Precious:another layer of luxury

Precious is a two year UK government supported initiative which aims to demonstrate the viability of precious metal additive manufacturing within the Jewellery industry from design and manufacturing through to finishing, polishing and retail.

One of the areas being explored by a consortium of commercial and academic partners is the creation of new online business models that exploit the freedoms of Additive Manufacture and make the consumer an active participant in the design of their piece. Differing levels of consumer engagement have been identified and explored. These range from mere re-configuration through to so-called co-creation and are illustrated in a series of ten demonstrator design families created for the project.

This paper will discuss the technical and creative issues that arise as elements of creative control are ceded to the customer. Can the user be offered a captivating experience and a sense of ownership without jeopardising brand and design intent?