Seminar Leaders

General Sessions

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Seminar Schedule

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Seminar Descriptions

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Advanced Setting
Joel McFadden
Learn safe and efficient techniques to set stones without fear of damaging them.  This seminar will demonstrate advanced instruction in Flush Setting, Bezel Setting and V-Prongs on Fancy-Shaped Stones.  In addition, common problems with fragile stones will be discussed.  You’ll learn techniques that dramatically improve your skills while avoiding many of the pitfalls common to fancy-shaped stones. 
Sessions #4 (401) Friday & #6 (601) Saturday

Adventures at the Bench
Jurgen Maerz
Based on his best selling book, this seminar offers a potpourri of useful information and tricks to overcome a jeweler’s daily challenges.  This seminar is full of innovative tips, tricks, shortcuts, and homemade tools to help jewelers work smarter, by being more efficient and economical.  Jurgen’s tales of his earliest days as an apprentice are sprinkled throughout.  These gems are especially revealing and instructive, offering important advice and stresses the importance of communication, planning, and working smarter.
Sessions #5 (503) Friday & #8 (803) Sunday

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Basic Setting
Joel McFadden
Setting stones in prongs is one of the most common methods of stone setting.  In this seminar you’ll learn this fundamental setting procedure from a Master Setter.  Setting round stones in center crowns and side prongs will be the focus of this demonstration.     Shared-prong settings and dealing with colored stones and large belly-bottom stones will also be covered.
Sessions #1 (101) Thursday & #8 (801) Sunday

Casting for the Small Shop
Tom Weishaar
With the dramatic increase in demand for custom design work, bench jewelers need to develop new 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. 
Sessions #6 (605) Saturday & #8 (805) Sunday

Creative Platinum Fabrication
Jurgen Maerz
Learn cutting-edge techniques and insights for fabricating intricate platinum jewelry.  Acclaimed platinumsmith Jurgen Maerz will provide instruction on a variety of platinum fabrication procedures using a torch to do traditional soldering and welding and innovative new techniques using a Laser Welder.  Revolutionize your platinum techniques and expand your design capabilities by learning platinum’s unique properties to create jewelry.
Sessions #3 (303) Thursday, #4 (403) Friday & #9 (903) Sunday

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Fascination with Fancies
Tom Weishaar
Let’s face it – setting a round diamond is boring, but a two-carat princess cut might cause your blood to flow a bit faster.  How would you go about bezel setting a near flawless emerald or a ten carat black opal?  Stones like those will certainly get a bench jeweler’s attention.  This seminar can help you learn the secrets of setting unusually shaped, rare and fragile gemstones.  This seminar discusses advanced setting techniques including setting Marquise and Pear Shaped stones, Princess Cuts, Bezel Setting and Odd Shaped Colored Stones.
Sessions #7 (705) Saturday & #9 (905) Sunday

Hand Wax Carving – Pendant
Mark Grosser
With all the emphasis on CAD-CAM is it still practical to carve waxes by hand?  In this demonstration you will learn all about hand carving waxes with particular emphasis on stone setting.  You will see demonstrated both channel and half bezel mountings carved and learn proper proportions to make your wax to ensure the stones will fit the mounting after the jewelry is cast. You’ll see first-hand wax carving techniques and tools that can save time and improve product quality.
Sessions #7 (701) Saturday & #9 (901) Sunday

Hand Wax Carving – Ring
Mark Grosser
With all the emphasis on CAD-CAM is it still practical to carve waxes by hand?  In this demonstration you will learn all about Hand Carving Waxes.  From wax selection to proper tools and more will be discussed and demonstrated.  You’ll learn the fundamentals of layout and how to apply different finishes.  Plus, you’ll learn tips and tricks to making wax carving fast, efficient, and accurate.
Sessions #2 (201) Thursday & #5 (501) Friday

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Jewelry  Photography
Wayne Emery
If you have ever tried to photograph jewelry you know how challenging it can be.  This seminar will show you how to take close-up pictures of your jewelry, eliminate glare, bring out the details of the piece, and show off your jewelry in the best possible manner.  Cameras and camera features, as well as lens appropriate for the task will also be discussed. 
Sessions #3 (302) Thursday & #7 (702) Saturday

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.
Sessions #1 (104) Thursday & #4 (404) Friday

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. 
Sessions #3 (304) Thursday

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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.
Sessions #2 (204) Thursday & #5 (504) Friday

