ManAdorned Aluminum Studs

After creating two self-designed rings following the successful first custom-designed ring, I figured I was on a roll and should try for some more designs! The inspiring thought for this adornment was to replicate the look of a gem-paved band (like the terribly uncomfortable repurposed bangle experiment) for a “blingy” look. Unfortunately, the realities of manufacturing derailed the design similar to my previous attempt (which still turned out awesome!). Initially I started the design with square-shaped gems featuring a “princess cut” leading to an octagonal topped gem. It looked awesome in the renders and the 3d printed prototype, but a spinning CNC bit can only join four corners together without creating a conical meeting point if all of the lines are on the same plane. In this case, the initial design was to have the lines come together at different angles. It would have looked awful and, thankfully, the engineers caught the probability of failure during design review just before being cut. Working with the Hankin at RapidDirect who helped proxy design reviews with the engineers, another design was put together ultimately leading to the understanding that hex shaped gems just will not work out. So, a final design featuring square shaped studs was put together - and… success!

Although this design is a square shaped pattern similar to the offset boxes design, it has an entirely different feel to it. This is for a few reasons. First, this design has the studs rotated to match the surface rather than having the brick-like pattern carved into the round profile. Essentially, the studs look like facets rather than being carved into a round object. Secondly, the studs are cut about two or three times deeper than the pattern on the first adornment leading to much more vertical difference between the “field” and the top of the “gem”.

So, yeah, it’s cool to look at… but how does it wear? Wonderfully, of course. The generously proportioned width and ideal inner radius ensure the perfect distribution of pressure around the goods. With a beveled cut similar to my first design, I made sure to apply a slight fillet around the corners to avoid any risk of sharp edges - it worked perfectly. This lightweight and attractive design is yet another wonderful addition to the collection!