Bio

Growing up, Ben Bentvelzen enjoyed making things with his hands. The smaller and more precise the build, the more he enjoyed it.

When the time came to start considering his future career, his father suggested a school called “De Vakschool” which offered courses to become a bench jeweler, silversmith, watchmaker, and the like. After completing their 4-year program and working as an independent contractor, Ben planned to study engraving and stone setting more in-depth. This led him to study stone setting at the New Approach School for Jewelers and the Alexandre School for Optical Diamond Setting. He learned hand engraving with Sam Alfano and Martin Strolz. For the last ten years, he has divided his time between client work, instructing, and demonstrating at trade shows. Since August of 2023 Ben has been fully employed at Glendo as a Training & Product Specialist. In this position, he contributes to the GRSTC by offering a variety of courses and training opportunities and also assists in developing new tools and training programs.