There are as many ways to work at the bench as there are goldsmiths and jewelers. Whether one is trained on the job, in a classroom setting, or is self-taught, processes and procedures learned early on tend to be those one sticks with. This raises the question: With so many ways to approach different procedures at the bench, which ones are "right"? This paper takes on some of the most fundamental components of work at the bench and tests the effectiveness of different approaches with the goal of determining what is effective and what might simply be myth perpetuated by repetition and habit.

Author: Ann Cahoon