Want a bracelet? Hit ‘print’
Remember when printers used to just print paper? To put it simply, our printing capabilities are much savvier nowadays. Architect and jewelry designer Jenny Wu started using a 3-D printer to print her own rings, earrings, bracelets and necklaces. After receiving compliments on the street every time she wore her designs, Wu created an entire line of wearable 3-D-printed jewelry. She began using 3-D printing for architectural models when she was a graduate student at the Harvard Graduate School of Design.
In addition to designing commercial and residential projects, Wu is now making jewelry that’s being worn by some of Hollywood’s A-listers. Wu describes her aesthetic as “jewelry that looks timeless and elegant — but upon closer investigation is a little different.”
Lace by Jenny Wu consists of rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings, using materials that include nylon, plastic, stainless steel, gold, silver, platinum and rose gold. Wu’s jewelry, which ranges from $70 to $3,000, is made to order and takes about two weeks to produce.
“3-D printing gives the jewelry something unexpected and allows each piece to have a deeper story,” Wu said.
Wu started her jewelry label in 2014 in Los Angeles. The line explores the unconventional ways that jewelry can look and be worn.
Wu, who co-founded L.A.-based design firm Oyler Wu Collaborative, is known within the architecture community for her experimental designs. She and her design partner and husband, Dwayne Oyler, are working on the landscaping for the Los Angeles River bikeway/greenway project.
The experimental and adventurous spirit that Wu brings to her architectural work is also alive in her jewelry line.
Wu said Jessica Alba, Chrissy Teigen, Emmy Rossum, Olivia Culpo, Sarah Hyland, Carrie Underwood and Scarlett Johansson have worn her jewelry. Recently, one of her pieces, a steel necklace, was added to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s permanent collection. So, how does the process work? Three-dimensional printing can create small and large objects, ranging from rings to houses, through a layer-by-layer assembly, or “printing,” process. The technology has been used in aerospace, medicine, architecture and electronics andhas started to make inroads in creative industries, including fashion and jewelry design.
Wu said her jewelry requires a technical, step-by-step process that relies on computer modeling and prototyping, unlike traditional jewelry-making. The process allows her to “digitally sculpt” the jewelry and create curves and shapes that other designers can’t achieve by hand.
Wu’s Silver Lake design studio/ showroom is open to clients by appointment. Some of her jewelry can be ordered at jennywulace.com. For a video demonstration of her process, go to latimes.com/fashion.