Managing Your Melee
Jeffrey Connolly
They’re marvelous, miniscule and sometimes malicious – they’re melee stones, and they’re everywhere.  In this seminar you’ll learn Skills, Techniques, and Tips designed to take the frustrations out of handling and setting these little gems.  You’ll also discover how to improve the quality of your work and reduce the time required to complete a melee job. This seminar will cover many setting techniques, including prong, bead & bright, channel, pave and flush.
Sessions #5 (505) Friday & #7 (704) Saturday

Marketing Platinum
Platinum Guild International
Platinum = Profits!  Learn how to take full advantage of The Platinum Opportunity in this unique seminar from the Platinum Guild International.  The high price of platinum today makes it more important than ever to know how to inform your customers about all the advantages of platinum jewelry.  The future is poised for tremendous opportunity to grow your platinum business.  Platinum Guild International is here to help you tap into the power of the platinum brand and to build an even more profitable business.
Sessions #1 (103) Thursday & #6 (603) Saturday

PhotoShop for Jewelers
Wayne Emery
You’ve taken pictures with a digital camera, but now what?  Digital Imaging is a new and often confusing topic that jewelers need to understand and use properly to show off their pictures to their best advantage.  Learn how to enhance your picture with color correction, re-sizing, sharpening the image, and much more using the most popular digital photo software available.
Sessions #5 (502) Friday & #9 (902) Sunday

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Platinum Casting
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.  This seminar will emphasize ways to improve your casting process by discussing how to recognize and eliminate common mistakes and improve efficiency in time and materials.
Sessions #2 (203) Thursday & #7 (703) Saturday

Rubber Mold Making
Vic Joyner
This seminar will demonstrate the construction of clear silicone rubber molds from a variety of pattern materials, including metal models, hand carved waxes, RP patterns and CNC milled patterns.  And then use those molds to create new duplicate models with the new HD material – a technological breakthrough that replaces injection wax.  You’ll learn tips and tricks to making and cutting rubber molds, as well as solving the problems of incomplete injections, breakage, shrinkage, and irregular surfaces in your patterns.
Sessions #4 (402) Friday & #6 (602) Saturday

The Final Finish
Jeffrey Connolly
Less than one hundred years ago jewelry was burnished by hand using steel tools to create a highly polished finish.  But what about today – has technology made a modern bench jeweler’s life that much easier or less complicated.  Are the new polishing compounds as good as or better than old ones?  Does the new finishing or polishing machines really warrant the investment?  In this seminar you’ll learn the answers to these questions and more.  Additional topics covered include Rhodium plating techniques, multiple methods to apply textures and finishes, and a critical look at traditional finishing methods and new and evolving polishing and finishing procedures
Sessions #4 (405) Friday & #6 (604) Saturday

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Unique Jewelry Fabrication
Brad Simon
Hand fabricating a piece of jewelry is a mark of true craftsmanship.  In this seminar we will go beyond the basics and demonstrate hand fabricating techniques that will stretch your creativity.  Traditional techniques and new technology will be demonstrated together to create un-usual jewelry designs.  Many fabrication tips given throughout the presentation.
Sessions #1 (102) Thursday & #8 (802) Sunday

No-Holds-Barred Discussion Groups
Thursday ONLY
Attendees will have the opportunity to speak their minds in these energetic discussions of pressing topics affecting bench jewelers today.  Bring your opinions, your notepads, and your throat lozenges!

Custom Manufacturing
Un-Moderated Discussion Group
Do you have questions about CAD-CAM, Fabrication, Casting or have tips you’re willing to share?  This round table discussion is all about Custom Jewelry Manufacturing.  Find solutions to your jewelry manufacturing problems and learn new tips.  Discuss with your pears how you have made Custom Jewelry Manufacturing easier and more profitable.
Sessions #1 (105) Thursday

Bench Business
Un-Moderated Discussion Group
Do you own you own business or would you like to?  Come discuss issues faced in running a Custom Design Studio, Trade Shop, or Traditional Jewelry Store.  Come prepared to discuss your successes and your challenges with the group.
Sessions #2 (205) Thursday

Stone Setting
Un-Moderated Discussion Group
Do you have questions about stone setting or have tips you’re willing to share?  This round table discussion is all about stone setting.  Discuss with your peers what works and what doesn’t.  Find solutions to your setting problems and learn new tips.
Sessions #3 (305) Thursday

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