We’re looking at Virtox’s Quark Jewelry as shown on their MixeeLabs page. While it appears to be merely 3D prints for a geometric jewelry piece, there’s more to the story. It’s highly adjustable.
This is a perfect example of the flexibility of mathematical design. By hitting the “Explore” tab, you’ll see a number of sliders that permit you to visually experiment with the jewelry shape. Each slider corresponds to a numerical factor used in a hidden equation that generates the 3D model. By tweaking one factor, the 3D model changes, subtly or dramatically.
“Virtox” is the pseudonym of designer Stijn van der Linden, who markets a large number of beautiful 3D printed items on several sites. van der Linden uses this technique to produce some of his other non-modifiable designs available on Shapeways.
Some designers push, pull, bend and stretch shapes to produce 3D models; others, like van der Linden use mathematics.
