Something called “Ponoko” announced its first annual jewelry design contest recently, but I had the hardest time trying to determine exactly what Ponoko was. According to the announcements I read, it sounded like this was a contest for people who own special laser-cutting equipment - which isn’t me. So I let it go until the other day when the winners were announced. I was more curious and - finally - I figured out what was going on.
It turns out that Ponoko is a service where you can design your own laser cut components on your computer and then hire Ponoko to cut them out for you. So essentially, you submit a drawing, and they send you the matching laser cuts.
This is a really interesting idea, and early users have come up with some pretty imaginative designs.
To get started, you need to download a “starter kit,” which includes design software with templates that you can modify into your own designs. You can then order laser cuts of your creations in a limited, but decent, variety of materials, including acrylic and veneer.
This process can be used to make modern-themed jewelry components, wall art, and even furniture. Here’s a look at the $1,000 Grand Prize winner of the aforementioned jewelry design contest:
They are colorful translucent beads that can be rearranged on jewelry cord to suit the wearer’s mood.
I’m certainly interested in giving Ponoko a try - although I’m disappointed that I can’t find any pricing information on the site without signing up. If decide to move forward, I’ll post an update here.
