Jewelry design glossary: sketch, prototype, mock-up, tolerance

From the first scribble to the finished jewel there are many steps. These are the words of the process, with the Spanish term. To plan a design, see planning original designs.

Drawing and thinking #

• Sketch (boceto): a quick drawing of the idea.
• Technical drawing (dibujo técnico): a drawing with exact dimensions for making the piece.
• Front and side view (vista frontal y lateral): the projections that show the piece from the front and in profile.
• Proportion (proporción): the relationship between the parts of the piece.
• Scale (escala): the relationship between the drawing and the real piece; 1:1 is life size.
• Symmetry (simetría): equality of the two halves of a piece.

Testing and making #

• Template (plantilla): a shape cut from card or metal that guides cutting.
• Pattern (patrón): a shape that is repeated or copied in production.
• Mock-up (maqueta): a quick version in paper, card, wax or 3D print, to see size and volume. It does not have to work.
• Prototype (prototipo): the first working version, sometimes in a cheaper metal, to test clasp, comfort and strength.
• Model / master (modelo): the original piece, in wax or resin, from which the mold for casting is made. See wax modeling.

Wearing it #

• Ergonomics (ergonomía): how the piece suits the body and its use: weight, edges, comfort.
• Size (talla): the measurement of the ring, bracelet or necklace. See ring size.
• Measurements (medidas): the dimensions of the piece: length, width, thickness, weight.
• Tolerance (tolerancia): the acceptable difference between the designed and the real measurement. In a setting it can be a tenth of a millimeter.

See also: 3D printing and CAD software.