Economic crisis or not, Italy remains a leading global manufacturing hub for jewellery. Vicenza, in the Northern Italian region of Veneto, is among the areas with the highest density of artisans and designers specialized in working with gold and precious metals to create both industrial and high-end jewels. Vicenza is also home to Digital Was Systems, the largest Italian producer of laser based stereolithography 3D Printers.
Along with DWS, who was present directly and “playing at home”, this year’s edition of VicenzaOro, which took place from January 18th to the 23rd, saw a growing numbers of exhibitors tied directly to 3D printing technologies.
With the support of DWS’ marketing team, the VicenzaOro fair hosted for the first time a 3D printed jewels exhibition along with a practical 3D printing demonstration.
The exhibit included the work of many designers and 3D printing studios. The most noticeable among them were NERVOUS System, known for its kinematics “4D printing parametric software” and .bijouets, a young Italian company that is pioneering 3D printing technologies for its end use production.
The standardization of artisan processes possible through 3D printing has captured the attention of many traditional jewellers as well, who have traditionally been very reluctant to “admit” to using technology in their high end production. But that is one of the promises of 3D printing: to allow artisan jewellers to do what has been impossible to achieve until now and create with no limitations.
