Pass The Torch: Legacies in Jewelry

Goldsmith Jordan Barnett-Parker trained in Pforzheim, Germany, earned his Meisterbrief, and built a private studio on the coast of Maine one tool at a time. He shares how he did it, and what he would tell every jeweler starting out.We talk about buying used and trading up, starting a trade repair business, honesty at the bench, and why real insurance and overnight insured shipping are not optional.CHAPTERS00:00 Welcome01:21 Training in Germany07:47 A philosophy of service09:40 Building a studio one tool at a time24:43 Advice to his younger self38:27 How to start a trade repair business46:07 Insurance and shipping51:22 If your shop could talkJordan: @jordanbarnettparkerPass The Torch: @passthetorchjewelers#jewelry #goldsmith #benchjeweler #passthetorch

Few moments in a jeweler's career carry as much weight (or as much mystery) as the bench test. This week on Pass The Torch, Nadja sits down with Casey Sobel, a Brooklyn based master jeweler, engraver, and Pratt Institute professor whose career spans Catbird, Alex Sepkus, and Cartier, where she served as a jeweler, technical writer, and educator. Casey pulls back the curtain on what employers are really looking for when they hand you a task and a deadline: how to prepare, what separates clean work from rushed work, how to handle nerves at an unfamiliar bench, and what a test reveals about your habits beyond the finished piece. Whether you're sitting your first bench test or you're the one designing them, this episode is your roadmap to walking in ready.Want the full presentation? Casey is happy to share a complete copy of her slides. Reach out to her directly at https://assantesobelstudios.com/contact.

Matt and Lauren Tuggle are the husband-and-wife team behind Tuggle Designs, a Colorado-based jewelry studio known for its distinctive approach to handcrafted jewelry and thoughtful design. Together, they’ve built a creative practice that blends traditional fabrication, craftsmanship, and a distinctly modern perspective. In this episode, we talk about building a life and business together, the evolution of their work, and the legacy they hope to leave behind in the jewelry industry.

TOOLS I TRUST — Pass The Torch

Every link below goes straight to the product page.

⭐ START HERE — MY AMAZON STOREFRONT

Shop favorites, always updated:

https://www.amazon.com/shop/passthetorchjewelers/list/F0Y5YT2EW987?ref_=aip_sf_list_spv_ons_mixed_d

— PEPETOOLS —

1. 20 Piece Ring Holding Set (Stone Setting & Engraving):

https://pepetools.com/products/20-piece-ring-holding-set

2. 80mm Engraving Vice — Stainless Steel:

https://pepetools.com/products/80mm-engraving-vice-stainless-steel

3. 4" Guillotine Shear (Made in USA):

https://pepetools.com/products/4-guillotine-shear-made-in-usa

4. Jump Ring Maker Kit for Permanent Jewelry:

https://pepetools.com/products/permanent-jewelry-jump-ring-making-starter-kit

5. Power Sander — Flexshaft Belt Attachment:

https://pepetools.com/products/power-belt-sander-flexshaft-attachment

6. Soldering Vent Fume Extractor (Tabletop):

https://pepetools.com/products/soldering-vent-fume-extractor-for-jewelry-tabletop

7. Stone Setters Workbench — Professional Series, Hardwood:

https://pepetools.com/products/stone-setters-workbench-professional-series-hardwood

8. 160mm Combination Ultra Mill with Ductile Frame:

https://pepetools.com/products/160mm-combination-ultra-mill-with-ductile-frame-190_20a

9. Professional Jeweler's Bench Stool w/ Hydraulic Lift & Footrest:

https://pepetools.com/products/professional-jewelers-bench-stool-with-hydraulic-lift-and-footrest

— RIO GRANDE —

10. Bonny Doon Hydraulic Press Starter System (20-Ton Classic Manual):

https://www.riogrande.com/product/bonny-doon-hydraulic-press-starter-system-with-20-ton-classic-manual-hydraulic-press/110652GP

— GESSWEIN —

11. Articulator Arm® for Artisans (A³):

https://www.gesswein.com/products/articulator-arm%C2%AE-for-artisans-a?ref=NADJADESA

12. NSK Emax EVOlution Standard Micromotor Set (EV410-IH):

https://www.gesswein.com/products/nsk-emax-evolution-standard-set-with-lever-handpiece?ref=NADJADESA

13. Dipromini Mini-Filer Head — 1.0mm (NSK Emax Evolution):

https://www.gesswein.com/products/diprofil-fmr-mini-filer-head-1-0mm-for-nsk-emax-evolution?ref=NADJADESA

14. NSK Emax EVOlution Speed Reducer / 4:1 Torque Multiplier (RG-01):

https://www.gesswein.com/products/nsk-emax-evolution-4-1-torque-multiplier?ref=NADJADESA

15. Sisma LM-DT 230 Flex Nd:YAG Desktop Laser Welder:

https://www.gesswein.com/products/sisma-lm-dt-230-nanospot-and-velvet-spot-laser-yag-desktop-laser-welder?ref=NADJADESA

16. SmartPro Air Do-X with Heavy-Duty H2 Handpiece:

https://www.gesswein.com/products/smartpro-air-do-x-with-heavy-duty-h2-handpiece?ref=NADJADESA

— STORO TOOLS —

Bench organization & tool storage (bur organizers, graver turrets, wire towers):

https://www.storotools.com/

Some links are affiliate links — purchases may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Step inside Bonny Doon HQ in Taos, New Mexico, with Nadja as Peter Gilroy opens the doors to his incredible workshop. From presses to prototypes, Peter answers a series of shop-focused questions while giving an inside look at the tools, workflows, and ideas that have shaped generations of press work.

Solo episode. Nadja on the filter she runs every business decision through, and her honest take on Katerina Perez's Carats and Conversion Instagram selling course.

Blaine Lewis is the founder of New Approach School for Jewelers, based just outside Nashville in a building shaped, fittingly, like a diamond. He came to jewelry the long way. Raised in a blue collar family of metal workers, he was arc welding by thirteen and building ships in Norfolk before he found a metal he loved more than steel.

He began teaching in 1995 and has since trained more than 18,000 students over 32 years, helping pioneer high-magnification instruction in the industry and consulting for some of the most respected names in the trade, including building out Tiffany's bench team. His philosophy is as much about generosity as it is about craft. In a field that once guarded its secrets, Blaine built his career and his school on sharing everything he knows.

In this SNAG × Detroit recap, Nadja moderates The State of the Bench, a conversation about the present and future of life at the bench. She's joined by Jennifer Markas of Jewelers Mutual on the health of the talent pipeline, independent studio artist Casey Sobel on what a bench test really reveals, and Sophia Gallette, a bench jeweler in Harry Winston's high jewelry workshop, on building a career from the ground up.

Platinum does not forgive, and Nadja is still learning its temper. In this episode she walks through the week day by day, the wins and the stubborn problems both, and shares what made the platinum class with Blane Lewis worth every effort to attend New Approach School for Jewelers.

Nadja lands from JCK 2026 and reviews her last few days. Working the booth for Pepe Tools and getting to connect with other members of the trade, she is excited and encouraged about the state of the industry.