About Us
Retro-Rockets is the In-House jewelry line from Ruidoso Metalworks a fine jewelry production company owned and operated in New Mexico, U.S.A. home of modern rocketry. We have a small but dedicated crew who are all fans of sci-fi and retro futurism. Led by our fearless Captain Topley, a skilled pilot and engineer, our team endeavors to bring our love of the Golden Era of science-fiction to you through our Retro-Rockets. Ruidoso Metalworks is an established jewelry casting company since 2002. Because we produce our own rockets right here in our shop we can insure their quality. Our rockets are made with high quality, conflict free, and environmentally responsible materials and methods, doing our part to reach the utopian future. We always have, and will continue to, enjoy the history of art of “the future just around the corner”, but we also root for the rockets still shooting for the stars every day. We hope you will find your ride to the future, today.
From Polygons to Production
Retro-Rockets, and our parent company, Ruidoso Metalworks, have been experimenting with 3-D prototyping and casting from 3D printing wax-like resins for about half a decade now. Our designers have been self-teaching, with the help of the internet, how to use the 3D modeling/sculpting software we have available, and pushing our home assembled B9Creator 3D printer to its limits to create our original models of space ships and other sci-fi fare. Here we have for you, finally the complete process from 3D model, to stunning wearable jewelry. We are still working to refine this process so that we can reliably offer it to our customers at Ruidoso Metalworks.
Celebrating the Lunar Astronauts
We just wanted to share a quick WIP photo of our Lunar Astronaut, which will be going into production very soon. Commemorating the successes of the NASA Lunar Program, and the work of all Astronauts who stepped foot on the moon. Designed using 3D modeling programs, and printed with the B9 Creator, master cast in bronze. Next it will be re-sprued for a more efficient wax flow, cleaned up just a bit more, a mold will be made with vulcanized silicon rubber, and we will be ready to mass produce.
Starship Jewelry
Long-time Retro fans will have noticed, and some of you may have wondered, if Retro-Rockets is inspired by the Golden Age of Science Fiction (arguably the past), why are we designing Spaceship and Starship jewelry on new and future designs? Well it’s two-fold really, first we are incredibly excited to see a revived interest in manned space exploration. Secondly it brings us so much joy to see how these new designs have come full circle to the designs of the golden age. When we saw the first test rockets landing vertically to be reused we felt like we were living in the world of Rocketship X-M. With talk of going to the Moon again and Mars it stirs up all those old questions. Even with the robotic surveys we’ve done. Maybe they missed something our Human senses would see, maybe there is something there to find that someone or something left behind.
Happy Holidays and A Prosperous New Year
It all begins with an idea.
We just wanted to let all of our fans and customers know that we are thankful for your support this year for the changes we've made. And we are excited for what the new year will bring, and to bring you some more great designs as well as the quality retro-rockets we've been making all along.