Custom Designing Your Jewelry Using 3D-CAD Technology

For years custom designed jewelry has been created using old world techniques dating as far back as the 1800's. Until recently, almost all-custom designed jewelry was created using these methods. The introduction of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM) has changed all that and in it's wake ushered in a whole new universe of possibilities. Designs that were never thought possible can be made to the highest quality standards.

How is Custom Designed Jewelry Made? Before learning about the benefits of 3D-CAD you'll need to know more about the custom jewelry design process. Most jewelry is made using a method called lost wax casting. A skilled artisan/jeweler hand carves a jewelry prototype out of jewelers wax using small scalpels and knives. This wax prototype also known as a "model" is placed in a flask and plaster called "investment" is poured all around the model. Once the investment hardens an exact impression of the model is formed inside of the flask. The wax model is burned out of the flask leaving a cavity of the jewelry design.

Next molten metal is injected in the flask mold using vacuum or centrifugal casting. When the metal cools and hardens the investment is broken away revealing the un-finished jewelry casting. This casting is filed, polished and prepped for assembly, which may include setting the gemstones or welding other precious metal parts to the casting.

The process of hand carving the wax prototype has always been the accepted process for creating custom jewelry. The problem with this process is that the human hand can't be as precise as a computer-aided machine when carving the model. Precision equates to more design possibilities and much higher quality jewelry production. In the end you'll have a product that looks crisper and won't be prone to stone loss or breakage.

What is Computer Aided Design? Computer Aided Design is a sophisticated modeling process using advanced software to plot coordinates for mechanical drawings. These drawings can be exported to various types of prototyping machines called CNC mills or growing machines. CNC mills cut-away material from a block of wax to make the jewelry model. The growing machines layer material from side to side much like a printer to build the model, samples of this process can be viewed at design your engagement ring The precision of these models exceeds what any human could do while hand carving the jewelry model. Design possibilities become limitless because the 3D-CAD software enables the designer to create parts and design elements that aren't possible using outmoded tools and methods.

Another benefit of 3D-CAD jewelry design is the ability to see a computer rendering before the final completion of the jewelry. In old methods the jeweler would create crude counter sketches of your concept and the rest would be left to your imagination. Now the designs that the jeweler creates in 3D-CAD can be rendered to photo-realistic images for you to view before making your final decisions.

Choosing a Jeweler for Custom Jewelry Design Like any other occupation or trade there are good jewelry craftsmen and there are bad ones. It is important to pre-screen your jeweler to determine if he/she is skilled at making custom designed jewelry. Ask to see their portfolio and examine their designs to determine if the flair they have for jewelry design matches your style requirements. Also, pay close attention to their communication and interpretation skills because much can get lost in the translation of your ideas if you're not careful. Once the jewelry is made its too late to make changes and the typical jeweler will not re-make it again without added fees.

At this point higher qualified and better skilled custom jewelry designers have moved to using 3D-CAD to create their designs. If you feel 2 jewelers are equally matched in aptitude and skills then you should choose the one that is using 3D-CAD design. You'll pay a little more to have your jewelry created in 3D-CAD but the final results will be amazing. The jewelry will look 1000% better than if it were hand carved and it will last much longer because of the precision of the jewelry model.

Andy Moquin

President

Andrews Jewelers Inc.

Andy Moquin has spent 20 years in the jewelry business buying and selling over $20,000,000 in diamonds, engagement rings and custom designed jewelry. He as traveled to Belgium and Israel to work with international diamond dealers and works as an advisor for DBC Diamonds an international consortium of diamond dealers. His experience in the jewelry business has become invaluable to consumers and business owners. He can be contacted at learn about diamonds or 716-630-7091

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Make Sure You Get the Right Digital Camera

Digital camera technology has evolved very fast during the last two years. Cameras now have plenty of new features and more power at prices that almost anyone can afford. This article is aimed to provide you with everything you should know in order to make a good purchase.

