Editor’s Note
This article highlights a valuable opportunity for Seoul residents to access free education in cutting-edge fields like 3D printing, a technology reshaping industries from manufacturing to medicine. The city’s initiative to make such training widely available underscores the growing importance of digital literacy and hands-on technical skills for all citizens.
3D printing technology, which builds up fine materials layer by layer to create desired products, has been a pillar of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, transforming various industrial fields. Nowadays, many people even print simple broken parts at home for use, and in the medical field, it has long been common practice to print parts of damaged bones using metal materials for reconstructive surgery.
There is an unexpected field that this 3D printing technology has transformed: jewelry manufacturing. In the past, the shape to be made from precious metals had to be meticulously carved by hand. Since gold is difficult to work directly, a cumbersome process was required: carving relatively soft wax, hardening it in plaster, melting it, and then casting the precious metal. As hand-carving was the original method, creating complex and precise products was challenging. Naturally, mass-producing identical items was also difficult.
However, with the advent of 3D printing technology, the jewelry field underwent a major transformation. Even without advanced manual skills, one can now turn creative ideas into tangible products with fresh designs, and mass production has become much easier.
But there is one hurdle to overcome: mastering the specialized software for jewelry 3D printing. The jewelry field requires dedicated jewelry CAD software like MatrixGold for computer-aided design. This is because aspects such as gemstone type and size placement, and ring sizing standards by country, can be easily applied using specialized software.
While there are private educational institutions in the market that teach this software, there is a simpler path: receiving education through the Jewelry 3D Printing Department at Seoul’s Central and Southern Technology Institutes. The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Technology Institutes offer education free of tuition and material costs to any Seoul citizen aged 15 or older. Lunch is also provided during the training period. The Jewelry 3D Printing Department is currently operated at the Central and Southern Technology Institutes.
The training period is 10 months, covering courses in jewelry design practice, specialized software training, 3D printing practice and precision casting, and jewelry product manufacturing.
An advantage of the Central Campus is its geographical proximity to the Jongno precious metals district, where the Seoul Jewelry Support Center is located, and the Namdaemun tourist special zone, known for active accessory trade, making market research, material procurement, and relationship building with existing companies favorable.
