Jewelry Prototyping
The Ask
Design and create a prototype of an original jewelry piece representative of my personality and character in TinkerCAD.
Ideation
Having taken a jewelry class within the craft department in my spring semester of 2023, I was exceptionally excited to apply my metal working knowledge to this project. I began with a moodboard- an amalgamation of my own favorite jewelry pieces, inspiration from some of my favorite metalsmiths and jewelers, and art I gravitated toward.
I landed on creating a stylized version of a ladybug into a ring. For as long as I can remember, I’ve been infatuated with the concept of luck- who gets it, when it will be my turn to feel it, and where I can find it. With this, its no secret that I’ve always been drawn to the iconography of the ladybug and what it represents for luck. My parents even used to call my Lilly Bug- a sweet nickname that brought me even closer to the motif of the insect. This pieced combines everything I love in jewelry and adornment- a chunky statement piece, a memory of home, and a little bit of luck to hold onto.
After deciding my design, I took my ideas to TinkerCAD- a 3D design software used for lo-fi prototyping. Learning the software definitely took a little bit of time and energy to fully commit to the project. After some thoughtful concentration, I finally started wrapping my mind around 3D design. Similar to metal work in tactile jewlery making, the hardest part was conceptualizing the shape formation- how to modify existing forms into the desired configuration. I learned how to work on different planes, manipulate shapes into designs, and how to bring a product from conceptualization to final product