What are the costs?
Digital may sound expensive to some people, but it's no longer true. You can find very good devices at prices below $100 that are perfect for beginners and kids. Of course, at the higher end of the market you can spend thousands of dollars for the latest DSLR camera. Anyway, if you're not a professional photographer who needs to set everything manually and have interchangeable lenses, you can get everything you need for $150-$400.

How many megapixels do I need?
Let's start by understanding what a megapixel is. A digital photo is composed of pixels (short for picture elements). A thousand of such little squares is a megapixel (MP). Camera models vary in the number of megapixels they have, but the higher is not always the better. Resolution, which determines the clarity of the image, is dependent upon the number of megapixels. A higher resolution will get you clearer photos, but they will also take up a lot of space on your memory card so you can;t take too many photos without carrying extra storage. If you don't think you will print your photos in large sizes, but limit to 4''x6'' and 5''x7'', or if you mostly email them or post them online, there's no point in buying a camera with more than 5 or 6 megapixels.

How much control over the camera settings do I get?
Most cameras let you choose how much control you have, from completely manual, where you determine everything, to fully automatic, where all the settings are the camera's defaults. In between there are a lot of pre-sets modes you can choose from, ensuring that you shoot well exposed and clear photos whether it's a bright sunny day, a late night or an indoor event. You also have the option to change colors to sepia or black & white for more versatility. Some cameras also have options to correct common problems such as red eye. When you shop for cameras, compare design features and shooting modes. First check if the have the basic ones like portrait, landscape and action, then look for extras like night and snow mode. Higher-end models let you have even more control, allowing you to set shutter speed, ISO and aperture yourself or just one and the camera sets the rest accordingly. It can be fun to experiment with these different settings and see what the photos turn out like. And if you don't like them, you can just erase them and take others.

Optical vs. digital zoom: what's the difference?
Optical zoom is the function that moves your camera lens to get closer to the subject without moving and without making the photo look pixelated. Digital zoom is a feature that crops part of the image and stretches it to make it look bigger, just like you would crop it and enlarge it with a photo editing application. The difference is it happens in the moment you take the photo. It is sometimes difficult to say which is which, because manufacturers often present a combined number of optical and digital zoom power. What they do is multiply optical and digital zoom. For example, if a camera has an 8x digital zoom and a 3x optical zoom, they say it has a total zoom of 24x. You should care more about optical zoom because this is what will get you clear photos.

How about size: is heavier always better?
You should choose a camera that fits your lifestyle from all points of view. Slim cameras, for instance, are very easy to slip in your pocket and take along anywhere. Models that are a little larger have more features, such as more manual control and a wider LCD screen. Larger ones may include stronger zoom, which is very useful to capture the architecture details of an ancient building you visit or take great shots at a soccer game.

What extra equipment should I get?
First of all, you need batteries. Many cameras use A4 ones, which have to be replaced once in a while, more frequently if you take many photos at high resolution. The auto-focus function and LCD screen also eat up a lot of power. Rechargeable batteries can be a good option and there are two types: Lithium ion (Li-ion) and Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH). Newer models often come equipped with Li-ion batteries. Rechargeable batteries hold more energy and can be recharged several times. You have to look in your camera manual to see what type of batteries you need. Another thing you should invest in is a memory card, which is where your camera stores the images. It's better to have several memory cars available especially if you go somewhere where you expect to take a lot of photos. The memory card should have at least 1 GB so that you never run out of space. A docking station is another useful thing if you have rechargeable batteries. It provides an easy way to recharge them and you can connect it to your PC in order to upload pictures. A carrying case is another good investment. It not only protects your camera, but you can also use it to carry memory cards and extra batteries.

Now you have enough information to make a good purchase. Good luck with your decision!

Mr. Alex Don is a writer on the theme of image resizer software applications for Reshade. Reshade focuses on picture resizers providing a free online image resizer application. As a plus it provides a picture resizer application.

