Meet Arcade: The AI Platform That Can Design Unique Necklaces

Mariam Naficy, the visionary founder behind Eve and Minted, has consistently championed independent artists, empowering them to showcase and sell their creations. Her latest venture, Arcade AI, breaks new ground as a marketplace that hands creative control directly to users.

Launching its beta in September, this innovative generative AI platform invites customers—aptly called “Dreamers”—to input their ideas, generating an array of jewelry designs. Users can also personalize their creations by uploading images.

Once a “Dream” design is selected, it’s assigned to one of Arcade’s skilled artisans, who transform digital concepts into beautiful, tangible jewelry pieces, from bracelets to necklaces and rings. The platform offers an impressive selection of materials, including gold, silver, brass, and an array of gemstones like diamonds, garnet, ruby, and more.

Curious to test the generator, I used it, leveraging third-party models like Stable Diffusion and Midjourney. After I shared my preferences—including my love for opals—the AI crafted a delicate, gold floral necklace just for me, adorned with a trio of opals. 

To bring the design to life, I placed an order with Studio Maisette, one of the platform’s studios, and within two weeks, I received a video of the finished piece for approval. The necklace perfectly matched my aesthetic, featuring high-quality opals, as verified by a gemologist friend.

Although the platform is promising, it does have limitations. For instance, the AI struggled with designs featuring multiple charms on a single necklace and couldn’t create intricate shapes, like a 20-sided die. Despite these challenges, Arcade AI is set to redefine custom jewelry design, offering a unique fusion of creativity and technology.

“To ensure every design is manufacturable, we align closely with the makers’ data and capabilities, occasionally constraining the models,” Naficy explained.

Thankfully, an editing tool allows users to add, erase, or adjust elements to realize their vision better, though results may sometimes differ slightly from expectations.

Looking ahead, Naficy plans to enhance the “magic editor” with image prompt (IP) adapters, enabling pre-trained models to generate images from specific prompts. Other features in development include options for users to modify or reposition specific image parts.

Creating custom jewelry on Arcade can be an investment, with designs potentially costing over $1,000 depending on complexity, though simpler designs are available for around $100, with shipping between $10 and $30. For example, my custom piece costs $186 plus $10 shipping.

Pricing varies based on material, object size, necklace length, and custom requests, with makers setting prices and approving designs based on feasibility. Makers can also decline overly complex designs.

For those not looking to purchase, Arcade offers a creative experience where users can enjoy designing and sharing their creations on “Dream Boards” in their profile. “We want this to be magical and fun,” Naficy shared. “People can create for enjoyment and share their designs without having to buy.”

Additionally, “Dreamers” can earn from their designs, receiving a 2.5% commission on sales. Sellers must reach 100 followers and sell either three items or $500 worth to qualify, with plans to let them set their prices soon.

Allowing customers to use AI to design jewelry could raise concerns among designers about potential misuse of their original work, with fears of replication without permission or reduced demand for human designers. These issues touch on intellectual property rights and livelihood security.

However, Naficy shares that the artisans on Arcade welcome the platform. “They were very receptive. I didn’t expect that… They saw it as an opportunity to connect with customers directly, understanding their preferences and growing their business.”

Arcade’s AI model is also carefully designed to respect originality, ensuring that uploaded designs are never precisely copied. “We can filter specific words in prompts and control how closely the AI matches the source image,” she noted.

With 15 years leading Minted, where artist protection was paramount, Naficy brings deep empathy to the platform’s approach. “We worked hard to safeguard artists and their creations on Minted, so here, we’ve created even greater control than most marketplaces.”

Arcade is exploring future expansion into additional categories, potentially adding accessories, apparel, leather goods, and more, positioning itself as a direct competitor to Off/Script, which launched last year to support artists in funding their AI-designed products, from clothing and accessories to home decor and furniture.

Naficy also aims to introduce more social features, such as allowing sellers to thank buyers directly and enabling community chat. Arcade is considering holding design competitions where winners can earn free jewelry based on community votes.

Long-term plans include partnerships with major brands, allowing users to purchase products from established retailers directly on the platform.

Arcade has secured $17 million in funding from investors, including Ashton Kutcher (Sound Ventures), Offline Ventures, and Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn co-founder). Other backers include Colin Kaepernick, Lumi founder and former NFL quarterback; David Luan, CEO of Adept AI Labs and former VP of engineering at OpenAI; and supermodel and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss.