Thermophysical Consolidation and Dimensional Fidelity in Precious Metal Additive Manufacturing: A Review for the Jewelry Sector

Additive Manufacturing (AM) for jewelry applications is increasingly adopting Binder Jetting (BJ) to overcome the fusion-related limitations associated with precious metals, including unstable melt pools, excessive reflectivity, and high thermal conductivity. In this context, the present review establishes a thermophysical and manufacturability-oriented framework that redefines thermal management beyond localized melt-pool stabilization toward the furnace-scale control of densification kinetics, shrinkage evolution, atmosphere-assisted sintering, and viscoplastic deformation. Particular emphasis is placed on gold-, silver-, and platinum-based jewelry alloys, with a specific focus on the thermal, mechanical, and chemical phenomena governing Binder Jetting sintering. During consolidation, low-density green bodies (~40–65% relative density) must transform into highly dense components through extensive volumetric shrinkage and gravity-driven deformation, creating major challenges in dimensional fidelity and surface quality. The review further examines predictive viscoplastic constitutive models (SOVS/ROH), reversed-deformation compensation strategies, and atmosphere-engineering approaches for oxide reduction, pore-pressure regulation, and residual-porosity control. By linking thermophysical consolidation, dimensional fidelity, polishability, and jewelry-grade manufacturability within a hierarchical framework, this review provides a structured basis for the development of high-precision and low-waste precious-metal additive manufacturing.