A decision guide for brands and manufacturers
Outsource jewellery CAD and rendering
Outsourcing jewellery CAD and rendering means sending a sketch, a photograph or a CAD file to a studio and receiving a production-ready 3DM and STL model, the images that sell the piece, or both, priced per design from $10 for CAD and $20 for rendering. It pays when you have no CAD designer, seasonal volume or marketplace image sets to produce; it does not when the design is still unsettled.
In short
Outsourcing jewellery CAD and rendering means sending a sketch, a photograph or a CAD file and receiving a production-ready 3DM and STL model, the images that sell the piece, or both, priced per design. It pays when you have no CAD designer in-house, seasonal volume or marketplace image sets to produce; it does not when the design is still unsettled. CAD from $10, rendering from $20.
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What comes back: the CAD model the caster receives, and the same piece rendered in three metal tones from one file.
When outsourcing jewellery CAD and rendering pays, and when it does not
Outsourcing jewellery CAD and rendering means sending a sketch, a photograph or an existing CAD file to a studio and getting back a production-ready model, the images that sell the piece, or both. It is quoted per design, it needs no software, licence or hire on your side, and the files you receive are yours. This page is about deciding whether that is the right move for your business and what to check before you send the first file.
Two things this page will not do: it will not tell you that outsourcing is always cheaper, because that depends on your volume and what you already have in-house, and it will not name other studios. The checklist at the end applies to any of them.
When outsourcing pays
- You have no CAD designer in-house and the pieces start as sketches, photographs or references. Building the model is the step that needs the skill; the studio does it from $10 per design and the render comes from the same file.
- Your volume is seasonal. A collection of forty pieces needs forty models and listing sets in one month and nothing the next; a per-design quote scales with the range instead of with a payroll.
- You sell on marketplaces. Etsy, Amazon and Shopify each want a specific image set - white background, several angles, metal variants - and a rendered set is produced from one model with the material changed, which a photo shoot per variant cannot match on cost or consistency.
- You need the model as well as the picture. The 3DM and STL files a CAD order delivers go to your caster and stay with you for every future variant.
- You want the work under your own name. Delivery is unbranded, so agencies and studios present it as their own; NDAs are signed on request before any file moves.
When it does not
- You already have a CAD designer with spare capacity and the work is one-off pieces you will remake in-house anyway. Outsourcing then adds a handover without removing a cost.
- The design is not settled. A studio can model what you describe, but every change of mind after the first draft is a revision, and CAD design includes up to 3 revisions - not an open-ended design conversation. Settle the brief first.
- You need the physical sample photographed as it actually is. A render shows the design; a photograph shows the object. For a one-off vintage piece sold as-is, photography is still the right tool.
What you send, and what comes back
A brief starts with whatever you have: a sketch, a photograph, a reference image or an existing CAD file, sent through the upload page or by email. The studio reads it, comes back with any questions about size, metal and stones, and then sends a first draft to mark up. That question-first reply is worth noticing in any studio - a quote sent without questions is a guess.
- CAD design from $10 per design: 3DM and STL files plus a CAD detail image listing every measurement of the design, the diamond count and the metal weight in 10kt, 14kt, 18kt, silver and platinum. Up to 3 revisions on the CAD design.
- Rendering from $20 per design (the Website Combo): 12 photorealistic images in 3 metal colours across 4 angles, 3 product videos and a 360-degree rotation video. The Etsy Combo is $30: 10 images including a design measurement image and a model image, plus one theme-based video.
- Animation and marketing video from $50 per video, built from the same model.
- Images at 1920 x 1920 pixels as PNG and JPG; video as MP4; everything delivered through a download link on the studio's own server.
- Standard CAD, rendering and animation first drafts are delivered in 2 days, without compromising quality.
What it costs, and what moves the price
Every price above is a published starting rate per design. What moves it is design complexity - stone count, pave and filigree work, the number of extra angles or lifestyle scenes - and order volume, which is quoted per project rather than from a fixed price break. Payment is accepted by PayPal, Payoneer, wire transfer and bank transfer, with rates published in US dollars.
How your designs are protected
NDAs are signed on request, before any file is exchanged. Client work is shown on this site without names, logos or collection titles, and where a client asks for confidentiality it is not shown at all. Files are delivered unbranded. Once you have paid for the CAD work, the final CAD file is yours.
What to check in any studio before you outsource
- Which files you receive and whether you own them once paid - a render without the model behind it ties you to that studio for every variant.
- Whether the price is per design and published, with a list of what it includes.
- Whether revisions are included, and on what.
- Whether an NDA is available and delivery is unbranded.
- Whether the studio can show one piece in three metal colours from the same camera - the simplest proof of a real 3D pipeline.
- What resolution and formats are delivered, and whether they meet the marketplace you sell on.
- Whether the standard first-draft time is written down, not promised on a call.
Outsourcing jewellery CAD and rendering - questions we are asked
What does it cost to outsource jewellery CAD design?
CAD design starts at $10 per design and delivers 3DM and STL files plus a CAD detail image with every measurement, the diamond count and the metal weight in 10kt, 14kt, 18kt, silver and platinum. The price moves with design complexity.
Do I need a CAD file before I can outsource rendering?
No. A sketch, a photograph or a reference image is enough. The CAD model is built first, from $10 per design, and the renders are produced from that model, from $20 per design.
Who owns the CAD file after the project?
You do. Once you have paid for the CAD work, the final CAD file is yours, delivered as 3DM and STL so your caster and any future studio can use it.
Is my design safe with an outsourced studio?
NDAs are signed on request before any file is exchanged, client work is shown without names, logos or collection titles, and confidential work is not shown at all. Delivery is unbranded.
How many revisions are included?
Up to 3 revisions on the CAD design. Re-renders after a design change are quoted separately, which is why settling the brief before the first draft matters.
How long does the first draft take?
Standard CAD, rendering and animation first drafts are delivered in 2 days, without compromising quality.
Can an outsourced studio handle a whole collection?
Yes. Bulk work is quoted per project and produced in batches with a first-batch approval step so the whole range shares one style. The bulk catalogue page describes how a run is briefed and delivered.