Editor’s Note
This article explores how 3D printing and generative AI are converging to offer new levels of customization and creative freedom in jewelry design, challenging traditional production methods.
EncodeRing Co., Ltd. has announced a ring featuring an oversized zirconia that allows for customized design, as well as an initiative where a generative AI proposes ring designs based on user preferences through dialogue. Both initiatives utilize 3D printers in the production process to achieve labor savings and greater design freedom, representing a challenge to explore new possibilities in the jewelry industry. (Top image: Ring designed by generative AI. Source: EncodeRing Co.)
The “DODEKA ENGAGE RING,” released on October 10, 2023, is a silver ring characterized, as its name suggests, by a 25mm oversized zirconia. This embodies a bold design that transcends the traditional size of jewelry.
The ring made with cubic zirconia, in particular, is ideal as a gift or proposal item due to its impactful size and design. It pairs easily with casual fashion and is said to be highly photogenic for social media.
Priced at 16,800 yen (tax included), it is available in sizes from 1 to 15, catering to a wide range of customers. The production of large jewelry, which is difficult with conventional manufacturing methods, is made possible by utilizing 3D printing.
The generative AI “Jewelry Planner AI” utilizes an AI based on ChatGPT to design original jewelry through dialogue with customers. Users simply input basic information such as budget, materials, and design concepts, and the AI generates unique designs. If a specific design image exists, customization based on it is also possible.
The company has previously taken on unique initiatives such as custom accessories “designed from sound waveforms,” meaning all shapes are different. They have undertaken the mass production of one-of-a-kind items and have a track record of creating over 50,000 pieces of jewelry using 3D printers.
With the current “Jewelry Planner AI,” the company aims to achieve mass production of jewelry with varying designs by applying the production know-how of mass customization using 3D printers. Currently, the industry faces a shortage of jewelry designers, and barriers to custom jewelry remain high. By leveraging generative AI to address the designer shortage and establishing an efficient mass-production system based on 3D printing, the company aims to realize a world where anyone can easily create one-of-a-kind pieces.
