CAD (Computer-Aided Design)
Also called computer-aided design, jewelry CAD, 3D CAD
CAD is software used to build a jewelry design as an exact 3D model on a computer, before any metal is cut or cast. The CAD file holds the true measurements of the piece, which is what makes it possible to render, print, and manufacture from the same design.
In other words, it is the digital version of the piece. One file that a bench can make from, a printer can grow from, and a renderer can photograph.
How CAD fits into jewelry
A designer draws a sketch, then a CAD artist rebuilds it as measured geometry: band thickness, prong height, stone seats, gallery rails. Nothing is approximate. A 1.8mm prong is 1.8mm in the file.
Once that model exists it can go three ways. It can be 3D printed in resin and cast. It can be sent to a client for approval. Or it can be rendered into images and video that look like photographs of a finished piece.
Most jewelry CAD work happens in Rhino, MatrixGold, RhinoGold, or ZBrush. Each saves in its own native format, but all of them can export to the handful of neutral formats a render studio actually needs.
Why CAD matters for rendering
A render is only as accurate as the CAD behind it. If the model has the right stone sizes and the right metal thickness, the render sells the real piece. If the CAD is loose, the render sells something the bench cannot deliver, and that ends in returns.
This is why rendering from CAD beats photographing a sample for most sellers. You get product images before you have spent anything on casting, so you can list a design, test demand, and only make what sells.
- 3DM, the native Rhino format
- STL, a triangle mesh, shape only
- OBJ, a mesh that can also carry basic colour and texture data
- STEP, exact solid geometry for moving between CAD programs
What we need from your CAD file
Send the file in 3DM, STL, OBJ, or STEP. Those are the four we accept, and between them they cover every mainstream jewelry CAD program.
Tell us what the piece is made of, because the geometry does not say. Metal colour, stone types, stone sizes, and any finish like a matte band or a milgrain edge. From one file you get 9 HD images and 3 videos, in rose, white, and yellow gold, on a white background and ready to drop into a product page.
An NDA is signed before your files are opened. Your designs stay yours.
Questions about CAD
Do I need a CAD file to get a render?
Yes. We render from an existing CAD model, so you need a file in 3DM, STL, OBJ, or STEP. If your design only exists as a sketch or a photo, it has to be modelled in CAD first.
What CAD software do jewelers use?
Rhino is the most common, usually with a jewelry add-on such as MatrixGold or RhinoGold. ZBrush is used for organic and sculpted work. It does not matter which one you use as long as you can export to 3DM, STL, OBJ, or STEP.
Is a CAD file the same as a render?
No. The CAD file is the 3D geometry. A render is a 2D image or video made from that geometry by adding materials, lighting, and a camera.