Experience a personal, firsthand look at the tools, talent, and community shaping today’s bench jewelers.
This past weekend was a personal reminder of the incredible talent and creativity that can be found throughout the jewelry industry. There’s something about being at Bench Jeweler Workshop that is truly an experience of the senses — the sound of hammering at benches throughout the demo floor, the feel of new equipment, the sight of fierce competition in Battle of the Benches®, the taste of the best Cajun cooking Lafayette has to offer.
But what I love the most about Bench Jeweler Workshop is jewelers from around the country and beyond gathering to connect, share stories, and learn something new along the way. I got the chance to see old friends reconnect, students try out new techniques for the first time, and ideas be shared among colleagues in the craft.
Whether you’ve attended or not, I want to share my experience as an insider and give you a look at the exciting things that take place at Bench Jeweler Workshop.
The Demo Floor: A Jeweler’s Playground
Anything you can imagine having a home in your shop can be found on the demo floor, such as the newest laser welders, digital manufacturing and custom design technology, stunning diamonds and gemstones, fabricated metals and findings, testing and screening equipment, bench necessities you didn’t know you needed, and more.
Not only can you discover every tool and material imaginable, but you can try them out and watch live demonstrations.
- GRS® showed us incredible engraving techniques.
- Allie Perry walked through her workflow as she created a custom pair of earrings showcasing the Stuller logo.
- GemOro allowed attendees to work with the latest XRF machines to test a variety of gold pieces.
- Jason Chandler with the Portland Jewelry Academy supported continuing education with traditional bench techniques and tools.
- Our own Stuller experts demonstrated sizing, setting, and soldering while answering questions.
- And so much more.
The demo floor goes beyond the average trade show experience. It’s a chance to immerse yourself in new possibilities for your business and walk away with ideas you can actually put to work.
Take a look at what our friend Trevor Weinaug with Weinaug Western Arts got to see on his first day.
Couldn’t make it to Bench Jeweler Workshop this year? You can check out the new tools and equipment we featured on the demo floor by clicking here.
Battle of the Benches®: Finding the Best of the Best
Battle of the Benches serves as one of the main points of interest for the weekend and takes place in the center of the demo floor. It’s a series of mini challenges that tests a variety of bench skills where jewelers go head-to-head to see who comes out on top: Ring Repair, CAD Design, and Parts & Pieces.
Ring Repair
Sponsored by IKOHE®
Kicking off the weekend was the Ring Repair competition. Competitors were given a solitaire ring that had to be reset, retipped, and re-shanked. Time and precision were being judged as four jewelers jumped in to show off their mastery.
What I always find incredible about this portion of the competition is that jewelers can jump onto a bench in an unfamiliar environment while being watched by their peers and still produce high-quality work.
In the end, Brady Jackson from Mitchum’s Jewelers in Ozark, Missouri, took home the win for his excellent technique and confidence at the bench.
CAD Design
Sponsored by Asiga® and Solidscape
Standing apart from the other challenges, the CAD Design competition is more about your finesse with custom design than your skills at the bench. Using MatrixGold®, four designers were asked to create a render of a unique design based on the following prompt:
“I’m looking for a ring that feels organic — like it grew, not like it was manufactured.”
The customer would like to incorporate a 2 carat round diamond and is drawn to the idea of a solitaire center stone cradled in soft, petal-like forms, almost like a flower in bloom. The 14K white gold split shank should feel like two vines coming together symbolically, while still remaining light and natural. She would also like small diamonds along the shank and profile with subtle pops of color incorporated into the design.
She does not wear much jewelry, so the ring should feel comfortable and effortless on her hand — nothing bulky, just thoughtful, sculptural, and full of quiet detail.
It’s always interesting to see how different jewelers approach the start of a custom piece. One competitor began searching for inspiration in different floral patterns online. Another immediately grabbed his notebook and began sketching ideas. Others jumped into MatrixGold to start with the center stone and built around the focal point. This is one of those challenges where you can learn a lot simply by watching the workflow of each competitor.
Andrew Schmidt from Clarksville Jewelers in Clarksville, Tennessee, got the win for perfectly adhering to the prompt while adding his own flair with marquise Emeralds as side stones and an Emerald peek-a-boo stone in the gallery.
Parts & Pieces
Sponsored by GRS®
The Parts & Pieces event is one of the most anticipated aspects of Bench Jeweler Workshop. Four jewelers are given a mystery bag with components and stones that they must incorporate as they create a completely custom piece of jewelry within seven hours — an ambitious goal under a tight deadline. Each jeweler is allowed to use anything on the demo floor to complete their piece.
This competition is incredible as you watch each jeweler jump into different techniques and add their own unique touch to their pieces, such as using a round bur to handcraft a gold nugget texture, hand-engraving details along a shank, or soldering individual links for a chain to accompany a pendant.
While each of the final pieces were stunning, only one rose above the rest. Carlos Rodriguez from D_Lux Jewelers in Tampa, Florida, came back to defend his title as reigning champion of the Parts & Pieces competition with a beautiful necklace that showcased his craftsmanship and attention to detail.
Student Competition
While our competitors are battling it out in our main competition categories, we invite jewelry school students to show off their own growing bench skills with two contests measuring their capabilities at ring sizing and stone setting. I love seeing the next generation of jewelers try out what they’ve learned and impress their peers.
The competition was fierce with final scores being a hair’s breadth apart, but Violet Anderson with Paris Junior College came out on top in both ring sizing and stone setting — a remarkable accomplishment!
Want to see the action for yourself? Check out recordings of the live-stream competitions.
Looking Ahead: Taking It Back to the Bench
As the weekend wrapped up, one thing stuck with me: No one comes to Bench Jeweler Workshop just to observe. They come to take something back with them.
Whether it’s a new technique learned in a class, a tool discovered on the demo floor, or inspiration sparked by watching another jeweler at work, Bench Jeweler Workshop has a way of turning ideas into action. The conversations, the challenges, and the hands-on experiences all build toward something bigger: helping jewelers grow in ways that directly impact their craft and their business.
For me, it was a reminder of how much this industry values progress. There’s a constant drive to get better, to stay curious, and to keep learning no matter how long you’ve been at the bench.
And that’s what makes Bench Jeweler Workshop more than just an event. It’s a place where momentum starts and where it follows you long after you leave.
We hope to see you next year!