Researchers test printing seed crystals into platinum jewellery parts
Researchers at the Centre for Print Research at the University of the West of England are developing a hybrid process that places seed crystals into platinum components during printing. The project, named neo-gemstone and led by Sofie Boons, aims to grow rubies and sapphires inside the jewellery settings after printing. The team plans to use leftover and offcut gemstone material as starting feedstock. The report is a short teaser, so no details on process parameters, timelines or results are available yet. The work is at research stage and shows how additive manufacturing could combine printed metal structures with crystal growth for jewellery.