Creating In-Store Moments That Feel Like Pop-Ups

A Panel Discussion with Event Masters at RetailFusion, March 13, 2026

This session will help you bring the energy of pop-ups into your own store without a big budget or complicated build-out.

We will look at how small, intentional changes can create a sense of discovery and immediacy that pulls customers in, keeps them engaged, and helps them see familiar product with fresh eyes. The focus is on ideas that are easy to execute, easy to reset, and flexible enough to fit different store sizes and brand styles.

We will cover:

1. How to design short-term moments that break routine without disrupting operations.
2. Ways to use focused product capsules and limited-time merchandising stories to create urgency.
3. Simple visual and sensory elements that change how the store feels for a day or a weekend.
4. How to plan repeatable in-store activations that feel special without feeling forced.

You will leave with practical ideas you can use throughout the year, a clearer way to think about in store experiences as a sales tool, and a set of concepts that can be adapted to your store, your team, and your customers.

E: [email protected]
P: (800) 241-0399
W: atlantajewelryshow.com
SPRING SHOW: March 14-15, 2026 • RetailFusion March 13

Bench Rescues: Recovering From Other People’s Bench Mistakes

A Panel Discussion with Master Jewelers at BenchFusion, March 14-15, 2026

This session takes on the jobs that arrive at the bench already compromised and under stress. The pieces that have been rushed, overworked, misjudged, or “repaired” before they ever reach you. It focuses on how experienced jewelers assess damage, decide what can realistically be saved, and choose a repair strategy without compounding the problem.

We will cover:

1. How to diagnose the structural issue behind visible damage.
2. Common failure patterns such as retips gone wrong, overcut seats, collapsed bezels, solder contamination, and misalignment.
3. How to sequence work so one fix does not create three new problems.
4. Finishing approaches that restore integrity and appearance without hiding new problems.

You will leave with stronger instincts for evaluating difficult repair work, clearer judgment when choosing how and whether to proceed, and practical techniques for turning high-risk bench jobs into clean, professional saves.

E: [email protected]
P: (800) 241-0399
W: atlantajewelryshow.com
SPRING SHOW: March 14-15, 2026 • RetailFusion March 13

Gem Identification on a Shoestring

A Workshop with Charles Lewton-Brain, Brain Press at RetailFusion, March 13, 2026

This workshop, taught by Charles Lewton-Brain, one of the most respected teachers in the international jewelry trade, shares practical, low-cost processes for spotting fakes and making confident calls at the counter or the bench.

We’ll focus on what you can reliably identify with your eyes, good lighting, and a few affordable tools, plus what the limits are, so you know when to stop guessing and choose a different identification method.

You will learn to observe like a gem detective: gather the clues you can actually trust, stack them into a pattern, and use that pattern to rule things in or out without needing a lab setup.

We will cover:

1. What you can and cannot identify with basic tools.
2. What changes as tools get more sophisticated.
3. Fast ways to tell when a stone is glass, composite, or an imitation.
4. The observation habits that prevent common misidentifications.
5. Simple, budget friendly tool options, including a few clever workarounds and do it yourself ideas.

You will leave with a repeatable inspection process, sharper instincts for spotting red flags quickly, and a clear sense of when you can be confident and when you need a second level test.

E: [email protected]
P: (800) 241-0399
W: atlantajewelryshow.com
SPRING SHOW: March 14-15, 2026 • RetailFusion March 13

Metallurgy 01: The Hidden Rules of Jewelry Metals

A Workshop with Stewart Grice, Hoover & Strong, at BenchFusion, March 14-15, 2026

This session will help you understand why jewelry metals behave the way they do, so your bench decisions make more sense and deliver more consistent results.

Stewart Grice, internationally respected metallurgist and VP of Mill Products at Hoover & Strong, will connect the underlying science of metals to the everyday realities of forming, soldering, setting, and finishing. The focus is not on theory for its own sake, but on building a mental model that explains what you see at the bench and why certain approaches work better than others.

He will cover:

1. What makes metals metals, from atomic structure to bonding.
2. How alloy composition, karat, and color affect strength, elasticity, and workability.
3. Core concepts like stress, deformation, Hooke’s Law, annealing, and the three R’s.
4. How different production methods influence metal behavior in real bench work.

You will leave with a clearer understanding of metal behavior, stronger instincts for choosing the right approach at the bench, and a foundation you can keep building on as your skills advance.

