Resin 3D printing services provide a cost-effective way of making master patterns or testing jewelry designs. They use photopolymer resin materials that are hardened under a directed light beam. End results have smooth surfaces and high detail resolution. These 3D printing technologies also allow using castable resins to make custom master models. Such wax-like parts are used in metal casting and provide quite clean burnouts, much like common jewelry wax.
These are the main simplified steps of an investment casting method of making metal jewelry. In practice, it takes more attention to details and additional procedures to avoid defects on each step such as removing air bubbles from casting and more.
The process also works for cold casting materials like resins and plastics. In this case, plaster is commonly replaced with silicone allowing to use of non-castable materials for a master model and eliminating a burnout step.
Some 3D printing technologies allow making master models, molds, or even final jewelry pieces. Depending on the desired result, several methods can be included in the jewelry-making process:
Castable resins allow making wax-like parts to use them as master models in the jewelry making process. These materials are photopolymers and aren’t 100% jewelry wax, however, their properties are comparable to the wax.
Other wax-like materials in 3D printing include composite filaments for FDM/FFF printing created for casting or molding applications. Their properties are designed to be close to wax but these commonly are plastic blends with fillers and not pure waxes.
Some 3D design platforms allow searching and downloading free and commercial jewelry models. For a custom jewelry piece, you can hire a 3D designer.