MJSA's At the Bench Live Demonstrations Return to JCK Las Vegas

Heirloom JewelryManufacturing Jewelers & Suppliers of America will once again present its signature At the Bench Live demonstrations at the JCK Las Vegas show, addressing such timely topics as repurposing and repairing heirloom jewelry, creating custom designs in alternative metals, and working with wax models generated by CAD/CAM mills.

The interactive bench demonstrations, scheduled for June 5-7 in the Galileo Ballroom of the show’s ET&S Pavilion, will feature renowned artisans demonstrating bench and design techniques that attendees can readily apply to their own operations. The Bench and Tool Sponsor is Stuller Inc., Lafayette, Louisiana.

This year’s schedule includes two demonstrations focused on heirloom jewelry, which more and more retailers are being asked to revitalize or repair. On Monday, June 6, MJSA Journal editor in chief Tina Snyder will moderate a panel discussion based on the magazine’s ongoing "Old Becomes New" online series, in which leading designers were asked to repurpose an Art Deco brooch. Three of those designers—Ann Cahoon of Flying Marquis Studio, Belle Brooke Barer of Belle Brooke Designs, and Evelyn Huang of evelynH. Jewelry—will describe how they approached the project, offering insights into their creative decision making.

Later that day, master goldsmith Gary Dawson of Goldworks Art and Design in Eugene, Oregon, will present best practices for working on heirlooms. In "Working on Heirloom Jewelry: Recycle, Repurpose, Rejuvenate," he will demonstrate how to identify the hidden challenges in such pieces (which often have endured years of abuse, faulty repairs, and overall neglect), safely remove the gemstones, and either recycle or repurpose the items to create modern jewels.

Chris Ploof, a studio artist based in Rhode Island who is also a 2010 JCK show "Rising Star," will offer a demonstration on Saturday, June 5, that addresses the growing consumer demand for customization. His session "Creating Custom Designs in Alternative Metals" will illustrate how to overcome the design challenges in such non-traditional materials as Damascus steel and mokumé gane. On Monday, June 7, he will focus specifically on working with palladium ("Palladium Repairs and Fabrication"), another metal that has become more popular of late, especially as precious metal prices have risen.

Also on Monday, Kate Wolf, a renowned wax carver, educator, and tool maker based in Portland, Maine, will present tips for working on milled wax models. Using actual models, she will show attendees how to examine, evaluate, and revise the CAD/CAM models to ensure a smooth, trouble-free casting.

Finally, to ensure attendees have not only technical expertise but also business insights to ensure profitable bench operations, Susan Eisen will present "Waste Not: Economical Repairs and Shop Practices." The owner of Susan Eisen Fine Jewelry and Watches in El Paso, Texas, she will demonstrate how retail store owners can oversee and implement bench practices and policies, from using pre-cut sizing stock and solder to improving shop organization, that will result in less metal waste and more economical repairs

Two At the Bench Live sessions will be presented daily, from 11 a.m to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Click here for a full schedule.