Blending creativity with the magic of AI, redefining the boundaries of artistic expression

In the dazzling world of jewellery design, a new era is unfolding, blending creativity with the magic of Artificial Intelligence (AI). For designers, it’s an exciting adventure where tradition meets innovation.

The pandemic’s push toward digitalization has helped drive this journey, according to Paola De Luca, founder and creative director of trend-forecasting agency The Futurist. While disruptive changes in AI may take five to 10 years to assimilate fully, she says, the industry is already witnessing a significant shift.

Speaking at the opening of The Joy of Colour” exhibition in March 2023 at the Shenzhen Jewellery Museum in China, Paola De Luca said, “Colour is light and light is energy. Humanity is cracking the borders of languages, rules, geographic and political barriers merging in parallel realities. Entering the 3.0 era, my vision of the future of jewellery design encompasses designing and producing formats that are interspersed with immersive experiences, creating hybrid spaces where digital art and culture will inspire consumers and the trade to enjoy the ultimate luxury experience.”

The integration of AI-driven parametric tools is allowing jewelry designers to explore new possibilities, create innovative designs and push the boundaries of creativity. One of the key advantages of Design AI in the jewelry design process is its ability to analyze vast amounts of data and predict emerging trends with remarkable accuracy. By understanding shopper preferences, purchasing patterns and future customer trends, AI algorithms enable designers to tailor their jewelry design concepts to specific target audiences.

AI can allow designers and craftsmen to focus on the more creative aspects of design, while the AI handles the more tedious and time-consuming tasks of producing colour and style variations at the early stages of the design process. This can increase efficiency and allow designers to be more productive.

The accessibility of AI has surged, making it both powerful and affordable. AI has democratized content creation. Prompt-based models like image generator Dall-E and language-based system ChatGPT enable anyone with an internet connection to generate content in an instant. The question arises about who has fair access to this tool and who doesn’t.

AI can currently generate two-dimensional images resembling sketches or computer-aided design (CAD) renderings. However, the transition from text prompts to 3D printing in the jewelry industry is still in its infancy.Whether designers wield a traditional pencil or navigate the digital realm of CAD, AI emerges as a dynamic collaborator, offering tools and possibilities that redefine the boundaries of artistic expression.

Sustainability is a major bone of contention in the ongoing battle between mining companies and LGD/synthetic-diamond producers. The latter have generally pitched their product as a greener alternative to natural diamonds, while the former contend that these claims are exaggerated or even false.

Given the high financial and emotional costs, it’s critical for diamond brands to help consumers discern between what’s green and what greenwashing is. And LGD may not all be as environmentally or socially friendly as they seem.Not all man-made stones have the same carbon footprint, miners argue, adding that descriptions of lab-grown as “mining-free” are untrue, since elements of the creation process — such as the reactor — rely on mined materials.

“It is also not possible to make a simplistic general comparison between natural diamonds and laboratory-grown diamonds,” states the recent Diamond Facts report from the Natural Diamond Council (NDC). “Each category has a range of production processes, geographical locations, power sources, productivity capabilities, and sustainability practices.”

Even the carbon footprint of a given lab-grown diamond can vary wildly, according to environmental, social and governance (ESG) consultancy Sphera. If the producer uses renewable energy, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) stone can generate as little as 17 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2eq) per polished carat, whereas one from a non-carbon-neutral facility in India — where the electric grid is heavily dependent on coal — can yield 260 kilograms per carat.

Truth is, science is simply not able to justify the claim that a lab-grown diamond is netting positive, or even neutral impact on the environment as of today. Like fast fashion, lab-grown diamonds can be made in weeks, or even days, and in unlimited quantities—while it takes billions of years to craft a single natural diamond.

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is currently revising its Green Guides for marketing sustainable goods, and this will likely have an impact on how lab-grown and natural diamond producers present their products. FTC Green Guides explicitly discourages “broad, unqualified general environmental benefit claims like ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly,’ ” as they are “difficult to substantiate, if not impossible.” Perhaps for this reason, the more circumspect lab-grown companies tend to use word sustainable.