Key takeaways
• Midwest Jewelry Academy in Fort Wayne, Indiana, provides hands-on, professional bench jeweler training to meet high industry demand.
• Founded in 2022, the academy is owned and operated by lead instructor Stephen Shannon, who brings 48 years of jewelry-industry experience.
• Programs range from one-week intensive courses in repair and setting to a comprehensive 15-week Master Jeweler Course.
(FORT WAYNE, IND.) – Since opening its doors in June 2022, Midwest Jewelry Academy has been providing hands-on, professional jeweler training to students preparing for careers in an industry where skilled bench jewelers remain in high demand.
Owned and operated by lead instructor Stephen Shannon, Midwest Jewelry Academy offers comprehensive training in jewelry repair, diamond and gemstone setting, and design and production. The academy’s curriculum includes one-week Jewelry Repair and Diamond & Gemstone Setting courses, a four-week Certified Bench Jeweler Course, and a 15-week Master Jeweler Course.
The academy operates under a straightforward philosophy: “Real Training for a Real Future.”
That philosophy reflects Shannon’s belief that successful bench jewelers need more than classroom instruction. They need practical, hands-on experience and a strong foundation in the skills they will use every day at the bench.
“Our goal is to give students the skills and confidence they need to build a real career in jewelry,” says Shannon. “There is a tremendous need for qualified bench jewelers, and I want to help prepare the next generation to meet that demand.”
Shannon brings 48 years of jewelry-industry experience to the classroom. He began his career as a bench jeweler in 1979, working in the family business, Shannon Jewelers. His career has since included management with Jared and Signet Corporation, work with Riddle’s Black Hills Gold Corporation in Rapid City, South Dakota, and experience with independent jewelry stores, including Robert Erwin Jewelers in Memphis, Tennessee.
His own education began at Stewart’s International School for Jewelers and continued with advanced stone-setting training through the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in the early 1990s.
Today, Shannon owns and operates Stephen Shannon Jewelers in Fort Wayne, located next door to Midwest Jewelry Academy. The close proximity of the retail jewelry business and the academy reflects his commitment to combining education with real-world industry experience.
After decades in the jewelry trade—and training countless individuals throughout his career—Shannon decided to pursue a long-held dream: to create a dedicated educational environment where aspiring jewelers could learn the craft from an experienced working professional.
“After all these years in the industry, I enjoy passing along what I’ve learned,” Shannon says. “There is something incredibly rewarding about watching a student develop the skills to take a piece of jewelry from a repair problem to a finished piece they can be proud of.”
Midwest Jewelry Academy’s programs are designed to provide students with a solid foundation in the technical skills necessary for professional bench work, including jewelry repair, stone setting, design and production. The academy welcomes students looking to enter the jewelry industry as well as those seeking to expand their existing skills.
With its combination of intensive, hands-on instruction and Shannon’s nearly five decades of industry experience, Midwest Jewelry Academy is working to help ensure that the craft of bench jewelry continues to thrive.
For more information about Midwest Jewelry Academy and its professional jeweler training programs, visit Midwest Jewelry Academy at midwestjewelryacademy@gmail.com or call 260-715-4164