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Successful Travel Photography - Do Your Homework

How many times have you come back from a trip disappointed with the images you've taken? How many times have you though to yourself "If only I'd been there an hour early. If only I'd known that event was on today". While it is true that hindsight makes everyone smarter, and no one can control the weather, it is possible to maximize your chances of success just by doing a little homework.

Plan your trip

There is a major difference between planning to take photos on your travels, and traveling to take photos. This will be evident in the images you produce. Spend some time researching your destination and its photographic potential. Is it a place affected by the seasons? If so, when is the best time of year to go? How are you going to get there? What is the public transport like? Should you hire a car? Answering these questions can take you a long way to a successful shoot. For example, you may be grateful you decided to get that international drivers license once you get back and look through those beautiful sunset shots you took off a beaten track a few miles from town because you were able to hire a car and drive out there.

There are numerous resources available on the internet and in print, most of them free. An hour or so online can provide a wealth of information, not to mention inspiration. A pocket travel guide can also be an invaluable investment as a reference to have at your fingertips as you go.

Make a shoot list

Think about the locations you want to shoot. Which landmarks do you want to visit? What time of day do they appeal to you? Are you interested in capturing your location's architecture or its culture? Or both? Deciding all of this in advance can give you clear goals to aim for on your trip, rather that simply wandering the streets and shooting whatever you come across that you find appealing. This may prove successful but is more about luck than anything else.

Be flexible

What happens if you get there and the weather suddenly turns sour? Do you wait it out in your hotel room hoping it will pass before you are due to return home? What a waste of time that would be. If you are planning to travel somewhere that can be greatly affected by weather, you might want to think about how you can use this to your advantage. Some subjects can be greatly enhanced by sudden changes to the weather, or even just the threat of it. Imagine missing out on a sweeping panorama of a storm rising over the bay because you were sitting in a room cursing your bad luck.

It is possible for anyone to point a camera at a subject and take a picture. Not all can use that camera to tell a story or teach something to a viewer. Apart from technical skills and, to a much lesser extent, equipment, the difference comes down to planning. The most important factor in the success of your photographic journey is the goals you set for yourself and the steps you take in achieving them.

Mark Eden is a freelance photographer and the founder and director of Expanse Photography. A photographic services company offering fine art images as well as stock and assignment photography and a range of publishing and printing services. Mark can be contacted through the Expanse Photography website http://www.expansephotography.com

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Cherokee Medical Scrubs - Are They Really That Comfortable?

Are those clothes really that comfortable? That's the question given to the nurse helping in the operating room. Her answer of course was that they really were extremely comfortable. This particular brand, Cherokee medical scrubs, is a very popular brand and is available in a variety of colors. That's a fairly common answer to that very question no matter who you ask in the medical profession.

It doesn't matter much if the scrubs are a brand name such as Barco scrubs or if they are a just cheap nursing scrubs. Scrubs are some of the most comfortable clothes that you can wear in public. Some are as close to pajamas as anything out there. You will often see people out and about shopping or dining in a pair of hospital scrubs. It is usually assumed they came right from work and didn't have time to change - but you never know. They could just be wearing them for comfort. There are actually scrub like clothes now that are also popular. However, they're not exactly scrubs but do seem to have the same look and feel as traditional scrubs.

If you are old enough to remember the time when it was cool to have a pair of green scrubs then you probably understand the sentiment that scrubs have as a unique fashion statement. Of course, now you can get scrubs that are extremely comfortable and come in a variety of colors and shapes but that doesn't matter. Scrubs are still some of the most comfortable clothing that you could ever own.

If you want the best scrubs go to Scrubs & Beyond. You'll be able to get both Cherokee medical scrubs or Barco scrubs at this site for the best price. Of course you can also get a pair of cheap nursing scrubs if you'd like.

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Review of Digital Photography Related Software in Market and What They Do?

Here is a compiled list of digital photography related software you can find in the market today.

Alteration of photos/graphics

Irfan View - Free and simple program. With this program not only can you change the way your graphics look but you can also create slide shows, cut and crop your graphics and convert your graphics and more. Ideal for batch processing.

