LACE Catena necklace ExOne
A model shows off the Catena necklace.
Jenny Wu, the director of 3D printing luxe jewellery line, LACE, has introduced a new interlocking designer steel necklace, printed with ExOne’s Binder Jetting technology.
One of the first pieces of jewellery of its kind, Wu eventually decided on ExOne after years of prototyping with a variety of 3D printing techniques. Named Catena, the necklace is inspired by Wu’s architectural background (Wu has a partnership in architecture firm, Oyler Wu Collaborative) and designed with complex geometry. Previously Wu’s necklace designs were only printable in nylon, but with ExOne’s technology, in which a liquid binding agent is selectively deposited to join powder particles, this latest piece has been produced in steel.
“For the past three years, my necklaces have been the most iconic, popular pieces in my collection. Unlike most 3D printed necklaces out there, our pieces are fully 3D printed without any additional analogue assembly nor non-3D printed hardware to hold these incredible statement pieces around the neck,” Wu said. “This type of necklace was a technical and financial challenge to 3D print entirely in metal until now. While we love the wearability of our nylon necklaces, our goal was always to 3D print our necklaces in metal, from the hinge down to the latch.
“After many years of testing and prototyping with various different technologies, we were finally able to produce the Catena necklace with ExOne and their 3D printing process.”
Wu isn’t alone in being impressed with how Catena has turned out. In the last few weeks, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) officially acquired the necklace for its permanent collection.
“Jenny translates the complex line-based geometries of Oyler Wu’s architectural projects into jewellery and brings a high-level of technical skill to the crowded 3D printing field,” said Bobbye Tigerman, the Marilyn B. and Calvin B. Gross Curator at LACMA. “The Catena necklace is her most sophisticated design to date, both conceptually and technically. The complex design of interlocking pieces is entirely articulated, a feature made possible by the 3D printing process, without requiring extensive manual labour and time investments.”
