LIVE ONLINE COURSE

JEWELRY CAD DESIGNER

Dates: 2 SEP 2026 - 19 OCT 2026

Duration: 8 WEEKS
MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS
5 PM PT / 8 PM ET

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SHANNON O’BRIEN
JAMES MICHELLE, EX-PRATT INSTITUTE

LIVE ONLINE COURSE

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Turn concepts into factory-ready CAD designs with workflows used across fine, bridal, and fashion jewelry.

Join Shannon O’Brien, CAD Production Designer at JAMES MICHELLE, and design pieces that don’t just look beautiful in theory, but hold up in production, presentation, and the marketplace.

THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU, IF...

YOU ARE A JEWELRY DESIGNER

You’ve got strong concepts and a sharp eye, but the industry runs on digital workflows now. This jewelry designer course helps you move from sketchbook to screen, teaching you how to create polished, production-ready CAD jewelry designs while building the technical confidence studios, brands, and freelance clients look for.
YOU ARE A JEWELRY MAKER, FREELANCER, OR ACCESSORY DESIGNER

Tired of relying on rough sketches, unclear specs, or back-and-forth with manufacturers? Learn how to visualize, refine, and present your ideas professionally. Whether you’re building your freelance brand, launching a collection, or leveling up your client work, this course helps you design smarter and communicate like a pro.
YOU ARE A FASHION BUYER, SALES SPECIALIST, OR CREATIVE PROFESSIONAL

You already understand aesthetics and the market, now learn the technical side behind how jewelry collections get developed. This course gives you practical insight into digital jewelry workflows, production logic, and design communication, helping you collaborate more effectively with designers, factories, and brands.

COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM

Go through the full workflow of professional jewelry CAD design, from your first ring model to polished, production-ready collections. Stone settings, signet rings, hinges, rendering, organic modeling, manufacturing logic, every lesson builds practical Rhino skills you can use in the industry.

DEMOS & INDUSTRY INSIGHT

Live demos, peer review labs, and real-world case studies will show how jewelry moves from sketch to finished piece. You’ll analyze luxury renderings, troubleshoot complex geometry, explore manufacturing workflows, and learn the visual standards that separate amateur CAD from professional production files.

FINAL PROJECT

You’ll progressively build a cohesive 3-piece jewelry collection complete with manufacturable Rhino files and polished renderings. You won’t just have practice exercises, you’ll have a professional digital lookbook and production-ready assets that showcase both your creative eye and technical CAD ability.

Shannon O’Brien LINKEDIN PROFILE

Designs factory-ready fashion jewelry collections at JAMES MICHELLE using Rhino and ZBrush production workflows.
Taught design and fabrication fundamentals at Pratt Institute, helping students bridge creative concepts with technical execution.
Led the CAD team at Frank Darling, training designers in custom bridal production while maintaining strict brand and manufacturing standards.
Developed fine jewelry and bridal CAD models for leading brands including Brilliant Earth, James Allen, Stephanie Gottlieb, and Greenwich Street Jewelers.
Illustrated and spec’d jewelry concepts for fashion retailers including Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Free People, and J.Jill.
Brings an end-to-end industry perspective spanning concept development, CAD modeling, production prep, and factory-ready delivery across fine, bridal, and fashion jewelry.

MON (8/31), 5 PM PT/8 PM ET

Welcome Class

This session introduces your instructor, outlines how the course is structured, and clarifies expectations around assignments, workflow, and output standards. You’ll also get oriented on the technical setup required to ensure a smooth start in class one.

Meet your instructor
Housekeeping rules
Course objectives & flow
Assignments overview

Homework: Pre-Course Setup
Set up Rhino and Grasshopper Gold plug-in and review the Pre-Course Tech Guide.

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WED (9/2), 5 PM PT/8 PM ET

First Ring + Demo

Learn the fundamentals of jewelry CAD by analyzing the full CAD-to-production pipeline and building your first 3D ring in Rhino. You’ll explore the interface, core navigation tools, and spatial thinking techniques used in professional jewelry design workflows.

