3D WERK
JEWELLER'S GUIDE · CAD SOFTWARE
CHOOSING JEWELLERY CAD SOFTWARE
Choose CAD software
for the work you make.
Every printed wax pattern starts as a CAD file. No single program is right for every workshop. This guide explains the two ways of modelling, sets out the main options side by side, and shows how to get a clean file from any of them to a wax printer.
Before you start
This guide is general information to help you get the most from your WaxJet. It does not replace the Flashforge manuals, the safety data sheets for your materials or your own safety checks. Where they differ, follow the manufacturer's instructions and safety data sheets. Isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is highly flammable, and warm IPA gives off more vapour. Keep it away from heat, sparks and open flames, heat it only with equipment suited to flammable liquids, use it in a well-ventilated area, and wear suitable PPE such as gloves and eye protection. As a business, you are responsible for work health and safety in your workshop, including risk assessment and how you store, use and dispose of chemicals. See our Terms and Conditions.
01
Two ways to model
05
How to choose
02
Jewellery and precise CAD
06
A clean file for wax
03
Sculpting and general tools
07
Built-in file checks
04
Side by side
08
Questions we hear
1
Two ways to model
Jewellery software works in one of two ways, and many programs now offer a little of both. Knowing which one suits a piece saves hours.
Precise CAD
You build the piece from curves, surfaces and solids with exact dimensions. NURBS modellers describe smooth surfaces mathematically, and parametric programs remember how each part was made, so changing a ring size or a stone can update the whole design. This suits shanks, galleries, seats, prongs and stone layouts.
Sculpting and mesh
You shape a surface made of many small triangles with brushes, much like modelling clay. It is quick for leaves, faces, animals and textures, and slow for anything that has to be an exact size. Seats and shanks from a sculpt usually need finishing in precise CAD.
Many workshops use both
A common pattern is to sculpt the organic part, then build the shank, seats and stones in precise CAD. Whatever you use, the printer only ever sees the final STL mesh.
2
Jewellery and precise CAD
These programs build pieces to exact dimensions. Three of them have jewellery tools built in. Rhino is general-purpose and is the base for several jewellery plug-ins, including MatrixGold and RhinoArtisan.
Rhino 8
Robert McNeel & Associates
Accurate NURBS surfaces and solids for almost any shape. Rhino 8 also has SubD for smooth, flowing forms and a set of mesh tools. It is the base that MatrixGold and other jewellery plug-ins run on.
RUNS ON
Windows and macOS, native on Apple silicon. One licence covers both.
LICENCE
Perpetual. McNeel states purchased licences do not expire, with no maintenance fees. Education licences available.
JEWELLERY TOOLS
None built in. Settings and pavé are modelled by hand or with a plug-in.
LEARNING
our view
Steady. General CAD skills that carry over to any Rhino plug-in.
SUITS
our view
Designers who want full control, or who plan to add a jewellery plug-in later.
TRY IT
Free 90-day evaluation.
MatrixGold 4
Gemvision, a Stuller company
Jewellery design tools that run on top of Rhino 8: gems, heads, prongs and stone layouts built with editable, parametric commands. Version 4 was released in May 2026.
RUNS ON
Windows 10 or 11 only, not for ARM processors. No macOS version. Needs an internet connection, with offline use for up to 12 hours after login.
LICENCE
One-time licence purchase. A new full licence comes with Rhino 8 and six months of Membership. After that, Membership is an optional subscription: updates, priority support, Online Academy and 10% off upgrades.
JEWELLERY TOOLS
Gem Creator, multi-prong editing, tapered baguettes, Scoop for hollowing to an even thickness, thickness analysis, gem labels and a technical report.
LEARNING
our view
Faster to jewellery results than plain Rhino. Rhino skills help as your designs get more complex.
SUITS
our view
Custom and retail workshops setting stones every week.
TRY IT
Demo or trial through Gemvision sales.
3Design V13
Type3, part of the Gravotech group (France)
Parametric jewellery CAD on its own engine, not Rhino. The design keeps its history, so you can change a ring size or stone and let the model recalculate.
RUNS ON
Windows 11 and macOS on Apple silicon. Files move between both.
