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Meet Your Instructors

 

Andrew Biggs, Engraving Instructor

 

Andrew Biggs is based in Christchurch, New Zealand and has been a full-time professional hand engraver for the last 15 years. Specialising in watches and jewellery such as signet rings, pendants and bracelets, he also works on just about any canvas that the clients want engraved, including knives. From highly ornate scroll patterns to simple initials and monograms, Andrew gives every canvas special attention with his artistic skills, creativity and experience.

​For the last 15 years, Andrew has regularly travelled the world as a demonstrator for GRS engraving tools and equipment, demonstrating both engraving and stone setting.

He personally uses all of these tools in his own studio, so he has an intimate knowledge of how they work and, more importantly, how they can benefit the workflow and productivity of fellow engravers and stone setters.

With his warm, gregarious personality and a rare ability to understand and articulate both the business and creative sides of engraving, he is frequently requested to present and demonstrate at industry gatherings, such as international jewellery shows. He has also taught hand engraving classes in Hong Kong and China using the GRS equipment and tools.

Andrew is an international member of the Firearm Engravers Guild of America (FEGA) and has served on their Board of Directors, overseeing the FEGA Master Engraver program. Andrew also serves as the Editor of ‘The ENGRAVER’ – a quarterly FEGA publication about fine hand engraving.

Andrew's work is regularly featured in various jewellery and engraving trade magazines.  He has also been featured in two books. American Engravers 21st Century by C. Roger Bleile and American Engravers III - Masterpieces in Metal by America's Engraving Artisans by C. Roger Bleile and edited/published by S.P. Fjestad. 

Learn more about Andrew here!

 

Paul Greenfield, Stone Setting Instructor

Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Paul Greenfield is a highly experienced gem setter, mentor, and advocate for the craft, with over three decades of setting behind him.

Paul began his career as a gem setter at Anvil Jewellery in 1991 and certified as a Diamond Setter and Manufacturing Jeweller. Paul has contracted his setting skills to some of New Zealand's most respected jewellery houses. Over more than thirty years in the trade, he has worked across every gem setting technique and style, setting precious and semi-precious stones in precious metals with equal confidence and care in New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Paul is as well known for his generosity as he is for his skill. Jewellery houses return to him not only for the quality of his setting but for the ease of working alongside him — he is personable, warm, and genuinely invested in the people he works with. That same generosity has led him to run his own gem setting training in Auckland, where he passes his craft on to a new generation of setters.

Born and raised in Auckland, of Samoan and Australian heritage, Paul also creates his own handcrafted jewellery through his brand, Stasita Jeweller, drawing on his Pasifika roots.

Whether setting a commissioned piece or teaching the next generation of setters, Paul approaches every project with precision, care, and a deep respect for the craft. His aim in training others is not simply to demonstrate technique, but to help them build the confidence and skill to take their own work further.

With the number of skilled gem setters across Oceania steadily shrinking, Paul is looking forward to training with GRS/AJS in Brisbane — a chance to extend his craft and his teaching to a wider community of setters across New Zealand and Australia.

AJS is delighted to welcome Paul Greenfield and is confident that students attending his courses will gain valuable hands-on skills, technical insight, and the confidence to take their own gem setting to the next level.

Learn more about Paul here!

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