Jewelry designer Christian Tse partners with Desktop Metal

Jewelry designer Christian Tse has been in the business since 1996, when he launched his signature collection of platinum and gold mesh jewelry. Since then, his pieces have gone on to be worn by many notable people, including Beyonce, Rihanna, Jennifer Lopez and Sarah Jessica Parker.

Though Tse learned the craft from his family—he is a third generation jeweler—he has recognized the impact and potential for using 3D printing in jewelry design and production, and is hoping to promote the technology across his industry. That is, the jewelry designer recently announced a partnership with Desktop Metal through which he aims to introduce the company’s metal AM technology to the broader jewelry segment.

Tse runs a California-based company called Formula 3D which will function as a marketing a sales agency for Desktop Metal in the jewelry market. One of the first joint initiatives to be undertaken by the two companies will be this weekend, when Formula 3D presents Desktop Metal’s Studio System at the JCK Las Vegas jewelry show.

There, Tse’s company will showcase how the 3D printing technology can be a game-changer for jewelry designers, helping them to produce custom jewelry, tooling and metal molds in-house, all while reducing turnaround times for clients. Because of the system’s compactness, it can also be integrated into offices without much hassle.

“The Studio System is a jewelry maker’s dream,” said Christian Tse. “The speed and accuracy of this system is coupled with the safety of being able to touch the materials and the convenience of being able to create the goods in-house with no major renovations. This puts the entire production process literally in the hands of the designer.”

Desktop Metal’s Studio System—and 3D printing in general—has the potential to disrupt the jewelry market, as it truly does unlock opportunities for customization and design possibilities. The Studio System has numerous applications in the field, enabled by its automated, three-part production process (printing, debinding and sintering). Detailed jewelry prototypes can be produced in mere hours, while the system can also be used for producing intricate tools and custom pieces. As more materials become available for the metal 3D printing platform, the potential to directly print jewelry will also increase.

Ric Fulop, CEO and Co-Founder of Desktop Metal, added: “This is a game changer for the fine jewelry industry. Previously jewelers had to rely on a slow and costly outsourcing production process, taking weeks or even months to finalize a wax carving into a piece of fine jewelry. Now, designers can create a custom piece with exquisite geometry right in their own shop from a CAD drawing and have it retail-ready in days. The affordability, safety and batch processing efficiency of the Studio System will also allow more designers than ever before to enter the fine jewelry arena.”