LICENCE
Protected by a security key (a USB dongle). Older keys with a serial number below 707800 do not work with V13. Ask Type3 or its resellers about support subscriptions.
JEWELLERY TOOLS
Stone setting reworked in V13 with at least six dedicated pavé tools, plus rendering. The 3Shaper add-on module adds Sub-D free-form modelling.
LEARNING
our view
Built around jewellery tasks rather than general CAD.
SUITS
our view
Jewellers who want dedicated jewellery CAD on a Mac or a PC.
TRY IT
Free 30-day trial.
JewelCAD Pro
JewelCAD Pro Ltd
A long-established jewellery surface modeller with a built-in library of gems, parts, rings and settings.
RUNS ON
Windows.
LICENCE
Sold through dealers. Ask about current terms and support.
JEWELLERY TOOLS
Gem and setting library, volume and mass measurement, stone counting, STL export.
STATUS
We could not confirm the current version from the developer's site. Ask your dealer what version is current and how it is supported.
SUITS
our view
Workshops that exchange files with trade designers or manufacturers who already use it.
TRY IT
Ask your dealer about an evaluation version.
What happened to RhinoGold?
RhinoGold was made by TDM Solutions, which Stuller bought in 2015. Gemvision, Stuller's software company, no longer provides technical support for RhinoGold or the older Matrix, no longer transfers their licences, and offers existing users a path to MatrixGold. Existing copies keep running, so keep that in mind if you are offered a second-hand licence.
Facts on this page were checked at each maker's website in September 2026, except JewelCAD Pro. Terms and versions change, so confirm with the maker or reseller before you buy. Rows marked our view are our general guidance, not the makers' claims.
3
Sculpting and general tools
None of these was built for jewellery alone, but each can model it. Between them they cover sculpting, learning at little or no cost, and precise mechanical parts.
ZBrush
Maxon
Digital sculpting at very high detail: organic, figurative and textured forms that are slow to build with curves and surfaces.
RUNS ON
Windows 10 or 11 and macOS, with Apple silicon supported. Subscriptions include ZBrush for iPad.
LICENCE
Subscription, monthly or annual. Maxon discontinued perpetual licences in 2023.
JEWELLERY TOOLS
No stone setting tools. STL export, and a 3D Print Hub for print export settings.
LEARNING
our view
A different way of working: you sculpt rather than dimension. Exact seats and shanks are usually finished in CAD.
SUITS
our view
Sculptural and figurative pieces, often alongside a CAD program.
TRY IT
Free ZBrush for iPad plan, with limited tools and no file export.
Fusion
Autodesk
Engineering-style parametric modelling with a design history, plus T-spline freeform modelling and tools to repair STL meshes.
RUNS ON
Windows and macOS.
LICENCE
Subscription: monthly or yearly. A free, limited personal-use version is for non-commercial use by individuals earning under US$1,000 a year, so it does not cover work you sell or use in a company.
JEWELLERY TOOLS
None built in.
LEARNING
our view
Moderate. Precise, but settings and pavé take manual work.
SUITS
our view
Geometric and mechanical parts such as clasps, hinges and lockets.
TRY IT
Free trial.
Blender with JewelCraft
Blender Foundation, add-on by Mikhail Rachinskiy
A free 3D suite for mesh modelling and sculpting. The JewelCraft add-on adds jewellery tools on top.
RUNS ON
Windows, macOS and Linux.
LICENCE
Both free and open source under the GNU GPL. JewelCraft is a free download from its GitHub page, not a paid add-on.
JEWELLERY TOOLS
JewelCraft 3.0: gems, prongs and cutters, gem spacing, weight in precious alloys and a gem map (needs Blender 4.5 or later). The 3D Print Toolbox extension (Blender 4.2 LTS or later) checks and repairs meshes.
LEARNING
our view
Steep at first. Blender is a general 3D suite, and precise parts take care.
SUITS
our view
Learning on a budget, organic work, and designers at home with mesh modelling.
TRY IT
Free.
Shapr3D
Shapr3D, for desktop and iPad
Solid modelling with sketches and constraints, built for touch and Apple Pencil as well as a mouse.
RUNS ON
macOS, iPadOS, Windows and visionOS.
