CAD/CAM is taking jewelry design to new levels. What was once a 2-D pencil sketch is now a 3-D color image that can be modified quickly and stored in virtual inventory. Complex models with intricate shapes and undercuts that were once impossible to carve exactly by hand and duplicate accurately can now be built to perfection. Jewelry designers are recognizing CAD/CAM’s potential as a resource that can bring their designs to a new level of creativity—and the resulting designs are being recognized in the jewelry industry with prestigious awards. The three pieces featured in this article won CAD/CAM Distinction Awards (sponsored by Model Master in Woodstock, Georgia) in MJSA’s 2005 American Vision Awards (AVA) jewelry design competition. Charles P. Bahringer of Milwaukee, Lee Krombholz of Cincinnati, and Vache Minassian of New York City discuss the steps they took to create their award-winning designs.

The winners of the 2006 AVA CAD/CAM honors (sponsored by Gemvision in Davenport, Iowa) will be announced with the other AVA winners during Designer Day, March 11, at the Fashion Institute of Technology. For more information, call Suzanne Mascena at 1-800-444-6572, ext. 3041.