MatrixGold is the parametric CAD standard for jewelry, and it is not cheap: about $5,995 for a full license. If you are looking for something lighter, faster, or monthly, there are real options now, including AI-forward tools. Here is the honest landscape, and where Ruby Kinglet fits, which is not as a full replacement.
Ruby Kinglet is our product. Updated July 2026. Prices are from each vendor's pricing page as of that date, and CAD prices in particular are perpetual licenses that change slowly.
What MatrixGold is, and what it costs
MatrixGold, from Gemvision and Stuller, runs on Rhino and produces parametric 3DM, the editable, componentized geometry a bench actually wants. A full license is about $5,995 and includes Rhino 8 and a six-month membership; existing Matrix or RhinoGold users transition for less. It is powerful and it is the standard. It is also a perpetual desktop purchase with a learning curve, and it is design and manufacturing, not photos or a storefront.
The traditional alternatives
If you want parametric CAD like MatrixGold, the closest alternatives are also Rhino-based and priced in the same range: RhinoArtisan (about 4,000 euros, one-time), 3Design (about $6,900 perpetual), and Rhino itself (about $995) with jewelry plugins. RhinoGold is discontinued. JewelCAD Pro is quote-based. One thing worth clearing up: RhinoArtisan is traditional CAD, not AI. The "AI" on its site is a support chat, not an AI design tool. These are powerful, and they cost in the thousands.
The AI-forward alternatives
A newer group uses AI to reach a file faster: Pencil ($39/month, STL), JewelArchitect (credit packs from $29, STL), FormaNova, and Diatech. They are monthly or pay-as-you-go and much cheaper, but most output an STL mesh, not editable parametric CAD. That is the tradeoff: speed and price now, less to edit later.
Where Ruby Kinglet fits
Ruby Kinglet sits between the two. Its jewelry CAD tools are Rhino-backed, so they produce editable 3DM rather than a flat mesh, and they also do AI photo-to-STL, edit existing 3DMs, and render swappable parts. The tier that compares to MatrixGold is Studio, at $179 a month, or $125 a month billed annually. Photo-to-STL and mesh work sit lower down on the $35 Professional plan.
So the real comparison is not $7 against $5,995. It is roughly $1,500 a year against a one-time $5,995 that includes Rhino 8 and six months of membership. On sticker price alone MatrixGold wins after about four years. There is one other thing a subscription buys that a perpetual licence does not. AI models improve on a cadence nobody controls, and a desktop tool bought once ships what it shipped: new capability arrives as a paid version upgrade, if at all. On the monthly, Studio gets new model rollouts as they land plus early access to betas, so the tool you bought in January is not the tool you are using in June. Whether that matters depends on how much of your work is AI-driven rather than hand-modelled. Beyond that, what you are actually buying with the monthly is a smaller first cheque, no lock-in, and the design connected to photos and a storefront: the same 3DM seeds product photography directly, so the geometry you send to a caster is the geometry in your listing shots, a route written up in our documented generative workflows. The honest limit, and it matters here: the parametric engine is newly released. It does its best work on common styles like engagement rings and is still experimental and improving for the broader range of jewelry. It is not a full replacement for MatrixGold yet. If you do complex, unusual work across every category, MatrixGold or another full parametric tool is still the bench. If you do a lot of common pieces and want speed and a monthly price, Ruby Kinglet is the lighter path, and coverage is expanding.
The options at a glance
| Tool | Price | Type | Output |
|---|---|---|---|
| MatrixGold | ~$5,995 one-time | Traditional parametric | Editable 3DM |
| 3Design | ~$6,900 one-time | Traditional parametric | Editable 3DM |
| RhinoArtisan | ~4,000 euros one-time | Traditional parametric | Editable 3DM |
| Rhino + plugins | ~$995 one-time | Traditional parametric | Editable 3DM |
| Pencil | $39/month | AI-to-CAD | STL mesh |
| JewelArchitect | from $29 (credits) | AI-to-CAD | STL mesh |
| Ruby Kinglet | $179/month for 3DM ($125 annual); $35/month STL only | AI plus Rhino-backed | STL, 3DM, OBJ, GLB (3DM newly released, common styles best) |
Choose by fit
For a full parametric bench across all jewelry, and you have the budget, choose MatrixGold, 3Design, or RhinoArtisan. For cheap, fast mesh for printing, Pencil or JewelArchitect. For editable 3DM on a monthly bill, on common pieces, with the design connected to photos and a storefront, Ruby Kinglet at $179 a month. Plenty of shops run a fast AI tool alongside a parametric one, rather than picking just one.
Common questions
Is there a cheaper alternative to MatrixGold?
Yes. Rhino with jewelry plugins is about $995 one-time. Monthly tools spread the cost instead: Pencil at $39 a month for STL, Ruby Kinglet at $179 a month, or $125 annual, for editable 3DM. Note that most AI tools output an STL mesh, not editable parametric 3DM, so check what you are actually getting before comparing the prices.
Can AI replace MatrixGold?
Not fully today. AI tools are fast and cheap for common pieces and for printing, but MatrixGold's parametric 3DM is still the standard for complex, editable manufacturing work. Many shops use both.
Does RhinoArtisan use AI?
Its design tools are traditional Rhino-based CAD. The AI on its site is a support chat, not an AI design tool.
What does Ruby Kinglet output?
Editable 3DM and STL, plus AI photo-to-STL. 3DM is on the $179 Studio plan; STL and mesh work are on the $35 Professional plan. The parametric engine is newly released and does its best work on common styles like engagement rings.