Kodak EasyShare Software - A popular software program for editing, sharing and printing your pictures is the new which makes it even easier to organize, print and share your digital pictures.

ImageForge - ImageForge is a freeware image editor with painting and editing tools. Allows you to import images from scanners and digital cameras, apply special effects filters, and create photo albums and slideshows. Although this is teaser program for the shareware ImageForge PRO, it's probably a few steps above Microsoft Paint.

VCW Vicman's Photo Editor - This award-winning graphic editor offers a variety of painting and editing tools and features including a text tool, gradients, selections by color or region, color replacement, editing in any scale, special effects and so on. This free version is an enticement to upgrade to the Pro version for $29.95 US, so you can expect to put up with nag screens.

PhotoFiltre - Although it's fairly limited in features, PhotoFiltre offers a simple, but elegant user interface and a lot of one-click image adjustments, filters, and effects. There is a built in image explorer panel for visually navigating your file system, basic drawing, painting, retouching and selection tools, and batch processing capabilities.

Ultimate Paint - Ultimate Paint is available in both shareware and freeware versions for image creation, viewing, and manipulation. It has been designed to be fast and compact, and if you're familiar with the old Deluxe Paint program from Electronic Arts, Ultimate Paint is said to be very similar. The freeware version is an older release of the full-featured shareware product.

Picasa - Picasa is free software from Google that helps you instantly find, edit and share all the pictures on your PC. Every time you open Picasa, it automatically locates all your pictures (even ones you forgot you had) and sorts them into visual albums organized by date with folder names you will recognize. You can drag and drop to arrange your albums and make labels to create new groups. Picasa also makes advanced editing simple by putting one-click fixes and powerful effects at your fingertips. And Picasa makes it a snap to share your pictures you can email, print photos home, make gift CDs, instantly share via Hello, and even post pictures on your own blog.

Sherif Photo Plus - Serif has long been giving away previous versions of their software to entice users to purchase the current version. Currently you can download a completely free, fully-functional version of PhotoPlus 5.5, or order a CD and pay only shipping costs. PhotoPlus 5.5 features an export optimizer, editable text, image slicing and image maps, selection tools, smart shapes, and image enhancement tools.

Pixia - This is the English version of a popular free painting and retouching software that originated in Japan. It features custom brush tips, multiple layers, masking, vector- and bitmap-based drawing tools, color, tone, and lighting adjustments, and multiple undo/redo. Like many freeware editors, there is no support for saving GIF format. Also available for many other languages. http://park18.wakwak.com/~pixia/download.htm

ADG Panorama Tools 5.0 - This program lets you from a series of photos quickly and easily generate, edit & embed publish 360 degrees interactive panoramic composition on the Web. ADG Panorama can be viewed through ADG Java Viewer 4.0 that eliminates any plug-in installation and gives a platform independent use on the Internet.

Make 3D images from 2D graphics! - PhotoModeler Lite is a program that allows you to extract measurements and 3D models from photos. To use it, you simply need to take several photos of a scene or an object and open them in the program. Then mark each photo with the mouse, tracing and tagging features of interest. The program combines the photos and locates the marked features in 3D, and then creates 3D points, 3D lines, surface meshes, and cylinders. These may then be exported in DXF, 3DS, and VRML formats. Don't worry if you don't quite understand it, the included tutorial will help you through each step.

Picture Shark This program allows you to "stamp" visible logos or text on their image files. Features include: Wizard-like interface, making it easy to use; the ability to create real watermarks; the ability to choose transparent color, opacity, position and much more; a "feather"-feature to make the edges between the stamp and the picture smarter; very fast (processing hundreds of pictures each minute); support for different output formats and quality settings; and WYSIWYG preview-mode for all settings. http://www.picture-shark.com/index.htm

This article is prepared by Christy Berger who writes for PrintCountry.com. A longer version of this article can be found at Digital Photography Printing Software Review .Main resource of this article is Epson Photo Ink Cartridges & HP Photo Printer Cartridges.

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