LICENCE
Pro is a subscription, billed monthly or yearly. The free Basic plan allows two projects, with basic-resolution STL and 3MF export.
JEWELLERY TOOLS
None built in.
LEARNING
our view
Gentle, especially on an iPad.
SUITS
our view
Simple geometric pieces and concept work away from the desk.
TRY IT
Free Basic plan and a 14-day Pro trial.
A fair point about general tools: they can make any shape a jewellery program can, and some are free. What they lack is automation for stone work. Laying out a pavé field, cutting the seats and spacing the prongs is all done by hand, which takes time on every design.
Checked at each maker's website in September 2026. Rows marked our view are our general guidance, not the makers' claims.
4
Side by side
The same five points for every option. Prices are left out on purpose: they change often and differ by country.
Rhino 8
HOW YOU MODEL
NURBS, SubD and mesh
RUNS ON
Windows, macOS
LICENCE
Perpetual
JEWELLERY TOOLS BUILT IN
No, add a plug-in
FREE WAY TO TRY
90-day evaluation
MatrixGold 4
HOW YOU MODEL
Parametric jewellery tools on Rhino 8
RUNS ON
Windows
LICENCE
One-time, optional Membership
JEWELLERY TOOLS BUILT IN
Yes
FREE WAY TO TRY
Demo or trial via sales
3Design V13
HOW YOU MODEL
Parametric, on its own engine
RUNS ON
Windows, macOS
LICENCE
Security key (dongle), via resellers
JEWELLERY TOOLS BUILT IN
Yes
FREE WAY TO TRY
30-day trial
JewelCAD Pro
HOW YOU MODEL
Surface modelling
RUNS ON
Windows
LICENCE
Through dealers
JEWELLERY TOOLS BUILT IN
Yes
FREE WAY TO TRY
Evaluation version
ZBrush
HOW YOU MODEL
Sculpting
RUNS ON
Windows, macOS, iPad
LICENCE
Subscription
JEWELLERY TOOLS BUILT IN
No
FREE WAY TO TRY
iPad free plan, no export
Blender with JewelCraft
HOW YOU MODEL
Mesh modelling and sculpting
RUNS ON
Windows, macOS, Linux
LICENCE
Free, open source
JEWELLERY TOOLS BUILT IN
Yes, via JewelCraft
FREE WAY TO TRY
Free
Fusion (Autodesk)
HOW YOU MODEL
Parametric solids, T-spline freeform
RUNS ON
Windows, macOS
LICENCE
Subscription
JEWELLERY TOOLS BUILT IN
No
FREE WAY TO TRY
Free trial
Shapr3D
HOW YOU MODEL
Solids with sketches and constraints
RUNS ON
macOS, iPadOS, Windows
LICENCE
Subscription, free Basic plan
JEWELLERY TOOLS BUILT IN
No
FREE WAY TO TRY
Basic plan, 14-day Pro trial
Checked at each maker's website in September 2026.
5
How to choose
Start from your work, not from a feature list. Six questions narrow the field quickly.
What do you make?
Rings, settings and pavé every week point to jewellery-specific parametric tools. Sculptural or figurative work points to a sculpting tool. Some workshops end up with one of each.
Who will train you?
A reseller course, an online academy, a school or a colleague down the road. Help you can reach easily matters most in the first year.
What will it cost?
Compare a one-off licence plus optional upgrades with an ongoing subscription over the years you will use it. Add training and a capable computer to both.
Mac or PC?
MatrixGold and JewelCAD Pro need Windows. The others run on macOS too. The WaxJet 51C print software, WaxJetPrint, runs on Windows 10 or 11 (Windows 10 support ended in October 2025, so choose Windows 11 for a new PC), so a Mac studio sends its STL files to a Windows PC at the printer.
Where do files go?
STL is the usual format for printing. Ask your caster or print bureau what they accept, and if someone else will edit your designs, which native format they work in.
Try before you buy
Most options have a free trial or a free plan. Take one real job from sketch to STL in each program you are considering, then decide.
6
A clean file for wax
Every program in this guide can export STL (ZBrush on a paid plan, Shapr3D at basic resolution on the free plan, which may be too coarse for fine detail), and the WaxJet 51C reads STL. What decides the result is the quality of the file. These checks apply whichever software you use.
