Skip to main content

AJS Spring 2027  |  April 4-5, 2027  |  RetailFusion April 3  | Savannah Convention Center, Savannah  |  #AJS2027

BenchFusion took place on Saturday-Sunday, March 14-15, 2026, on the show floor at Atlanta Jewelry Show. Tickets included lunch.

No Other Show Offers This

AJS offers the only gathering in the United States designed specifically for bench jewelers. It brings together some of the most respected jewelers and jewelry teachers working today, and it creates a shared space where learning and community come together in a serious and supportive way.

Jump to Schedule
Jump to Sessions
Jump to Speakers

Sessions

Get Your BenchFusion Tickets!
Get Your RetailFusion Tickets!

A Community for Bench Jewelers

The Skill at the
Heart of the Industry

BenchFusion is one of the signature experiences of the Atlanta Jewelry Show because it honors the part of our industry that everything else depends on. The craft of making jewelry is the beating heart of this field. It carries centuries of knowledge, skill, and artistry, and it deserves a place where it can be learned, strengthened, and celebrated. BenchFusion exists to keep those traditions alive and to support the people who practice them every day.

BenchFusion features three stages in one dedicated area. Attendees use silent disco headsets to tune in to the talk they want to hear and tune out the rest. They can move freely from one session to another to follow the ideas and demonstrations that matter to them most.

2026 Spring BenchFusion Schedule

Saturday, March 14:  10:00 am - 5:30 pm

10:00 am - 11:00 am

  • Designing with Intent: What a Modern CAD Workflow Should Do for a Jeweler (Kelly Williams) Blue Stage
  • Jewelers Bench Design and Considerations for Ergonomics (Charles Lewton-Brain) Green Stage

11:15 am - 12:15 am

  • Mentoring the Next Generation: Creating an Apprenticeship that Works (Nanz Aalund) Blue Stage
  • The Genie in the Shop: I Get By With a Little Help from AI (Andreas Argentinis) Red Stage

12:30pm - 2:00 pm: Lunch is Provided

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

  • Designing and Engineering the Unexpected (Mark Davis) Blue Stage
  • Metallurgy 101 for Jewelers (Stewart Grice) Red Stage
  • Engineering Stronger Prongs: How Geometry and Metal Behavior Determine Setting Strength (Jason Chandler) Green Stage

3:15 pm - 4:15 pm

  • Extracting Maximum Value from Scrap: Turning Bench Waste into Real Money (Peter Spector) Blue Stage
  • Bench Tips & Tricks: CAD Edition (Kelly Williams) Red Stage
  • Pouring an Ingot and Making Rectangular Stock (Jason Chandler) Green Stage

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

  • Designing for the Bench: CAD Choices that Make or Break Manufacturability (David Baird) Blue Stage
  • The Design of Torches: Understanding torch physics, how different designs naturally create different types of flames and how that affects the type of work that each is best for (Jason Chandler) Green Stage
  • Tool Talk: Open Q&A with Adam Kasson (Adam Kasson) Red Stage

6:30 pm - 9:00 pm: AJS-at-the-Oscars Party in the Waverly Atrium

Sunday, March 15:  10:00 am - 5:30 pm

10:00 am - 11:00 am

  • Understanding Jewelry Manufacturing Problems - Diagnosing Failures Before You Repair Them (Stewart Grice) Blue Stage
  • Bench Tips & Tricks: CAD Edition (Kelly Williams) Red Stage
  • Using a Bezel Block to Make a Classic Organ Pipe Setting (Jason Chandler) Green Stage

11:15 am - 12:15 pm

  • Designing for the Bench: CAD Choices that Make or Break Manufacturability (David Baird) Blue Stage
  • Designing with Intent: What a Modern CAD Workflow Should Do for a Jeweler (Kelly Williams) Red Stage
  • Pricing Custom and Repair with Confidence: The Thinking Behind Profitable Work (Jonathan Geller) Green Stage

12:15 pm - 2:00 pm: Lunch is Provided

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

  • 30 Years of Jewelry CAD: What We've Learned (Doug Kerns) Blue Stage
  • Risk, Responsibility, and Repair Decision-Making (Elizabeth Shade) Red Stage

2:00 pm - 4:00 pm

  • Drawing for Jewelers: Designing from Stone to Setting (Rémy Rotenier) Green Stage

3:15 - 4:15 pm

  • Shop Ballet: Choreographing Your Shop for Speed and Control (Andreas Argentinis) Blue Stage
  • Built on Repair: Turning Shop Reality into Competitive Edge (Joel Conrad) Red Stage

4:30 pm - 5:30 pm

  • Granulation, Precision, and Heat: An Advanced Bench Technique Discussion (Kathy Kinev) Red Stage
  • Must-Have Tools for the Bench: Essentials, Upgrades, and the Unexpected Game-Changers (a panel) Green Stage
  • The Jobs We Should Have Refused (a panel) Blue Stage

2026 Spring BenchFusion Speakers

Ready to Register?

$200.00. Includes lunch both days.

Early Bird Special: Save $50 through March 1.

Reserve your place for two days of concentrated learning, live demonstrations, and real conversations with peers who understand the art and science of making jewelry.

We're still working out the final lineup for Bench Fusion Spring 2026. Check back regularly to see what's been added!

BenchFusion Sessions
BenchFusion Speakers

Two Steps to Register

1.

Complete registration form to get your badge. When you complete your registration, you'll receive an email confirmation with a payment link to get your ticket(s) for BenchFusion.

Register for the Atlanta Jewelry Show

2.

If you have already registered, you can click a link below to purchase. If you have not completed your registration, please do Step 1 (above) first!

Get Your BenchFusion Tickets!
Get Your RetailFusion Tickets!
Keep Learning

Three Stages. Tune In.
Keep Learning.

Community for the Craftsperson

BenchFusion is also two full days spent with other people who make things with their hands and solve problems at the bench. Much of the value comes from the conversations that happen between sessions. Attendees compare techniques, share solutions, and talk about how they design and create beautiful work. It is an unusual chance to learn from peers who understand the demands and rewards of bench practice.

If you have already registered, you can click a link below to purchase. If you have not completed your registration, please do Step 1 (above) first!

Get Your BenchFusion Tickets!
Get Your RetailFusion Tickets!