Jewellery CAD approval: getting customer sign-off before casting

Jewellery CAD approval is the point where the customer says "yes, make this one" before the piece goes to casting. Once metal is poured, a changed setting or a ring that sits too high means a recut, a recast or a remake, so the approval has to be specific: the right size, the right stones, the right metal, and the exact version of the CAD they agreed to.

This guide is for bench jewellers, CAD designers and bespoke studios who send designs to private customers or to retailers. Most of it is about what to check and how to ask. The tools are secondary.

#What should the customer confirm before casting?

Customers approve what they can see. If you send a pretty render and ask "happy?", they approve the look, and the dimensions come up later, at the fitting. Ask them to confirm each item separately.

Use this as your approval checklist:

1. 1

   Ring size and the sizing system

   Write the size and the system it's in (UK letter, US number, or inside diameter in mm). Note how it was measured: in the shop with sizers, from a ring they already wear, or a guess. A guess is worth flagging now.

2. 2

   Band width and thickness

   Give both in mm, at the top and at the base of the shank if they differ. Comfort fit or flat inside, if that applies.

3. 3

   Centre stone: size, shape and source

   Carat or mm size, cut, and whether the stone is theirs, supplied by you, or still to be sourced. If you modelled around a stone you haven't measured, say so.

4. 4

   Side stones and accents

   Count, size and placement. "Pavé halfway round" is not a specification; "14 stones of 1.3 mm on the top half of the band" is.

5. 5

   Setting style and height

   Prongs (count and shape), bezel, channel or pavé. The height of the centre stone above the finger matters for snagging and for whether a wedding band will sit flush.

6. 6

   Metal and colour

   Alloy and carat, and any two-tone areas. Rhodium plating, if relevant.

7. 7

   Finish

   Polished, brushed, hammered or textured, and where each applies.

8. 8

   Engraving

   The exact text, font, position (inside or outside) and any symbols. Ask them to type it, not say it on the phone.

9. 9

   Fit with other pieces

   Does it need to sit against an existing band? If so, ask for that band's width and profile, or see it in person.

Send the list with the design, and ask the customer to answer each point in writing. A yes to the whole design is not the same as a yes to each detail.

#Renders, a 3D model or a wax print?

Each one answers a different question, and most jobs benefit from at least two.

A practical order that works for many bespoke jobs:

• Round one: renders plus the 3D model, to agree the design.
• Round two: the revised model, with measurements confirmed in writing.
• Before casting: a wax or resin print for the customer to try on, if the piece is high value or the fit is uncertain. Then a final approval on the exact CAD version that will be printed for casting.

If you skip the print, say so in the approval message, so the customer knows what they're signing off on.

#How do I ask for approval so it actually means something?

Vague questions get vague answers. Write the approval request so that a yes covers specific facts.

Here's wording you can adapt:

Hi Sam, here's version 3 of your ring. Before we cast,
please check and confirm:

- Size: UK N (from the sizer in the shop)
- Band: 2.2 mm wide, 1.6 mm thick, comfort fit
- Centre stone: your 1.0 ct oval, in six claws
- Metal: 18ct yellow gold, polished
- Engraving inside: "S & J 14.06.2026"

If all of that is right, reply "Approved for casting".
Once it's cast, changes to size, setting or engraving
will be charged as a remake.

The sizes above are an example; use your customer's own.

Three things make this work:

• It names the version. If there was a version 2 with five claws, nobody can confuse the two.
• It lists the specifics. The customer has confirmed the size and engraving text, not just "the ring".
• It says what happens after. The customer knows this is the last free point to change their mind.

#What usually goes wrong?

• The approved version isn't the one cast. A small tweak after approval ("I just thinned the shank a bit") turns the approval into an approval of something else. If you change anything, ask again.
• Engraving text approved by voice. Spellings and dates go wrong. Get it typed.
• Stone sizes assumed. The customer's heirloom stone turns out to be 0.3 mm bigger than the CAD. Measure supplied stones before the final model.
• Scale errors in the file. A ring exported in the wrong units can look fine on screen and be a thousand times too big. Measure the model before you send it.
• Approval spread across messages. Size in a text, metal on a call, engraving in an email. Put it in one place.

#Where MeshMarkup helps

MeshMarkup sends the 3D model as one link your customer opens in their phone's browser: no account, no app. They turn the ring with a finger, pinch to zoom on the setting, and tap the spot they want to talk about to leave a note, such as "can the claws be a little lower?". You reply on the same note and set it to RESOLVED when it's fixed.

A few parts map straight onto the checklist above:

• Measure on the viewer's toolbar shows the distance between two points in mm, so you (and the customer) can check a band width or stone diameter. Export from your CAD app in a format that keeps real size, such as 3DM, STEP or GLB; STL carries no units. See measuring.
• Add images puts your renders next to the model in the same link, where the customer can draw an arrow or box on them. See renders and images.
• Upload v2 keeps each round as a version of the same model, with open notes carried across.
• A Sign it off link (Solo plan and up) gives the customer an Approve v3 button for that exact version. It only works when no notes are still open, and it records the name they typed and the date. See client sign-off.

The sign-off isn't an e-signature, so keep your written confirmation of size, stones and engraving with it.

#Questions

#Should I always do a wax print before casting?

Not always. It's most useful when the fit is uncertain, the piece is high value, or it has to sit against another ring. For a simple band in a confirmed size, many jewellers go straight to casting. Tell the customer which you're doing.

#My customer can't picture the ring from a render. What helps?

Let them turn the actual model, so they see the side profile and setting height. A print on their finger is the next step if they still can't picture it.

#How many design rounds should I include?

That's your call, and it's worth putting a number in your quote, for example two rounds of changes, with further rounds charged. Changes after casting are a separate matter: say clearly that they're a remake.

#What if the customer approves and then wants a change?

Treat it as a new version and ask for approval again before you cast. If the change affects work already done, quote it before you start.