E: [email protected]
P: (800) 241-0399
W: atlantajewelryshow.com
SPRING SHOW: March 14-15, 2026 • RetailFusion March 13

The Stories Diamonds Want to Tell: Creating Meaning Beyond the 4Cs

A Story-Telling Experience with Maarten de Witte, American Diamond Cutter, at RetailFusion, March 13, 2026

This session, led by renowned diamond cutter, educator, and gemmologist Maarten de Witte, will help retail sales teams and store leaders move diamond conversations beyond certificates and commodity language.

He will focus on how small, accurate insights about diamonds can be turned into stories customers remember and repeat. The emphasis is on replacing tired myths with real history, clear explanation, and human context that makes a stone feel personal rather than technical.

This story-telling experience will cover:

1. How to shift conversations beyond the 4Cs without dismissing their importance.
2. Common trade myths and where they came from.
3. Real details about cutting, handling, and history that add depth without overwhelming.
4. Ways to use short, memorable insights to create authentic customer centered stories.
5. Some pretty incredible stories about diamonds that only Maarten de Witte can tell.

You will leave with a stronger sense of how to talk about diamonds in ways that feel meaningful, trustworthy, and memorable, giving customers something worth remembering long after they leave the store.

E: [email protected]
P: (800) 241-0399
W: atlantajewelryshow.com
SPRING SHOW: March 14-15, 2026 • RetailFusion March 13

Engineering Stronger Prongs: How Geometry and Metal Behavior Determine Setting Strength

A Workshop with Jason Chandler, Portland Jewelry Academy, at BenchFusion, March 14-15, 2026

This session will help you understand why some prongs hold securely for years while others slowly lose strength and fail.

Jason Chandler, owner of Portland Jewelry Academy, will examine prongs as structural components rather than simple claws, focusing on how geometry, metal behavior, and bench decisions combine to determine long-term stability. The emphasis is on practical understanding you can apply whether you are building new settings or repairing existing ones.

You will leave with a clearer structural understanding of prong work, stronger instincts for design and repair decisions, and practical ways to build settings that hold up to real world wear and reduce callbacks.
Link to: https://atlantajewelryshow.com/instore-digital-gallery-2026

E: [email protected]
P: (800) 241-0399
W: atlantajewelryshow.com
SPRING SHOW: March 14-15, 2026 • RetailFusion March 13

Must-Have Tools For the Bench: Essentials, Upgrades, and Unexpected Game-Changers

A Panel Discussion with Master Jewelers at BenchFusion, March 14-15, 2026

This session will help you guide buying decisions for your bench operations.

We’ll focus on the tools that earn their place in daily bench work because they have proven their value to master jewelers: essentials for a solid tool foundation, smart upgrades that improve speed and precision, and lesser-known additions that quietly expand what is possible at the bench.

We will cover:

1. Tools that deliver strong value for the money.
2. Upgrades that improve workflow, consistency, and control.
3. Overlooked tools that reduce friction and increase capability.
4. Real-world examples across setting, finishing, fabrication, and repair.

You will leave with clearer judgment about what belongs on your bench now, stronger instincts about future tool investments, and practical ideas you can apply immediately to improve how your bench works for you.

E: [email protected]
P: (800) 241-0399
W: atlantajewelryshow.com
SPRING SHOW: March 14-15, 2026 • RetailFusion March 13

50 Workshops Over 3 Days

The education program at Atlanta Jewelry Show is designed to meet jewelers where the real work happens, across every role in the business.

Atlanta Jewelry Show’s education lineup, developed by veteran jewelry professionals with decades of experience in the industry, brings together respected educators and experts in retail, bench work, manufacturing, and leadership, from both inside and outside the industry. The result is a program that reflects how jewelry businesses actually operate today and what jewelry business owners want their teams to master.

We will cover:
1. Bench skills, repair, setting, metallurgy, and practical gem knowledge.
2. Retail selling, customer experience, and storytelling that drives confidence and conversion.
3. Marketing, technology, and systems influencing how customers discover and engage with stores.
4. Financial management, store operations, leadership, and succession planning.
5. Perspectives from experienced jewelers and outside experts who challenge industry blind spots.

You will find sessions built for owners and executives, sales teams, bench jewelers, and managers, all designed to be immediately useful and grounded in real-world experience. What you see in this gallery is only a small sample. There are nearly 50 workshops offered over three days, making Atlanta Jewelry Show one of the most comprehensive education experiences in the industry.

E: [email protected]
P: (800) 241-0399
W: atlantajewelryshow.com
SPRING SHOW: March 14-15, 2026 • RetailFusion March 13