Serial production of jewelry using low-cost dies in a press can be profitable for any size of jewelry manufacturer, from a studio artisan to a large factory doing a short run. This paper explores the use of 3D-printed castable patterns for dies that would be cast in hard metal such as stellite. It also looks at the possibility of chemical etching and laser engraving dies directly into hardened tool steel to produce simple dies. Some techniques in the use of dies and maximizing the level of detail attainable from a die will be discussed.

Author: Peter W. Gilroy