MJSA Expo, the industry's longest-running trade show dedicated to all aspects of jewelry manufacturing and design, will feature a new Permanent Jewelry Showcase when it returns to the Javits Center in early March.
Permanent jewelry has become one of the industry's hottest trends, with scores of customers lining up to have thin chains permanently fused (typically with a pulse-arc welder) around their wrists, ankles, and necks. As noted in a recent MJSA Journal article, "Brides are treating their bridal parties to permanent jewelry, family members are cementing their familial bonds with matching chains, and parents are hosting welding parties for their daughters' birthdays."
MJSA Expo's Permanent Jewelry Showcase will run from noon to 1 p.m. on the first two days of Expo, March 5 and 6, with experts available to discuss all aspects of the phenomenon—the welders and how they work, the types of chains most suitable for welding, how the trend has boosted many businesses' bottom line. Among the Showcase's offerings:
• Roundtable Discussions with jewelers and metalsmiths who will talk about what to look for in a welder and related accessories, as well as how to answer customers' questions. They'll also describe their own personal experiences with the trend. The Roundtable leaders will include:
Melissa Muir, a jewelry artist, teacher, and tool tester based in Draper, Utah, who has written and taught extensively on the permanent jewelry trend.
Lee Krombholz, president of Krombholz Jewelers in Cincinnati, whose store has been offering permanent jewelry for several years.
"It's become quite a business for us," Krombholz says. "We only do bracelets, and when we started in March 2020 we had people driving hundreds of miles for them—we paid off the investment in our machine after only a few months. Last year we fused over 900 bracelets, and that category was our third-highest-grossing profit category behind antique jewelry and engagement rings."
• Welding and Chain Stations with demos of various pulse-arc welders and a selection of curated chain styles most appropriate for welding. The sessions will be presented by several of the industry's leading suppliers, including Gesswein, National Chain Group, Orion/Sunstone Welders, Pepetools, Rio Grande, and Stuller.
MJSA Expo will run March 5-7 at the Javits Center in New York City, and it will again feature a premier selection of the latest jewelry-making tools, equipment, supplies, and services. Click here to register.