CAD/CAM
/kad-kam/
Definition
Computer-Aided Design / Computer-Aided Manufacturing: the use of specialized 3D modeling software and CNC machines or 3D printers to design and produce jewelry models with extreme precision.
CAD/CAM is how most custom and production jewelry gets designed today. A designer builds a 3D model on screen using specialized software. That digital file becomes a physical wax or resin model through CAM (computer-aided manufacturing). The model goes into lost-wax casting. Metal replaces the wax. You get a finished piece. The pipeline: design in CAD, export to a 3D printer or CNC mill, cast in gold/platinum/silver, finish at the bench. Common software includes MatrixGold (built on Rhino, industry standard for high-end custom), RhinoGold, CounterSketch, and Stuller's own CAD platform. Generic CAD tools like Rhino and Blender work too, with jewelry-specific plugins. Advantages over hand-carved wax: tolerances down to 0.01mm, perfect symmetry on the first try, easy design revisions without starting over, and the ability to email a file across the world for casting. A design change that took a wax carver two days takes a CAD designer twenty minutes. Hand carving still wins for one-of-a-kind organic textures and certain artisan pieces. But for production runs and precise custom work, CAD/CAM dominates. Custom CAD design fees run $50-$300 for the design file alone, depending on complexity. A simple band might be $50-$75. An engagement ring with pavé, engraving, and a custom halo runs $200-$300. That fee is separate from metal, stones, and casting. Some jewelers roll it into the total price. Others charge upfront before any work begins. 3D wax printing costs $15-$50 per model depending on size and resin type. CNC milling from wax blanks runs similar. The whole CAD-to-cast pipeline turned a week-long custom job into a 3-5 day turnaround at most shops I've worked with.
Usage in the Trade
CAD/CAM is standard in modern jewelry workshops for designing engagement rings, fashion jewelry, and custom orders. Most jewelers work with CAD designers or use pre-designed CAD files from suppliers.
Examples
A custom engagement ring CAD design with halo, pavé shank, and milgrain detail costs $200-$300 for the design file. The 3D printed wax model adds $25-$40. Casting in 14k white gold runs $150-$250 in metal and labor.
A production jeweler using MatrixGold designs a line of 12 stackable bands in one day. Each design exports to a 3D printer that produces all 12 wax models overnight for $180-$240 total in resin and machine time.
Frequently asked questions
What software do jewelers use for CAD design?
MatrixGold and RhinoGold (both built on Rhino) dominate high-end custom work. CounterSketch offers parametric design for retail sales floors. Stuller, Gemvision, and 3Design are also common. Many designers use Rhino with jewelry plugins for maximum flexibility.
How much does custom CAD jewelry design cost?
Design fees run $50-$300 for the CAD file alone. Simple bands cost $50-$75. Complex engagement rings with halos, pavé, and engraving run $200-$300. That fee covers the digital design and usually one round of revisions. Metal, stones, and casting are separate.
What is the difference between CAD design and 3D printing in jewelry?
CAD is the digital design step: building the 3D model on a computer. 3D printing (or CNC milling) is the CAM step: turning that file into a physical wax or resin model. The printed model then goes through lost-wax casting to become metal jewelry.