Bursztynek – 3D printed amber ring

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Can 3D printing be beautiful?

Apart from the obvious applications for industry and education, 3D printing remains an endless resource for designers and artists around the globe.

Additive technologies offer extraordinary possibilities and we can both shape their aesthetics and discover new ways to combine technological innovation with art practice.

But can 3D printing be beautiful..? By creating the ring, we wanted to present 3D prints as objects that could proudly be worn as jewellery. Elegant, far from the omnipresent aesthetic of plastic pendants and gadgets.

Amber, little amber, I found it by the sea..*
* Polish children’s song by Fasolki

In creating Bursztynek (Little Amber), we wanted to encapsulate the history of Baltic beaches, seaside holidays and the first childhood fascinations with the beauty of nature. After all, due to the lack of impressive shells, Baltic holidays are inevitably associated with the hunt for shards of amber glistening in the sun.

Inspired by the submerged magical worlds of insects and of Prehistoric crumbs, we designed an object that, like its natural predecessors, hides a treasure within it.

Trapped in amber

When creating the 3D printed gemstone, we didn't want to pretend it was real amber.
So we decided to take a playful approach and create our own hidden universe in it, along the lines of a child's imagination.

We placed a fully textured galleon inside, a bow both to the nautical origins of the ring and a popular Baltic souvenir – ship in a bottle.

Multi-color 3D printing by Mimaki

The reason for creating the object was the Mimaki resin 3D printing technology itself – the ability to print 3D models in a full range of colours, including transparency. The tool made us think about natural resins, like amber, and the possibility of reproducing them.

We wanted to push the boundaries of technological possibilities, to create an object that was not only functional, but also beautiful and intriguing.

Cast ashore

We framed the printed jewel in a silver fixture. Which, with its simplicity, reminds of fittings, anchors and cleats of old galleons.

The aim was rough consistency, the character of an ancient artefact cast ashore.

I can’t believe it’s not amber!

The main purpose of the Bursztynek is a promotional function – at any trade show, conference or meeting, our salespeople can use the ring as a conversation starter.
The tale of the possibilities of 3D printing is more convincing, when depicted with the objects they use every day.

This worked perfectly at Formnext 2022, where the most common reaction to Patrycja’s, our Head of Sales, finger adornment was "I can't believe it's not amber!".