Jewellery design, 3D printing and casting service

This unit turns a jeweller's sketch into metal. You draw the piece on a computer using CAD (computer-aided design), print a model in castable resin on a 3D printer, and cast it in silver or gold by lost-wax casting, where the model burns away and molten metal takes its shape. The jeweller then sets the stones and finishes it.

Jaipur is one of the world's leading centres for cutting coloured gemstones and making kundan, meenakari and silver jewellery. Much of the trade still moves as loose stones sold to others who set them and keep the retail margin. This service helps small cutters and setters turn stones into finished jewellery they sell themselves.

You need a CAD designer, a burnout furnace, a casting machine and one or two resin 3D printers in a clean workshop, plus a safe and cameras. Gold jewellery must be hallmarked before sale, so your casting must match the purity the client asks for. The hard part is precious metal: every gram must be weighed in and out and recorded, or trust breaks quickly. Jaipur already has casting shops, so win on speed, finish and honesty, and keep every client's designs private.

Visit workshops in the walled-city jewellery lanes and at Sitapura, and offer quick samples. Exporters preparing for trade fairs are good early buyers.