CounterSketch vs Drakon

CounterSketch is 3D custom jewelry design software for jewelers working with customers on designs in real time. Its library includes more than 3,000 customizable styles and components, and users can access over one million natural and lab-grown diamonds and gemstones in Stuller's inventory. Designs can display real-time prices using business-specific markups and photorealistic renderings. A built-in Freehand tool supports creating designs from scratch. Completed work can be sent to Stuller's CAD/CAM Services team for CAD verification, casting, and finishing. Users can open available designs from Stuller.com or Stuller Showcase directly in CounterSketch. It runs on Mac or Windows computers. The 15-day trial includes other functionality but limits the library to 25 styles and 21 Freehand parts. Membership includes technical support, Online Academy access, monthly library updates, quarterly virtual seminars, and software upgrades; one-on-one training is also offered. Listed US pricing includes a $349 a year membership, or one-time licenses at 2495.00 USD and 2995.00 USD with Rhinoceros 8. Both license options include a one-year membership.

Drakon is jewelry design CAD software that works as a plug-in for Rhino and Grasshopper. Its Jewelry Builders and Interactive Gallery include components such as rings, gems, bands, bezels, prongs, patterns, ornaments, and gem settings. Designers can change settings while working and have the model readjust; logic-based tools record modeling history. Controls cover weight, measurements, gem placement, and sizes. Production tools can generate technical reports and STL meshes for 3D printing, and the product lists photorealistic rendering and manufacturing export. A web viewer lets users open and share 3D models from any device, with cloud and e-commerce integration. Drakon Copilot accepts natural-language instructions to automate Drakon and Rhino tasks, but requires internet access. The software requires Rhino 7 or 8 and supports Windows 10 and 11; Linux is unsupported. Its fully functional 30-day trial leaves only a few tools available afterward. A Drakon license costs 1,995.00 EUR once, with Rhino required separately unless purchased in a bundle. Copilot credits are sold separately.