How is Retina Jewelry made ?
1) Taking your retina-images
If you are interested in a piece of Retina® jewelry, we first need a picture of your retina (or of the person whose pattern will be used for your piece of jewelry). We will be happy to produce these pictures for you in our Basel studio on prior appointment.
An ophthalmologist or well-equipped optometrist can also take these images for you. If you cannot come to us due to your place of residence, we will be happy to help you find one of our partner ophthalmologists in your area.
1) Taking your retina-images
If you are interested in a piece of Retina® jewelry, we first need a picture of your retina (or of the person whose pattern will be used for your piece of jewelry). We will be happy to produce these pictures for you in our Basel studio on prior appointment.
An ophthalmologist or well-equipped optometrist can also take these images for you. If you cannot come to us due to your place of residence, we will be happy to help you find one of our partner ophthalmologists in your area.
2) Measuring your ring size
The exact measurement of the ring size is very important. We are happy to measure your ring sizes personally in our studio. If you cannot come to our studio, please contact us directly and we will explain to you how to proceed.
Popular ring widths are 6-8mm for women and 7-10mm for men.
Wider rings allow a more generous, recognizable retinal pattern.
Very important is also the choice of material. We will be happy to inform you about all advantages and disadvantages of available alloys as well as about their price differences.
2) Measuring your ring size
The exact measurement of the ring size is very important. We are happy to measure your ring sizes personally in our studio. If you cannot come to our studio, please contact us directly and we will explain to you how to proceed.
Popular ring widths are 6-8mm for women and 7-10mm for men.
Wider rings allow a more generous, recognizable retinal pattern.
Very important is also the choice of material. We will be happy to inform you about all advantages and disadvantages of available alloys as well as about their price differences.
3) The design process
For the design of your retina jewelery, we need a picture of the retina of you or your favorite person. We make this ourselves with our special camera, but of course you can send us a picture by email, which an ophthalmologist in your area can take for you. After a few days you will receive your personalized RetinaJewelry design package from us by email: a photorealistic 3D animation, a detailed offer and documentation that allows you to understand from which region of the retina the section was used for your piece of jewelry . You are also welcome to help shaping the design process by choosing the section to be used yourself. After receiving our design package, you are welcome to submit suggestions for changes. As soon as you have confirmed the design and we have received your deposit, we will start manufacturing.
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3) The design process
For the design of your retina jewelery, we need a picture of the retina of you or your favorite person. We make this ourselves with our special camera, but of course you can send us a picture by email, which an ophthalmologist in your area can take for you. After a few days you will receive your personalized RetinaJewelry design package from us by email: a photorealistic 3D animation, a detailed offer and documentation that allows you to understand from which region of the retina the section was used for your piece of jewelry . You are also welcome to help shaping the design process by choosing the section to be used yourself. After receiving our design package, you are welcome to submit suggestions for changes. As soon as you have confirmed the design and we have received your deposit, we will start manufacturing.
4) From wax models to casting
Now a wax model is made, which is a 1: 1 copy of the CAD design that you received as a 3D visualization. This wax model becomes your unique piece in many steps through the “lost casting” process. To do this, it is first carefully embedded in a type of cement mass, which is heated after it has solidified so that the wax evaporates / flows out. What remains is the negative of your retina jewelry, into which the precious metal of your choice, liquefied by heating, is poured in a modern vacuum pressure casting process.
4) From wax models to casting
Now a wax model is made, which is a 1: 1 copy of the CAD design that you received as a 3D visualization. This wax model becomes your unique piece in many steps through the “lost casting” process. To do this, it is first carefully embedded in a type of cement mass, which is heated after it has solidified so that the wax evaporates / flows out. What remains is the negative of your retina jewelry, into which the precious metal of your choice, liquefied by heating, is poured in a modern vacuum pressure casting process.
5) The retina pattern becomes alive
After the cooling process, the embedding material must now be carefully removed; what remains is the finished, raw piece of jewelry that is still connected to the sprue. This sprue is carefully and completely removed in the next step. Most of the time your ring has shrunk a bit in the casting, so the correct ring size must now be checked and readjusted without damaging the structure on the outside.
