Bench Jeweler Memes

We’ve got one of our most anticipated guests on the show—Chuck Koehler. Chuck is a bench jeweler and jewelry store owner with over four decades of experience in the jewelry industry, and a longtime columnist for Southern Jewelry News. He’s seen just about everything at the bench—and he’s got opinions to match. In this episode, we dive into Chuck’s journey through the trade, throw back to a referen...

We opened the floor and you delivered… so in this episode we’re diving into a full-on bench jeweler Q&A. We’re talking everything from least favorite watch brands and our favorite stones to set, to how we’re handling growth behind the scenes. We also get into the real questions—why CZs still exist in a world of lab-grown diamonds, what gold below 10k even means, and the awkward moment when cus...

We're coming down from what can only be described as our Super Bowl... April Fools Day. In this episode, we break down all the chaos-- from 'Jewelers Helping Jewelers' takeover to getting absolutely UNO-reversed by Stuller (we're still not over it). We go behind the scenes on how the ideas came together, what actually worked, what almost got us cancelled (probably), and how muc...

In this special episode, we take a step back and have an honest conversation about the future of Bench Jeweler Memes. After a lot of behind-the-scenes discussions, recent developments have led us to a point where some decisions need to be made. We’ve never been ones to sugarcoat things, and this episode is no different. We talk through what’s been happening, where things currently stand, and what...

Brad and Dusty take a hard left turn straight into dark humor territory. We explore the truly important question—what happens if one of us unexpectedly dies… and more importantly, how long before a client asks, “Okay but… when will my ring be ready for pickup?” From a jeweler’s perspective, we break down the likely timeline of sympathy vs. impatience (spoiler: it’s shorter than you think). We also...

Episode 29: Brad and Dusty spend almost the entire episode unpacking the absolutely baffling mindset clients have when it comes to the durability of fine jewelry. At some point, somewhere along the way, everyone collectively decided that gold, platinum, and tiny prongs holding expensive stones should apparently function like military-grade equipment. We get into the question no one can seem to ans...

This week we finally have a guest on the show. His name is Jake… and yes, we know another Jake… but the internet knows him as “Critter the Designer.” His social media content caught us completely off guard last year—in the best way possible. It’s hilarious, chaotic, and just the right amount of unhinged… which obviously means he fits right in with us. We talk about how Jake got his start in the je...

Stuller representatives tracked Brad and Dusty down… and somehow didn’t arrest them. Instead we had a great visit and learned just how committed Stuller is to helping jewelers succeed. We also talk about our comedy style, the meme page, and the unfortunate reality that we are both wildly immature humans who occasionally say dumb things without meaning to offend anyone. And finally… the heartbreaki...

Dusty & Brad bravely discuss the future of the podcast and reveal our bold new strategy: possibly wasting our hard-earned money to become a paid sponsor on JHJ. Because nothing says “successful media company” like questionable financial decisions. Then we dedicate the rest of the episode to what really matters—breaking down our latest prank call, where we once again contact hardworking jeweler...

Jake Fox is back for round two… and honestly, things fall apart almost immediately. We start this episode with good intentions, diving into the ethics of AI in the jewelry industry and how it’s being used to edit photos and market products. Important stuff. Serious stuff. Responsible podcast stuff. And then… the ADHD kicks in. Before you know it, we’re ranting about why iPhones take amazing photos...

Episode 24 is packed with jewelry industry news you didn't know you needed. Brad and Dusty break down diamond tariffs (because nothing says "fun" like trade policy), dig into Pandora's move away from silver (platinum-plated costume?), and try to wrap their heads around a Dave & Busters promo involving Lab-grown diamond engagement rings. Yes... that  Dave & Buster's...

In this episode, Dusty & Brad dive into the highs and lows of buying over the counter -- when it's great, when it's stressful, and when it makes you question your life choices. Along the way, we tease a possible new segment for the show... prank calling fellow jewelers while they're on the job. Should we do it? Let us know. As always, thank you for supporting the show and for &q...