Export STL in millimetres. An STL file may or may not carry its units, so the print software can read the numbers in a unit you did not intend. A ring modelled in inches and read as millimetres comes in 25.4 times too small. Model and export in millimetres.
Make it watertight. The mesh must be completely closed, with no holes or open edges. Repair tools often call a clean, closed mesh manifold. Rhino, for example, can check a mesh for naked edges, which are open edges.
One solid, no self-intersections. Join the head, prongs and gallery to the shank with a union, so no surface passes through another. Parts that only overlap leave hidden inner surfaces. Some print software copes with that, but a union is the safe route.
Fine enough, not huge. The export tolerance, called chord height or deviation in some programs, is the largest gap allowed between your model and the triangles. Some programs also have an angle setting that adds triangles on tight curves. Set it small enough that no flat facets show at the size you print. Going much finer only makes the file bigger. Print one test ring to see where that line sits for your work.
One part per shell. Each pattern should be a single closed shell. Delete stray fragments, and keep separate pieces as separate shells.
Check the size before printing. Open the STL in the print software and measure something you know, such as the inside diameter of a ring. Make sure the job fits the WaxJet 51C build volume of 235 x 138 x 100 mm.
Keep your native file. STL is only a mesh of triangles. It does not keep your surfaces, parametric history or stone data, so make changes in the original file and export again.
The same ring exported at three mesh resolutions. The segment counts are only for illustration. Judge your own settings with a test print.
7
Built-in file checks
You rarely need a separate repair program. Most CAD tools and the printer software can check a file before it reaches the printer.
Rhino 8
The Mesh Repair panel checks meshes for printing, you can reimport an exported STL and check it for naked edges, and ShrinkWrap wraps a watertight mesh around a model.
MatrixGold 4
Thickness Analysis measures wall thickness at any point before you export.
Blender
The free 3D Print Toolbox extension checks for bad geometry and repairs it with Make Manifold.
ZBrush
The 3D Print Hub gathers the export settings for 3D printing in one place.
Fusion
Mesh modelling tools edit and repair imported STL and OBJ files.
The WaxJet 51C print software automatically finds where defects are in jewellery files and has manual editing tools. Fix the cause in your CAD file where you can.
The one habit worth keeping
Open every new STL in the print software before you print a full plate. Measure one known size and look for flagged defects. A few minutes there costs far less than a failed plate of patterns.
8
Questions we hear
Do I need jewellery-specific software?
Not always. General CAD can model any ring, but pavé layouts, prongs and resizing take much longer by hand. If stone setting is most of your work, jewellery tools, built in or as a plug-in, usually save the most time. For bands, signets and sculptural pieces, general tools work well.
Will my files work on a wax printer?
If the program exports STL and the file is clean, yes. The WaxJet 51C accepts STL, so every program in this guide can feed it. Work through the checks in section 6 before you print a full plate.
Is RhinoGold still an option?
Gemvision no longer supports it and offers existing users a move to MatrixGold. Existing copies still run, but we would not start a new workshop on software that no longer gets fixes.
Can I learn for free?
Yes. Blender and JewelCraft are free and open source. Rhino has a 90-day evaluation, 3Design a 30-day trial, Shapr3D a free Basic plan and Fusion a free trial. The free ZBrush for iPad plan is good for learning to sculpt, but it cannot export files.
Can I design on a Mac?
Yes, with Rhino, 3Design, ZBrush, Blender, Fusion or Shapr3D. MatrixGold and JewelCAD Pro need Windows. The WaxJet 51C print software runs on Windows 10 or 11, so plan for a Windows PC beside the printer.
One program or two?
Start with the one that fits most of your work. Some workshops later add a second, for example sculpting the organic part and finishing the shank, seats and stones in CAD.
WHERE TO NEXT
From a clean file to a good casting
Thinking about wax printing in your workshop?
Tell us what you make and what you design in, and ask us for sample prints.
GUIDE 2 OF 13 · DESIGN
THE BIG PICTURE
1 · DESIGN
2 · PATTERNS
3 · CASTING
4 · AFTER CASTING