If now the ring has the correct size, the small veins are first roughly freed from the so-called cast skin in many steps. With first coarse-grained and then increasingly fine-grained tools, we slowly approach the end product so that the surface of the retina pattern becomes increasingly shiny. A lot of concentration and patience is required here so that the specially designed grainy surface is not touched during polishing and the contrast is preserved. Once these labor-intensive steps have been completed, the high-gloss polished retina pattern on the finished piece of jewelry now stands out impressively from the matt background and thus brings out its wonderful and unique contrast.
5) The retina pattern becomes alive
After the cooling process, the embedding material must now be carefully removed; what remains is the finished, raw piece of jewelry that is still connected to the sprue. This sprue is carefully and completely removed in the next step. Most of the time your ring has shrunk a bit in the casting, so the correct ring size must now be checked and readjusted without damaging the structure on the outside.
If now the ring has the correct size, the small veins are first roughly freed from the so-called cast skin in many steps. With first coarse-grained and then increasingly fine-grained tools, we slowly approach the end product so that the surface of the retina pattern becomes increasingly shiny. A lot of concentration and patience is required here so that the specially designed grainy surface is not touched during polishing and the contrast is preserved. Once these labor-intensive steps have been completed, the high-gloss polished retina pattern on the finished piece of jewelry now stands out impressively from the matt background and thus brings out its wonderful and unique contrast.
6) Engraving and marking
In the penultimate step, every piece of jewelery that leaves our workshop receives our hallmark, which consists of our legally required responsibility mark, our Retina® logo and the precious metal mark. As is customary with most wedding rings, the inside engraving is also carried out, which we carry out with our modern in-house engraving laser, which engraves razor-sharp fonts (handwriting are also possible).
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More Information6) Engraving and marking
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In the penultimate step, every piece of jewelery that leaves our workshop receives our hallmark, which consists of our legally required responsibility mark, our Retina® logo and the precious metal mark. As is customary with most wedding rings, the inside engraving is also carried out, which we carry out with our modern in-house engraving laser, which engraves razor-sharp fonts (handwriting are also possible).
7) Juwel setting
7) Juwel setting
7) Juwel setting
If you want to add a little sparkle, the last step is to set the diamonds (or other colored gemstones). This is done by the goldsmith and jeweler Marlen Wacha with highly concentrated precision work. Once this work is done, your ring goes through a quality control check. Only when this has been positively completed, the ring is ready for packing and the new owner is informed that his unique item is ready for collection (or ready for dispatch for our foreign customers)
8) Shipping & Payment
Before our jewelry leaves our workshop, we will contact you so that you can control the receipt of the package (DHL or similar; signature required). Shipping is worldwide as an insured package.
In addition to cash payments, you can make your transfer to our SEPA account in CHF. Payments by credit card (Visa, Mastercard) are also possible via Paylink.
We charge 250 chf (500 chf / ring pair) for your RetinaJewelry design package, which is deducted from a subsequent definitive order. Two design changes are free of charge for you. If the requests are very complex, we charge the time required for these modifications. 50% of the final price is to be paid when ordering, the rest when receiving the piece of jewelery.
8) Shipping & Payment
Before our jewelry leaves our workshop, we will contact you so that you can control the receipt of the package (DHL or similar; signature required). Shipping is worldwide as an insured package.
In addition to cash payments, you can make your transfer to our SEPA account in CHF. Payments by credit card (Visa, Mastercard) are also possible via Paylink.
We charge 250 chf (500 chf / ring pair) for your RetinaJewelry design package, which is deducted from a subsequent definitive order. Two design changes are free of charge for you. If the requests are very complex, we charge the time required for these modifications. 50% of the final price is to be paid when ordering, the rest when receiving the piece of jewelery.
The Retina-Principle explained in 90 seconds
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Contact us
How you get to us:
by public transport:
Stop “Schifflände” for tram 6,8,11,14 and bus 31, 34, 36, 38.
Rheinsprung is the tiny street winding its way up the hill towards the Basel cathedral. Ca. 50m on the right side you’ll find our store.
from train station “SBB”: take the tram 8 to “Schifflände”
from train station “Badischer Bahnhof”: tram 6 to “Schifflände”
by car:
covered car park Storchen (Grossbasel, ca. 2 min) or
covered car park Räbgass (Kleinbasel, ca. 5 min).
Mind you, the “Mittlere Brücke” (middle bridge) is not allowed for general traffic!
by bike:
Careful – in the lower part of Rheinsprung you have to push your bike – frequent police checks occuring !