Episode 22 is basically Brad & Dusty talking about "burnout" in the jewelry industry and realizing a lot of us are hanging on by a polishing wheel thread. We read comments from jewelers from all over the country/world, share our thoughts, and pretend we have solid advice. We also spend part of the episode begging listeners to "buy me a coffee" (link below) so we can keep ma...

Episode 21 gets weird—in the best way. We’re joined by our good friend Eddie, a jeweler from Arizona who we met years ago on JHJ and have been friends with ever since. Eddie was also one of the very few people around in the absolute beginning of Bench Jeweler Memes and helped us create content when the page was barely a thing. We take a quick trip back to those early, scrappy days before immediate...

Episode 20 and we’ve got another guest in the shop. This week we’re hanging with Shawn Przeclawski from Monarch Jewelers down in Florida, and honestly… the guy might be too smart for this podcast . Third generation and a ton of both retail and wholesale experience. Shawn is one of those rare people in the jewelry industry who actually understands the big picture and can explain it in an informativ...

We welcome a brand-new guest to the show, Callie M! Callie is a bench jeweler with over 20 years at the bench and a lifetime of experience in the jewelry industry. We dig into what it’s really like being a woman in a traditionally male-dominated trade, sharing stories, perspectives, and plenty of laughs along the way. We definitely don’t spend the whole episode trash-talking cats (okay… maybe just...

We're back after a long holiday break and jumping straight in to how Weird December felt this year. From the usual chaos to some truly odd moments, we break down what made this past season feel different. Dusty tells a ridiculous story from an old job about of the most annoying coworkers imaginable-- right in the middle of the busiest time of the year. And of course, we wrap tings up by divin...

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Everyone!  Thank you so much for listening and get ready for a fun filled 2026!  Follow us on Instagram & YouTube @benchjewelermemes // Want to support the page & podcast? https://buymeacoffee.com/benchjewelermemes

We so close to Christmas and the bench is absolute chaos. It's been wild, stressful, and borderline maddening. In this episode we talk through all the random , last-minute requests that only show up days before Christmas-- and how clients find new ways to ruin the holiday spirit every year. We vent, we laugh, and we relate hard.  Then we wrap it up with a story that's equal parts hilario...

We are  still  in the chaotic throws of December, but we took a breather to sit down and tackle an important question: "What are the best gift ideas for jewelers?"  From practical tools to the oddly specific things only bench folks truly appreciate, we dive into it all. We also rant (lovingly) about how the phrase "Shop Local" has been overused and misunderstood-- and why it sh...

It's just old Brad and Dusty for this one, and we are officially diving into the Depths of December in the jewelry industry. Honestly... we might laugh more in this episode than any other.  Is it because we're slowly losing our minds in the holiday chaos? Or because our shop stories are getting funnier the more tired we get? Hard to say. We read a fresh batch of Jeweler Pet Peeves -- thi...

This week we're joined by a longtime friend of the show-- someone who has spent most of their life deep in the world of gold.  He's a full-blown gold-market nerd, collecting, and studying every twist and turn in precious metals.  We sit down for a fun, candid conversation about where the gold market stands today, what trends we are seeing, and why metalheads like us find this stuff so fa...

In this episode, we're joined by the insanely talented Jake Fox of "J. Fox Customs" - a guy who somehow manages to juggle both the wholesale and retail sides of the jewelry world. Jake is easily one of the best CAD designers in the country, and he sits down with us for a fun, insider-heavy conversation about the art, stress and absolute chaos of jewelry design. We trade laughs, swap...

On this episode, we sit down with on of our favorite diamond & jewelry vendors, Armaan from I.D.D. Despite his young age, Armaan has carved out a unique place in the industry, and brings a fresh, insightful perspective to our conversation. We chat about lab grown diamonds, impacts of tariffs, emerging trends, and some of the stories that make working in the jewelry industry so interesting. It&...

In this episode, we once again tease the idea of bringing on future guests (we promise it's gonna happen soon ). Then we take an unusual turn and dive into some actual jewelry industry news - talking Geller's Blue Book, Stuller News and even some exciting news around our own shop!  We wrap it all up with a random story about that one time our microwave lived in the bathroom... yeah, you...