The Story of a Lost Family Heirloom
In the narrow lanes of Thrissur's gold market, a jeweller sat with a broken piece of gold jewellery — a necklace design that had been in his family for over 50 years. The original craftsman was long gone. The mould was lost. The design existed only in memory.
This is the story of how FOFUS Scan helped recreate that lost design using 3D scanning technology — non-contact, precise, and faster than any traditional method.
The Challenge: When Traditional Methods Fail
Recreating an intricate antique jewellery design presents several challenges:
- No mould exists — the original casting mould was destroyed decades ago
- No CAD file — the design predates computer-aided design
- Intricate details — hand-engraved patterns that are difficult to replicate by hand
- Partial damage — only fragments of the original piece remain
- Time pressure — the customer needed it for a family wedding
Traditional methods — sketching, measuring by hand, carving a new mould — would take weeks and risk losing the subtle details that made the original special.
The 3D Scanning Solution: Creality RaptorX
FOFUS Scan uses the Creality RaptorX 3D scanner — a professional-grade device that combines:
- 34 cross blue laser lines + 7 parallel laser lines for ultra-precise capture
- NIR structured light for non-contact scanning
- 0.02mm accuracy — captures details finer than a human hair
- 1,020,000 points per second — fast enough to scan a necklace in minutes
- Wi-Fi 6 connectivity for real-time mesh preview
The scanner never touches the object — it uses light and lasers to capture the surface geometry. Zero risk of damage to precious gold items.
The Process: Step by Step
Step 1: Preparation (10 minutes)
The necklace fragments were placed on a calibration board. The RaptorX was calibrated using its auto-calibration target. No special coating or spray was needed — gold's reflective surface was handled by the scanner's dual laser + NIR system.
Step 2: Scanning (25 minutes)
The scanner was moved around the fragments at 30cm distance. Each pass captured millions of data points. The real-time preview on the connected laptop showed the mesh building up — every curve, every engraving, every detail appearing as a digital 3D model.
Total scan time: 25 minutes for 3 fragments.
Step 3: Mesh Processing (20 minutes)
The raw scan data was processed using professional software:
- Point cloud alignment — merging multiple scan passes
- Mesh cleanup — removing noise and duplicate vertices
- Hole filling — completing the model where fragments were missing
- Mesh smoothing — preserving detail while removing scan artifacts
Step 4: CAD Conversion (15 minutes)
The cleaned mesh was converted to a solid CAD model. The jeweller could now:
- View the design from any angle in 3D
- Measure any dimension with 0.02mm precision
- Modify the design — resize, add stones, adjust thickness
- Export to STL for 3D printing or CNC machining
Step 5: 3D Printing the Prototype (2 hours)
A resin 3D print was created as a physical prototype. The jeweller could hold it, examine it, and approve it before the final gold casting. This step ensures 100% satisfaction before committing expensive materials.
The Result: A Design Reborn
The entire process — from broken fragments to digital model to physical prototype — took under 3 hours. The jeweller's reaction:
"I thought this design was lost forever. With FOFUS Scan, we now have the digital file saved forever. We can recreate it, modify it, or scale it — anytime. This is the future of jewellery manufacturing in Kerala."
What This Means for Kerala's Jewellery Industry
Thrissur is Kerala's jewellery capital — home to hundreds of manufacturers, from small family workshops to large production houses. 3D scanning offers transformative possibilities:
- Preserve antique designs — scan before they're lost forever
- Reverse engineer competitor pieces — for inspiration and improvement
- Create digital catalogues — customers can view designs in 3D online
- Custom modifications — scan a customer's existing piece, modify, reprint
- Quality control — compare production pieces to the original design
- Archive heritage designs — build a digital library of Kerala's jewellery heritage
FOFUS Scan: 3D Scanning for Kerala's Jewellers
FOFUS Scan offers professional 3D scanning services at just Rs 1,800/hour from our studio in Irinjalakuda, or we can come to your workshop with mobile scanning.
What we scan: Rings, necklaces, bangles, earrings, pendants, antique pieces, broken fragments, gold, silver, platinum — any jewellery item.
Output formats: STL, OBJ, PLY, GLB, USDZ — compatible with all CAD software and 3D printers.
Accuracy: 0.02mm — finer than a human hair.
Book Your Jewellery Scan Today
Have a lost or damaged jewellery design? FOFUS Scan can recreate it with precision 3D scanning at just Rs 1,800/hour.
📱 WhatsApp us at +91 98958 54640
🌐 Visit store.fofus.in/pages/3d-scanning
📍 Studio: Irinjalakuda, Thrissur, Kerala
🕐 Mobile scanning available across Kerala
FOFUS Scan — Kerala's affordable 3D scanning service. Scan anything. Print everything.