Abstract

Jewellery design represents an area where artistic and handcraft approaches coexist with an industrial base. In recent years, large improvements have been made in those fields of jewellery design that use either non-noble or semi-noble metals. Among semi-noble metals, titanium stands out, giving the perception of a technical, advanced, and precious material. The peculiarity of titanium that makes this metal special for design applications is linked to its ability to be colored with electrochemical treatments. This research activity is focused on the application of a laser melting technique and the prototyping of titanium jewels with original design. This paper examines finishing techniques and the application of iridescent surface colour by anodic oxidation. It will build on experimental evidence tests in the aboratory linked with jewellery design concepts. Engineering processes, such as rapid prototyping, mechanical finishing, and electrochemical processes have been successfully implemented in jewellery design.