3D jewelry tutorial about calculating the weight of 3D jewels in BLENDER to real life 3D printing and manufacturing
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Mass = Density ÷ Volume.
You can use 3D Print Toolbox (standard Blender add-on) to calculate the volume of a mesh.
Look up the density of the material you want to make your model out of. You’ve got rings in your image, above, so let’s say you want to use gold. The density of gold is 19.32 g/cm^3.
If the signet ring that you show on the top/right corner of your picture is of average size of a real men’s ring, it will have a volume of about 2.5 cm^3.
2.5 cm^3 x 19.32 g/cm^3 = 48.3 grams.
That signet ring, if it was real, would likely weigh in at about 48 to 50 grams.
Are you going to 3D print it? The density of your average 3D printing resin comes in at about 1.1 to 1.2 g/cm^3.
2.5 cm^3 x 1.2 g/cm^3 = 3 grams.
If you look at the lady’s ring on the left, you’re getting into something more complicated.
If you 3D print all out of the same material, your formula will be exactly the same. V x D = M.
But, if you consider the fact that the ring is made from gold, ruby and diamond, you have to calculate three different densities and add them together.
Just select ONLY the diamonds then calculate the volume. Select the rubies and calculate their mass. Do the same for JUST the gold. When you’re done, add them all together.
Here’s where the problem comes: You can only use this method to get an estimate. Maybe a real CLOSE estimate but, until you have a real object in your hand, you don’t know the true volume. Blender can calculate pretty accurately and precisely to several decimal places but mistakes in the virtual world will cause differences in the real world result.
If you are just trying to estimate the amount of resin you’ll need to make a 3D print of a Blender model, this method will suit you just fine.
If you are hoping to weigh gold down to the fraction of a gram, you are certainly setting yourself up for a disappointment.
In cases like this, knowing what you want to do, how to do it and why are just as important as the final result.
This an in-depth tutorial which actually covers (most) things in more detail than your response, with a focus on costing estimates, it’s not a request for help. He’s a professional jewellery designer, and his videos tend to be geared towards real gems and precious metals.
The title is slightly misleading in that he ultimately only works out the metal weight, not the weight inclusive of the gems, but if the jewellery is designed around standard gem sizes I figure its easy enough to add that calculation to the metal weight afterwards.
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