Full CAD-to-production pipeline overview
Icebreaker exercise: Design background and inspiration discussion
Rhino interface introduction
Different workflows
This week's vocabulary
Demo: Plain band ring construction

Assignment #1: 4-View Spatial Sketching
Create 4-view sketches of a real-world object and complete the bonus "House of Cards" Rhino Gumball construction exercise.

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WED (9/9), 5 PM PT/8 PM ET

Shaping the Shank & Disc Pendant + Demo

Discover how ring shanks are developed through curve manipulation and how foundational pendant forms are structured for manufacturability. This class focuses on designing clean, castable geometry while introducing how individual pieces can evolve into cohesive collections.

Creating a jewelry collection
Watertight & casting best practices
This week's vocabulary
Demo: Plain band ring construction pt. 2
Demo: Pendant

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WED (9/16), 5 PM PT/8 PM ET

Bezel Pendant and Bail + Demo

Explore bezel stone setting design and functional bail construction while learning how to develop a cohesive jewelry collection. This class bridges technical modeling with early-stage product thinking used in professional studios.

The industry and how to get work
This week's vocabulary
Demo: Bezel pendant and bail
Examples of cohesive vs. not cohesive collections

Assignment #2: Collection Planning
Develop 3 concept sketches or references for a cohesive jewelry collection including bezel and prong settings.

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WED (9/23), 5 PM PT/8 PM ET

CAD to Finished Piece: How to Use Your CAD Skills to Bring Your Designs to Life + Workshop

Discover how professional jewelry CAD files move from screen to production, including rendering, manufacturing communication, and file preparation. This class focuses on evaluating whether a design is truly production-ready.

Renderings
Working with clients
Communicating with production
Packaging for factories
Sourcing local manufactures
Workshop: Good vs bad rendering composition. High-end vs. Etsy market analysis.

Assignment #3 (Milestone 1): Piece 1
Create and submit your first CAD piece with a 4-view screenshot and Rhino file.

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WED (9/30), 5 PM PT/8 PM ET

Solitaire Expanded: Cathedral, Tulip Prongs, Hidden Halo, Pave on Prongs + Demo

Explore advanced solitaire construction techniques including cathedral shanks, tulip prongs, hidden halos, and pavé integration. This class focuses on combining multiple design systems into one cohesive structure.

This week's vocabulary
Demo: Building on previous topics and applying them to common styles

Assignment #4 (Milestone 2): Piece 2
Create and submit your second CAD piece with a 4-view screenshot and Rhino file.

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MON (10/5), 5 PM PT/8 PM ET

Personal Project + Workshop

Develop your own jewelry concept while refining CAD skills through instructor feedback and peer critique. This session is focused on problem-solving, troubleshooting, and reinforcing technical confidence through guided practice.

Review pre-class survey
Demos: Troubleshooting of specific roadblocks
Independent CAD development session
Workshop: Peer reviews
Open-class feedback

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WED (10/7), 5 PM PT/8 PM ET

Hinging Hoops + Demo

Learn how to engineer functional movement within jewelry designs by constructing hinges, clasps, and mechanical closures in CAD. This class introduces real-world engineering constraints within jewelry production.

This week's vocabulary
Demo: Introduce moving parts

Assignment #5 (Milestone 3): Piece 3
Design an advanced CAD piece(e.g. eternity band, complex solitaire, or cocktail ring) including functional or complex structural elements. A bonus special extra-credit challenge: successfully engineering a functional, working hinge into your design.

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WED (10/14), 5 PM PT/8 PM ET

Rendering in Rhino & Industry Standards + Demo

Discover how to present jewelry professionally through photorealistic rendering techniques used across the industry. This session covers lighting, materials, and composition for portfolio-ready visuals.

Personal project questions
Rendering softwares, HDRI, camera, material, environment
Demo: Rhino and Keyshot rendering workflow

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MON (10/19), 5 PM PT/8 PM ET

Introduction to Organic Modeling + Demo

Explore organic jewelry design by combining rigid NURBS modeling with SubD workflows to create soft, sculptural forms. This class introduces more expressive CAD techniques used in contemporary jewelry design.