitting pieces” to provide a consultative experience which builds excitement and delights your clients. SLA 3D prints are sturdier and more cost-effective than wax originals and can be reproduced or adjusted with a few clicks.

Rubber Molds For Production Casting

Make master patterns for rubber molding with 3D printing for faster iteration and lower costs. Use the masters to create molds that produce waxes in quantity for investment casting. Standard Resins are perfect for cold molding (RTV) and High Temp Resin withstands the heat of vulcanizing natural rubber.

Rubber Molds For Production Casting

Resources for Jewelers and Casting Houses

Learn how to integrate 3D printing into your workflow. Download
free white papers, watch webinars, and read our guides about 3D
printing workflows for jewelry.

How To Print and Cast With True Cast Resin
Support Guide

How To Print and Cast With True Cast Resin

How To Print and Cast Jewelry With Castable Wax Resin
Webinar

How To Print and Cast Jewelry With Castable Wax Resin

Basic Design Parameters, Supports, and Orientation
White Paper

Basic Design Parameters, Supports, and Orientation

Vulcanized Rubber Molding with 3D Printed Masters
White Paper

Vulcanized Rubber Molding with 3D Printed Masters

jewelry casting
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“Casting thicker pieces in resin has always presented unique challenges, whether it was lettering on a class ring, models with thick cross-sections, or generally dealing with the casting defects. Castable Wax 40 Resin performed amazingly similar to regular injection wax, the high wax content allowed sprues to stick more securely, and the surface finish is top notch. It actually feels like wax in your hands. Casting larger items from resin has never been easier.”

Scott Bradford, Jewelry Tech Team, Rio Grande Jewelry

Form 4