The Glitter of Artificial Diamonds

No, this is not about Cubic Zirconia but about a completely different type of artificiality: diamonds that are created virtually.

To meet this challenge of creating a visually flawless diamond with a symmetrical 58-facet cut, an absolutely reliable tool was needed: CINEMA 4D. Diamonds, forged out of pure carbon and compressed by extreme heat and pressure are the sparkling crystals that are a material dream come true of so many. The visualization of this king of precious stones is on the other hand a very unique challenge in and of itself. A flawlessly cut diamond has 58 facets, which practically transform the diamond into a catchment for light. The light is reflected, refracted and reflected again in such a manner to give the impression that the diamond itself glows from within. Anyone who has created virtual diamonds would have to acquaint themselves with these special material properties and with the unique way in which light behaves when it falls upon a diamond.

When Jason Pickford took on the challenge of creating virtual diamonds for the Web site of the infamous diamond broker Tolkowsky, he knew that he would need an extremely reliable tool for the job because both the modeling as well as the creation of the material properties had to meet the highest demands, not to mention the lighting and rendering requirements.

Jason Pickford remembers: “Before starting this project I hadn’t seen many realistic diamonds that had been created with 3D software.” The modeling was no problem thanks to detailed blueprints from the client and CINEMA 4D’s intuitive modeling tools. The BodyPaint 3D material properties made it possible to create a good-looking and very authentic material for the diamonds. CINEMA 4D’s renderer delivered very convincing results. Jason achieved results that only required very little touch-up work in After Effects before being published online. How well the results were received is shown by the positive reactions from diamond experts who attest to Pickford’s high level or realism.

Finally, Sketch & Toon was used to create various motifs using different renderings of the diamonds, for example as a schematic or as navigational graphics. The project ended as it had begun: with the simple beauty of the 58 facets of a cut diamond.

Client:
Tolkowsky - www.tolkowsky.com

Realization:
The Gate Design Group - www.thegatedesigngroup.com
Jason Pickford - jasonrenderlabmediacom