Two ways to get from an idea to a cast ring. They produce different things well, and the right answer depends on what the design depends on.
What CAD does well
- Symmetry and repeatability. A CAD model can be mirrored exactly — useful for matched bands, pairs of earrings and anything with a specific stone seat.
- Fast revision. Changing a band from 2 mm to 2.4 mm takes minutes, not a new carving.
- Stone-fit accuracy. The seat is cut to the stone's measured dimensions, so the girdle clearance is known before casting.
- Records. The file can be re-used for a replacement or a resize years later.
What hand-carving does well
- Organic form. Twisted, floral and sculptural shapes can look stiff when modelled mathematically and alive when carved.
- Touch. A carver works by feel; small asymmetries read as handmade rather than as errors.
- One-offs. For a single piece with no repeat need, carving can be faster than building a clean model.
Where each goes wrong
CAD fails when the model is geometrically correct but visually wrong: prongs too thick, gallery too tall, halo too wide. That is a taste problem, and it is caught by rendering in context — on a hand, at the right scale — not by more precision.
Hand-carving fails when the design needs repetition. Two “matching” carved bands rarely match to the tenth of a millimetre, and a stone seat carved by eye can be off enough to require re-cutting after cast.
The hybrid most workshops actually use
Model the structural parts in CAD — seat, gallery, band profile, stone positions — then hand-finish the surface after casting: carve the milgrain, refine the curves, texture the shoulders. You get accuracy where it matters and character where it shows.
What to ask a supplier
- Can I see the model with dimensions, not just a render?
- Is the seat cut to my stone's measurements?
- What happens if the first cast is wrong — who pays?
- Do I get the file, or only the ring?
We model in CAD and finish by hand, and the render comes with dimensions before anything is cast. Start a design →
The people who cut the stones and set the rings. We publish what we can verify on our own bench, and link to the certificate or the guide when a number needs a source.
