Here’s our guide to the best jewelry 3D scanners, including our detailed comparisons in every price range:

The Revopoint MINI is the best budget jewelry scanner under $1000. It offers high precision and detailed scans thanks to 0.05mm accuracy and 0.02mm resolution powered by dual camera blue light technology. It’s perfect for hobbyists or small jewelry businesses.

For professional jewelers, the $20,000+ Artec Micro 2 leads the pack with exceptional 5-micron accuracy and 2-micron resolution from 4 built-in 12MP cameras. Its automated scanning mode also delivers efficiency.

Other top options include the desktop B9 Scan 500, which is designed exclusively for all jewelry applications, from bespoke designs to repairs and replication. It mostly matches the Artec Micro 2’s accuracy – but at half the cost. The $6,000 D3D-s Jewelry Scanner also impresses with clever space-saving design, 5MP camera, and 0.010mm resolution.

Revopoint MINIArtec Micro 2B9 Scan 500D3D-s 3D Jewelry Scanner
Price$799 – Available at Revopoint here$20,000-$35,000$14,955.00$6,000-$8,000
Accuracy0.05 mm5 microns5 micronsN/A
Resolution0.02 mm2 micronsN/A0.010 mm
Scan Speed10 FPSN/AN/AN/A
Max Scan Volume500 x 500 x 500 mm200 × 200 × 150 mm90 x 80 x 55mm100 x 130 mm
TechnologyDual-camera blue structured lightStructured lightStructured lightStructured light

The Best Jewelry 3D Scanners in 2023 – Reviews

1. Revopoint MINI: Best Budget Jewelry Scanner

  • Price: $799 – Available at Revopoint here
  • Accuracy: 0.05 mm
  • Resolution: 0.02 mm
  • Scan speed: 10 FPS
  • Max Scan Volume: 500 x 500 x 500 mm
  • Technology: Dual-camera blue structured light
Revopoint MINI

Pros

Perfect for capturing small, intricate objects like jewelry

Produces highly precise and detailed scans

Portable, compact, and easy to use

Great value

Cons

Not suitable for medium to large-sized objects

At a fraction of the cost of the other options on our list, the Revopoint MINI brings reliable, precise jewelry scanning to those of a much tighter budget, making the technology accessible to hobbyists and smaller businesses.

Revopoint is best known for its POP range of 3D scanners, and the MINI borrows many of the POP range’s best features. However, the Revopoint MINI is specifically focused towards capturing small, complex, and intricate objects, from rings to pendants by way of heirlooms and earrings. 

It even works well for conservation of small, high-detail artifacts like coins or small animal skeletons.

The MINI achieves these precise scans through a combination of 0.05 mm accuracy, 0.02 mm resolution, and an industrial-grade blue light setup that provides better dimensional accuracy than any other 3D scanner under $1,000.

With the Revopoint MINI, you can scan high-precision models, rich with tiny details suitable for both amateur jewelry making, a small bespoke professional design and restoration business, or even prototyping new designs.

However, the drop in price compared to other jewelry scanners does come with some sacrifices. 

The main loss is in automation and efficiency: the Revopoint MINI scan process is very hands on. You are expected to pivot and move the scanner to capture an object in handheld mode, or set up the mini turntable for static scanning. This is very different to the automated chambers found on advanced jewelry scanners like the Aurum LT, or Shining3D AutoScan Sparkle.

You also have to accept a loss in scan quality if you choose the MINI over a more professional jewelry 3D scanner. Though scans captured with the MINI are excellent, you can’t expect the same results as on a $30K scanner. Although, for the price, the Revopoint MINI has some of the best scan quality around for jewelry projects.

Revopoint Mini
$799
Revopoint here
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2. Artec Micro 2: Best Professional Jewelry 3D Scanner

  • Price: $20,000-$35,000
  • Accuracy: 5 microns
  • Resolution: 2 microns
  • Max Scan Volume: 200 × 200 × 150 mm
  • Technology: Structured light

Pros

Superb accuracy and scan quality

Designed for small objects like jewelry

Automatic scanning mode

Cons

Expensive

Artec Micro

The Artec Micro 2 is a professional, fully automated desktop-sized 3D scanner engineered to capture high-quality scans of objects up to 20 cm in size, making it a perfect match for even medium-size jewelry scanning.

