3D printing a threat to handcrafted jewellery?
We hear about the advent of 3D printing in jewellery making. It's a welcome change in the world of sparkle and shine. While it has made bulk production easier, even turnaround time has drastically come down. But did this technology pose any threat to the traditional hand-crafted designs ? How has it affected the prospects of karigars who create them? These concerns have sent the whole industry in a tizzy. But there are two sides to the same coin and so does 3D printing. While it looks like a threat to the prevalent set-up, there is a silver lining too. It has created jobs for the new crop of technicians who are trained to man these machines. Even CAD designers have new avenues to explore. Not just replicating designs has become much easier but also time-taken is far lesser now. More and more manufacturers are therefore embracing this technology. But the ease of production is not just the only reason why manufacturers are warming up to 3D printing. The next generation karig...