(LAFAYETTE, La.) – Stuller hosted their annual Bench Jeweler Workshop last weekend welcoming more than 200 jewelers from across the country to its global headquarters in Lafayette, Louisiana.
“Workshop has always been a customer favorite. It draws a dynamic, enthusiastic crowd each year,” says Vice President of Merchandising, Tammy Kidder. “Attendees can count on making lifelong friends, learning something new, and having a good time at Workshop. And the Battle of the Benches competition we added this year just gave it an additional layer of excitement.”
This year’s event saw more than 200 jewelers and over 20 industry professionals with expertise ranging from casting to engraving to stone setting to jeweler services.
“This is my second time attending the Bench Jeweler Workshop on behalf of Jewelers of America (JA), and I think it’s just great,” says Matthew Tratner of JA. “There’s a lot of information being shared at this event, things that they [attendees] are going to take away from this that are really going to help their businesses.”
The Battle of the Benches competition was the first of its kind for the Workshop and created much buzz throughout the weekend. The four jewelers competing were: David Adamson of David Adamson Designer Jewelry, Patrick Dobbs of Dianna Rae Jewelry, Craig Farley of FCF Jewelry Design, and Jonathan Smiddy of Acori Diamonds & Design. The winners were as follows:
- CAD and Render Challenge – David Adamson
- Parts and Pieces Challenge – David Adamson
- Polishing and Finishing – Jonathan Smiddy
- Overall Winner – David Adamson
“We had over 40 applications for entry into this competition,” says Kidder. “These four guys are some of the best jewelers in the industry. They really outdid themselves and produced some of the most beautiful jewelry I’ve ever seen. We couldn’t have asked for a better inaugural event.”
“I’m honored to have won the first Battle of the Benches competition,” says Overall Winner, David Adamson of David Adamson Designer Jewelry. “It was a fun weekend, tough, but really a great time. And I enjoyed having the opportunity to work alongside the other contestants; they’re truly wonderful artists.”
 Stuller’s Sara Boudreaux teaches a class on rhodium plating at the 2016 Bench Jeweler Workshop. |
 Battle of the Benches arena in the demonstration area of the Bench Jeweler Workshop. |
See coverage from this year’s Bench Jeweler Workshop at Benchjeweler.com/videos.
