In recent workshop blogs, you may have noticed us throw around
terms like “CAD”, or “Computer Aided Design”. This is a new toy
our goldsmiths have got their hands on, and they are so excited
about it, and putting it to such good use, that we felt it
deserved an introduction. So. CAD is a computer program that
allows our goldsmiths to design a 3D model of a piece of
jewellery on the computer before crafting it in the real world.
There are lots of advantages to using CAD, particularly when we
are often working with a customer to create a design. Digital
modelling allows for an incredibly accurate image that gives a
real sense of what the finished product will look like, which
can be very difficult to convey when describing the piece. Using
3D images often eliminates the need to create a maquette (a
model of the piece made in silver, usually for the customer to
view and request any changes) because the pictures tend to be
even closer to what the final design will look like. A CAD image
can include colour and inc