Best known for his pieces that highlight the vivid contrast between high karat gold and oxidized sterling silver, Denver-based jeweler Alex Boyd also teaches at workshops across the country. Sponsored by: Rio Grande To see the video edition of this episode and the complete "5 Favorite Tools" series, visit: mjsa.info/5favorites  ..read more

Andrew Bugher is a custom jeweler specializing in creating unique, handcrafted pieces utilizing his expertise in casting, forging and sculpting. Bugher's style combines rugged nature-inspired shapes and textures with more polished and refined details and finishing. Sponsored by: Rio Grande To see the video edition of this episode and the complete "5 Favorite Tools" series, visit: mjsa.info/5favorites  ..read more

A goldsmith and founder of WEND Jewelry in Seattle, Wendy Woldenberg taught high school jewelry/metals for 22 years while making custom jewelry on school breaks. After a two-week backpacking trip around Mount Rainier, everything changed. She founded WEND Jewelry, a rugged fine jewelry brand focused on ethical sourcing and nature-inspired designs. Sponsored by: Rio Grande To see the video edition of this episode and the complete "5 Favorite Tools" series, visit: mjsa.info/5favorites  ..read more

Melissa Muir is a jewelry artist and teacher who's renowned for her high quality, incisive instructional videos and tool reviews. In this episode, Melissa shares five of her most essential tools and explains the role each plays in making her more efficient and productive at the bench. Sponsored by: Rio Grande To see the video edition of this episode and the complete "5 Favorite Tools" series, visit: mjsa.info/5favorites  ..read more

Despite recent efforts by the jewelry industry to address transparency and tracing issues across the global supply chain, the conditions under which colored gemstones are sourced remain highly opaque and lack reliable independent verification.  In this episode, Daniel Nyfeler, Managing Director of Gübelin Gem Lab, discusses his company’s Provenance Proof initiative, aimed at developing new technologies to increase traceability and verify the origin and authenticity of colored gemstones. He also shares how these technologies have been received by various industry segments, a ..read more

Our guest on this episode, Sara Yood, senior counsel at the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC), has made a career out of helping businesses wade through the myriad guidelines, regulations, and laws that apply to making and selling jewelry. It’s not easy staying up to date—recent changes to the FTC guidelines, for instance, have changed how the industry can talk about karat gold, lab-grown gems, and metal coatings, while a recent Supreme Court decision changed the rules for taxing internet sales. Add in such continuing concerns as maintaining proper anti-money-laundering documentation ..read more

With the current generation of master craftspeople aging out of the jewelry industry, demand for professionally skilled workers is high. But a number of barriers stand in the way of developing an effective education-to-employment pipeline for prospective jewelers, including issues such as pay scale disparities, gender bias, a lack of on-the-job training, and misaligned expectations between the industry and educators. Award-winning jewelry designer, goldsmith, author, and educator, Nanz Aalund has been spearheading a movement to raise awareness about these issues and to help develop the necessa ..read more

Susan Crow—owner of East Fourth Street Jewelry in Northfield, Minnesota, and Responsible Practices Distinction winner in the 2019 MJSA Vision Awards—is dedicated to proper environmental, ethical, and sustainable practices. In this episode, she talks about the challenges and overall rewards of building a responsible supply chain and adopting green processes ..read more