Creating an Online Community for Bench Jewelers

Jewelry manufacturing is a nuanced craft that requires a deep well of knowledge and experience. For one dedicated manufacturer, the desire to have such expertise shared widely led to a thriving online community of bench jewelers—one that, since launching in 2019, has grown to 13,000 members, all vetted and in the industry.

“I’ve been in the business my whole life,” says Oscar Valencia, president of Master Casting and CAD in Chicago. He’s worked in almost every aspect of manufacturing, and that deep-rooted experience set the stage for his venture on Facebook.