Cloud Factory on Producing Sustainable, 3D-Printed Silver Jewelry

You would be surprised by the amount of original and delicate jewelry designs that are possible today using 3D printing, for example a ring with 7,801 diamonds! One player in the field is Cloud Factory, a company formed by professionals from different sectors that come together to help artists, creators, brands, gamers for the development of real jewelry thanks to additive manufacturing. With just an idea the team takes care of the design, 3D modeling, sending samples, packaging of your jewelry ordered with your brand logo … all without the need for a minimum order, or inventory problems. We interviewed them to find out more about their company and their production of unique silver jewelry in a sustainable way.

3DN: Could you introduce yourself and explain your link with additive manufacturing?

We are a team of very different people coming together from very different fields. Our founder Taavi has been working in the field of additive manufacturing for over a decade now – developing operating systems for FDM 3D printers and teaching students and fellow startups the benefits of 3D printing. Marek, the co-founder, has a PhD in powder metallurgy and before diving into the world of startups, he worked as a scientist at TalTec University in Tallinn to solve different problems with industrial 3D printers. I, Kati, the only female founder, worked in one of the biggest and oldest nightclubs in the Baltics as a marketing manager, dealing with different artist agents and promoters and keeping up to date with everything that the young people in the club like and are interested in. I also have a degree in creative entrepreneurship specializing in fashion design. And Erik joined us from the world of cryptocurrencies, investment gold and affiliate marketing. Together we perfectly covered all the aspects that our growing business desperately needed. Taavi was the most intrigued by additive manufacturing and the ways it could be used to really showcase the benefits of this technology.

The Cloud Factory team

3DN: How did the Cloud Factory adventure begin?

Taavi, by chance, met a global superstar who escaped from the United States to have a quiet retreat in the forests of Estonia, away from the paparazzi. Taavi was very excited to be able to create some metal jewelry items for him and, together with Marek, they got a government innovation grant and developed fast, high-quality parameters for the university’s industrial 3D printer. Then,  Taavi asked me to join the team to help with branding, marketing and design. I immediately saw greater potential for this business than just with this superstar he met, and from there we started making samples for artists coming to perform at the nightclub I worked for and also for other artists visiting Estonia, using contacts from my days working in the entertainment field. We quickly saw the amazement in the artists’ eyes when we presented them with necklaces and rings with their logos and design elements. This business model immediately won them over, so we decided to expand the business from having a product store to not having our own sales channels and becoming a “white label” manufacturing service for many artists, influencers and jewelry brands.

3DN: How do you make the 3D printed jewelry?

We currently only work with 925 sterling silver. We have a partner who buys scrap silver from all over the world and refines it into silver powder which we use for direct metal 3D printing. We use a selective laser melting technology to directly 3D print jewelry items from 100% recycled silver. Many have asked why we have chosen this printing technology. The answer is simple: it is the most resource efficient, as it omits most of the complicated manufacturing steps that are essential when using traditional methods. It allows us to automate all our manufacturing processes and ultimately save time, material, human resources and the planet. It is the technology that best fits our grand vision of building a network of fully automated and sustainable jewelry printing centers around the world, offering a unique, fast and carbon-free service to brands, creators and individuals.

Cloud Factory uses a metal 3D printer to manufacture silver jewelry items

3DN: What advantages and limitations do you find in metal 3D printing?

Technology has a lot of advantages among those mentioned above. It allows us to offer super fast and flexible production, customizations, limited runs, new products launches in only days and helps us to fully automate this labor-intensive industry. The only limitation at the moment is product development time when it comes to creating complex 3D models. For more detailed designs, it can take a couple of days to finish the models to start the sampling process. That’s why we are also working on development that can help us automate the part of product development that requires a lot of manual work: converting 2D designs into 3D. This would help us onboard new customers faster than ever before.

3DN: How do you see the future of additive manufacturing in the jewelry industry?

I think the process that Cloud Factory uses will definitely be a key element of the industry within a decade – relative to the increased restrictions within the industry to stop polluting actions, traditional manufacturers are looking for new ways to be more planet friendly and to meet the desires and of the next generation’s customers.

3DN: Any last words for our readers?

Cloud Factory is pioneering the sustainable journey of fine jewelry. We know that the jewelry industry is lucrative, but it has been limiting its potential for centuries due to the need for extensive production know-how, upfront payments and lengthy development processes. We are here to change the game: we want to make the jewelry industry fit to invite future generations into this and traditional yet modern, fun, affordable and good for our planet. If you want to know more about Cloud Factory you can visit our website HERE.

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