It achieves this mainly due to a metrology-grade point accuracy of 5 microns and a capture speed of 140 million image points per second. The heavy lifting is done by four high-resolution full-color 12 MP cameras suited to scanning the sharp edges and intricate, minuscule details of jewelry such as rings.

It improves several aspects of the original Artec Micro, which was already one of the best 3D scanners for jewelry. It retains the compact, semi-enclosed shell design but adds key improvements with a larger field of view, improved accuracy and precision, and double the number of cameras for even better quality digitization of the smallest objects.

The excellent fully automatic mode returns, which zeroes in on the optimal scanning path and frame count to balance out scan times and quality. 

The Micro 2 is still powered by the excellent Artec Studio software that delivers a seamless workflow suited to a professional jeweler. This includes features for editing, repairing, refitting, and replicating based on professional-grade digitizations of everything from heirlooms and bracelets to rings and earrings.

3. B9 Scan 500

  • Price: $14,955.00
  • Accuracy: 5 microns
  • Max Scan Volume: 90 x 80 x 55mm
  • Technology: Structured light
B9 Scan 350

Pros

Design exclusively for jewelry

Suitable for all types of jewelry work: repairs, bespoke designs, links, banding, and replication

Cons

Not suitable for larger pieces like necklaces

In line with its predecessor, the B9 Scan 350, the B9 Scan 500 is specifically for accurately 3D scanning jewelry with a high degree of accuracy for replication and repair, to banding and bespoke design.

It achieves this thanks to a 5-micron accuracy enabled by a powerful 1.3 MP camera and blue LED 100 ANSI-lumen structured light to capture every last detail, facet, or cut. The accuracy equals much pricier alternatives such as the Artec Micro 2.

All this is housed in a desktop-sized format with a fully enclosed design. The scanning process is intuitive and efficient, and can capture a piece of jewelry as intricate as a heirloom ring in minutes thanks to in-built automatic, but fully customizable, scanning. 

It can even scan individual gemstones for bezel and mounting work. However, due to its smaller turnable size, it will struggle to scan larger pieces of jewelry such as necklaces.

It’s easy to use, and the Leios 2 scanning software is intuitive. And, the fact that the B9 Scan 500 works as a standalone device with its onboard computer with a 1 TB SSD to store a huge volume of scans and no more than a monitor and mouse/keyboard to function, is very handy.

4. D3D-s 3D Jewelry Scanner

  • Price: $6,000-$8,000
  • Resolution: 0.010 mm
  • Max Scan Volume: 100 x 130 mm
  • Technology: Structured light
D3D-s 3D Jewelry Scanner

Born of a successful Kickstarter campaign, the D3D-s 3D Jewelry Scanner is one of the most affordable jewelry 3D scanners available.

D3D-s offers such a low price by producing in small batches to keep costs down without sacrificing the quality of the scanned models.

Instead of the industry-standard light pattern scanning method, the D3D-s Jewelry Scanner uses LED-line technology to create a more uniform capture.

The scanner has six degrees of freedom, meaning it can tilt and rotate to capture every aspect of an object for a complete scan with next to no user input.

It features a 5 MP camera capable of a 0.010 mm resolution, a roomy 100 x 130 mm scan area, and compatibility with in-house D3D-s-developed software that allows export to popular CAD suites like Blender, Maya, ZBrush, and many others.

How To Pick A Jewelry Scanner

When choosing a jewelry 3D scanner, consider:

  • Scan quality: both accuracy and resolution are essential. These largely determine what jewelry you can scan, and the quality and precision of these scans. We recommend at least a 0.01 mm accuracy and 0.2 mm resolution for good results.
  • Workflow: the best jewelry scanners have efficient workflows, with automations to speed up the scanning process, and editing (they often have their own software).
  • Price: expect to pay anywhere from $8,000 for the lowest cost professional jewelry 3D scanner to $30,000 for the most advanced, high-precision options. However, there are now $1,000 options, though you sacrifice efficiency and some scan quality.

