LASERS IN DESIGN
Jewellery design using lasers: An artist's view
Sarah O'Hana
L
asers have an important role to play
in the design as well as the fabri-
cation and repair of jewellery. The
research described here was carried out
at the University of Manchester’s Laser
Processing Research Centre. It deals
specifically with titanium and explores
opportunities for contemporary jewellery.
The work has been carried out with art-
ist Kalsang Shoba and owes much to the
dialogue I have had with engineers and
scientists within the School of Mechanical,
Aerospace and Civil Engineering in which I
am based
Example: ‘Ocular Series 1-6’
The precise delivery of focused energy provid-
ed by a laser beam facilitates highly controlled
surface oxidation, especially when compared
to anodising techniques. The control of laser
beam parameters allows predetermined sur-
face oxide layers to be created. Indeed, once
the object has been designed and the draw-
ings realised in the software that controls the
laser, the work is done.
Figure 1 shows piece 5 in my Ocular Series 1-
6. The series are produced by the oxidation of
titanium. The range of colours was achieved
by controlling the power of the incident CO2
laser beam, the speed at which the beam
traverses the surface, the pulses per inch and
the density of the line scan.
Figure 1: Ocular Series no. 5. The colour visible on the
titanium is controlled by the laser parameters
Alternatively, the same CO2 laser beam can
be driven by a bitmap, as in figure 2 where a
detail from a scanned drawing has been con-
verted to black dots that vary in their intensity
according to the transmitted image. The file
containing this information controls the laser,
reproducing the dots. The resulting marks,
as shown in figure 3, appear to have been
applied by hand quite spontaneously. This
a deliberate attempt to create a transparent
technology, one that allows a closer interac-
The Laser User
Figure 2: Part of a drawing converted to a bitmap. .
tion with the artist and which may create in
the viewer a sense of enquiry and which is
not so overtly technologically driven.
The parameters set for this kind of work will
be fixed once, based on prior experimentation
and knowledge. The results are less predict-
able than in figure 1 but the areas of more
intense heating (where the dots are most
densely packed) will invariably give rise to a
different (higher temperature) colour, such as
pale blue seen in figure 3.
This series of work is based on the aesthetic
of optical measuring equipment and relates
to concepts of vision: ‘seeing the bigger pic-
ture’, ‘clouded vision’, ‘seeing through tinted
glasses’ ... all expressions linked to the prob-
lems of not seeing correctly. The concept is
grounded in the observation of engineers in
scientific research that have inspired this work
but is also a call for the cultures of art and
engineering to look stereoscopically for an
improved view of each other’s specialism.
Walking with Scientists. Between two cul-
tures: a dialogue in jewellery
Engaging in 'arte-factual' conversation with
the engineers and scientists in the School of
Figure 3: Ocular Series no. 3. The titanium is marked in
response to laser exposure dictated by the bitmap image
shown in figure 2
Issue 47, Summer 2007
Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering
has been a most rewarding venture. The
pieces shown here are part of the whole col-
lection of work carried out at the LPRC and
launched at The Manchester Museum in July
2007 as part of the Ars Ornata Europeana
jewellery conference (5-8 July 2007 www.
arsornata.org). The event demonstrates that
artefacts traditionally used by researchers in
engineering can be adopted as viable material
both functionally and aesthetically, providing a
clear illustration of how art can help the public
understanding of the scientific discipline.
I would like to think that the development
of this project will cause some engineers to
think again about the integrity of an art-based
project and the message it delivers, but also
that the art jewellery world can see through
the apparently impenetrable but deeply
inspirational world of engineering reseach. I
believe both cultures stand to gain as much
from each other, as indeed shown by some of
the most respected scientists, engineers and
artists who were polymaths.
Given that this project I undertook was not
measurable by the standards of engineering,
the response I have encountered has been
very supportive. In a recent seminar I was
asked “what makes you think you’re not an
engineer?” I have not yet decided whether
this is a compliment, but perhaps C.P. Snow
had it right all those years ago when he said
"Attempts to divide anything into two should
be regarded with much suspicion”
Contact: Sarah O’Hana, School of Mechanical
Aerospace and Civil Engineering, University of
Manchester, Sackville Street, Manchester M60 1QD
T: + 44 (0)773 8734510
E: Sarah.O'hana@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk
Acknowledgements
Sarah O'Hana is a CASE research student in the
University of Manchester. Supervisors: Dr. A. W.
Gale, Prof. L. Li, School of Mechanical Aerospace
and Civil Engineering, The University of Manchester.
Funded by: EPSRC, NWDA, LMDI and City College
Manchester. Many thanks to Kalsang Shoba
(TheVirtualCompany, City College Manchester)
and Dr. M. Schmidt (LPRC, School of Mechanical,
Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of
Manchester) for their continued support in this work.
Editors note:
The exhibition Walking with Scientists. Between two
cultures: a dialogue in jewellery will run from 7th
July until 2nd September 2007 at The Manchester
Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester.
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