3D Printed Chain Mail Earrings

From the Middle Ages to the present. Between the years of 4 BC to the 1600s, the concept of chain mail was common and popular. There were many styles and shapes of the chain mail links that made up all the armor clothing and yes even jewelry.

With the technology of 3d printing, I discovered that it is possible to print chanin mail and create a new concept in jewelry. My experiments led me to design a single link that when printed in a group, will print in such a way that it has the look and feel of Medieval Chain mail.

The material I use is a plastic which is made from corn starch. A biodegradeable non-toxic renewable resource.

These earrings are printed as a square consisting of about 25 links per square inch. When hanging from one corner, a 2 inch by 2 inch square will have 100 links and hang about 3.5 inches.

The end result is a very fluid look and feel and very light weight. The material can be made in a great number of colors. For this first pair of chain mail earrings I chose a sapphire blue color.

Being a Seahawks fan, I also made a pair in the Seahawk colors.

The process to get to this point has been quite lengthy and the time it takes to print a pair of these earrings is about 5 hours due to the high resolution I set for my printing. In the end, I found the process to be most enjoyable, educational and rewarding. 

All the ear wires I use are made of hypoallergenic titanium and I color them using electricity to match the color of the earrings. This coloring process on the titanium is also non-toxic and totally hypoallergenic.