Uses of 3D Jewelry Scanning

Main uses and applications of jewelry 3D scanning
  • Replication: Jewelry scanners can quickly create a digital replica model of an antique, custom, or heirloom piece. This is done both as insurance for precious items, as well as to create a copy for customers to wear while the original remains under lock and key for safekeeping.
  • Repairs: A modifiable 3D model of a broken piece of jewelry lets jewelers create modified, custom molds to cast a replacement. With a 3D model, jewelers can also quickly understand what needs repairing without dismantling the piece.
  • Design: With the ability to scan objects from the world around them, jewelers can quickly create new designs and ideas. From personalized pieces for specific customers to radically new designs, jewelry 3D scanners blow the creative possibilities wide open.
  • Setting: By scanning stones, jewelers can create settings, rings, and designs perfectly sized and shaped to fit. Similarly, 3D scanning existing engagement rings to capture fit and design details greatly simplifies the creation of matching wedding bands.
  • Quality Inspection: 3D scanning pieces or even molds to obtain exact measurements helps jewelers pick up on discrepancies or faults before committing to an entire production run, saving time and money.
  • Archiving: 3D scanning jewelry is a cost-effective way to create a digital archive for valuation, insurance, or the conservation of degraded old pieces prone to decay.

FAQs

Can you 3D scan a wedding ring?

Yes, absolutely. Scanning a wedding ring gives the exact dimensions to perfectly fit your finger, and many jewelers now offer wedding ring and engagement ring 3D scanning services to create custom-fitted wedding bands.

How easy is it to 3D scan jewelry for 3D printing?

It’s very easy. For example, most jewelry 3D scanners feature one-touch scanning. The process is automated, leaving you with a 3D model that you can quickly process into a format compatible with a 3D printer to produce the mold. 

You simply choose your object, place it on the scanner, trigger the scan, then process the results via 3D scan editing software to get your finished model ready to 3D print.

What design software works best for editing jewelry scans?

The best design software for editing jewelry scans include Rhino 7, Jewelry CAD Dream, and MatrixGold with Rhinoceros. These include all the features and tools required to edit and refine jewelry scans. For a deeper dive into the software options available, we have a more detailed guide to the best jewelry design software.

What types of jewelry are most suitable for 3D scanning?

Smaller, more intricate jewelry pieces like rings, earrings, pendants are more suitable for 3D scanning than larger items like bracelets or necklaces. 

Similarly, precious metals, diamonds, and gemstones scan well, while cheaper alloys can be trickier. This is because 3D scanners designed for jewelry are optimized to capture complex geometries and small details, rather than large flat, featureless surfaces.

How long does it take to scan different types of jewelry pieces?

Scanning a small piece of jewelry like rings, earrings, and pendants takes 10 to 15 minutes to scan, and up to 10 minutes to post-process and export the point cloud data. However, depending on the scanned object’s complexity, expect to spend at least 2 hours editing the scanned model.

Expect 20 minutes or longer scan times for larger jewelry pieces such as ornate bracelets, with an editing time of several hours.

How do you minimize reflections when scanning polished metal pieces?

You need to limit glare and the reflective properties of the objects. You can do this by using specialized washable matte spray, by scanning in low-light conditions, by using specialized points mats, by adjusting the 3D scanner’s position relative to the objects, or by enabling and adjusting scanner settings to scan reflective or shiny surfaces.

What’s Changed?

This article was majorly overhauled in November 2023, updating it from the original content published in 2021:

  • Replaced the Artec Micro with the Micro 2. This advanced, updated version is more relevant in 2023 and 2024.
  • Removed the Shining 3D AutoScan Sparkle, Open Technologies Aurum LT
  • Replaced the B9 Scan 350 with the newer B9 Scan 500.

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Tom Bardwell

Tom Bardwell is a distinguished technology and 3D printing writer, with several years of experience dedicated to writing and exploring the depths of 3D printing technology. Tom has written on tech and 3D printing topics for PC Guide, 3DBeginners, WePC, and CNCSourced. Tom has written in-depth tests and hands-on reviews of 3D printers including the Anycubic Kobra, and the Creality Halot-One Plus for 3DSourced. When not writing about 3D printing, he’s often found tending to his growing fleet of printers and other DIY oddities.

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