Seminar Leaders

General Sessions

Seminar Schedule

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Seminar Descriptions

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Advanced Laser Techniques

Scott Isaacs
Laser Welders can achieve fabulous results – but only if you know the proper techniques to utilize.  In this informative seminar, Laser Welding Expert Scott Isaacs will share tips of the trade to enhance your Laser Welding Skills.  Retipping Heat Sensitive Stones, Difficult Ring Sizing, Re-Building Channels, Plus Much More will be covered.
Friday session #4, Saturday session #2

Alternative Metals

Chris Ploof
Making Mokume Gane at the bench is just one of the processes you’ll discover as Master Jeweler Chris Ploof pushes the envelope of current and accepted techniques by exploring how to make jewelry utilizing processes and materials not commonly used in the jewelry industry.  You’ll learn how to expertly combine High Karat Golds, Platinum and Palladium with Meteorite Iron and Damascus Stainless Steel to make unusually beautiful and durable jewelry.
Thursday session #4, Saturday session #2

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CAD Designed for Lasers

Steve Satow
Designing Jewelry with CAD and Laser Welding Jewelry are the two newest additions to the jewelry shop.  In this innovative seminar CAD Designer and Laser Welding Expert Steve Satow shows you how to bring these two new technologies together.  You’ll learn how to alter your jewelry designs to facilitate assembling the cast parts with a Laser, how to design your crowns and mountings to use a Laser to easily Set Your Stones, and Much More!  This is one seminar you will not want to miss – Learn how to combine new technologies together to create a more efficient and profitable shop.
Thursday session #4, Saturday session #3

Casting for the Small Shop

Linus Drogs
With the dramatic increase in demand for custom design jewelry and custom re-mounts, Bench Jewelers need to develop efficient and affordable techniques to enhance their casting skills.  With casting at the foundation of custom design, learning to increase the quality of your cast pieces while reducing the time required to complete a casting job offers tremendous benefits and savings.  This seminar is a guide to solving the most common casting problems. 
Thursday session #2, Saturday session #2

Casting Platinum

Jurgen Maerz
Today, platinum casting for the small shop is easier than ever - as long as you are sufficiently prepared.  Platinum casting is different from gold or silver casting, and insufficient preparation and understanding of the process can still lead to many hours of frustration.  Success depends on having good, functional equipment and learning all you can about the process.  Acclaimed platinumsmith Jurgen Maerz will emphasize ways to improve your casting process and discuss how to recognize and eliminate common mistakes and improve efficiency in both time and materials.
Friday session #1, Saturday session #3

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Colored Stones

Wayne Emery
Handling Colored Stones in the shop causes additional problems to setters and repair jewelers.  Broaden your knowledge base by finding out about different Colored Stones; what precautions to take and more importantly what not to do when working with them. 

Pick up vital new skills on how to identify treatments and enhancements to avoid damaging expensive, irreplaceable gemstones. 
Friday session #2, Friday session #4

Integrating Technology into the Small Shop

Chris Ploof
This seminar explores the business side of the bench.  Setting up a Studio or expanding it takes capital planning.  Learn how to add and pay for larger purchases of equipment - even in depressed times.  Mini Lathes, Hydraulic Presses, Computers and CAD Software, Mills, Laser Welders, the equipment to integrate technology into the jewelry shop is numerous and expensive.  Learn what you need, why you need it and most importantly how to pay for it.  In this seminar Master Jeweler Chris Ploof will show you how you can have your Dream Studio.
Thursday session 2, Friday session 3

Jewelry Making Tips

Jurgen Maerz & Brad Simon
Working at the Bench encompasses only a few basic techniques.  However, there are numerous tricks to use in mastering those techniques.  This seminar is full of innovative tips, tricks, shortcuts, and homemade tools to help jewelers work smarter, by being more efficient and economical.  You will learn tips, tricks, and techniques from Master Jewelers Jurgen Maerz & Brad Simon on Jewelry Fabrication and Casting.  Plus bring along your own tips to share.
Thursday session #4

Jewelry Repair Tips

Jurgen Maerz & Brad Simon
Working at the Bench encompasses only a few basic techniques.  However, there are numerous tricks to use in mastering those techniques.  This seminar is full of innovative tips, tricks, shortcuts, and homemade tools to help jewelers work smarter, by being more efficient and economical.  You will learn tips, tricks, and techniques from Master Jewelers Jurgen Maerz & Brad Simon on Jewelry Repair.  Plus bring along your own tips to share.
Saturday session #4

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Laser Fabrication

Steve Satow
Laser Welders are more than just an expensive retipping tool!  In this seminar demonstration you will learn from one of the Jewelry Laser Welding Pioneers, how to use a Laser Welder to fabricate and assemble jewelry.  You’ll learn how you can use the new technology of Laser Welding to make creating jewelry easier and more profitable.  Lasers are fast becoming an essential piece of equipment in the jewelry shop, and this seminar will show you why.
Thursday session #2, Saturday session #1

Laser Repair

Steve Satow
Learn how you can improve the quality of your work and increase productivity in the shop using a Laser Welder for everyday repairs.  In this seminar Jewelry Laser Welding Innovator Steve Satow demonstrates his unique techniques to trouble free jewelry repair.  Welding silver, gold, platinum and the new palladium alloys will all be covered; including innovative mixed metal applications such as using palladium to repair white gold.  Lasers are fast becoming an essential piece of equipment in the jewelry shop, and this seminar will show you why. 
Thursday session #3, Friday session #1

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Laser Setting

Steve Satow
Learn from one of the foremost Jewelry Laser Welding Experts how to use the Laser Welder to simplify setting jobs.  You’ll learn how to effectively set fragile and hard to set stones, as well as new methods to set stones that are impossible to accomplish with traditional setting methods.  In addition you will learn how to use the Laser Welder in conjunction with other setting techniques to finish prongs and perform other steps in setting.  Lasers are fast becoming an essential piece of equipment in the jewelry shop, and this seminar will show you why.
Thursday session #1, Friday session #3

Looks are Deceiving

Brad Simon
Hand Fabricated or Assembled Findings – Only Your Bench Jewelers Knows for Sure!
Custom Designed Jewelry and Custom Made Remounts are big business.  However, Hand-Fabricated jewelry is often beyond the budget of our customers, especially in today’s economy.  In this session, you will learn how to create jewelry with a hand-fabricated look in a fraction of the time - assembled from stock findings.
Thursday session #1, Saturday session #3

On the Bench and Proud of It

Joel McFadden
In sports, being On The Bench is something you want to avoid.  However, in the Jewelry Industry, those on the bench provide job security and financial success during economic down turns.  This in-depth seminar will look at the role of the Bench Jeweler in a down economy.  You’ll learn to rise to the challenge of today’s difficult times and prepare for future prosperity.  
Thursday session #1, Saturday session #2