Paul Benzing I
grew up in Northern Wisconsin and have always enjoyed the natural
wonders of the world. I went through a 3 year apprenticeship under
Master Goldsmith Ulf Masters on the island of St. Thomas U.S.V.I. During
this apprenticeship I was educated in old world hand fabrication
techniques that I use to this day in creation and repair of custom
jewelry. Upon moving back to Wisconsin, I worked in the jewelry
industry in Wisconsin for five years before my employment with
Wickersham Jewelry which started in 2002. I worked in all Wickersham
Jewelry stores before becoming manager of our newest location in
Rhinelander.
In my free time I enjoy hunting, fishing, camping, and spending time outdoors.
Shannon Dalton I've always had a passion for creating and building things. Whether
it was home-made rockets, slingshots or blue ribbon science fair
projects in grade school to bronze castings and steel sculptures in
college, I knew metals, science and art was where it was at for me.
I went to U.W. Oshkosh for graphic design and with the Dean of Arts as a
teacher and adviser and was taught art metals as well. I fell in love
with sawing and soldering... and gemstones. I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a metals and sculpture emphasis in 1993.
Here at Wickersham's we have built a custom and repair business that
has thrived and grown. We have changed with technology and now
we have the capability to make nearly anything jewelry related in our three
shops.
My
passions now are my beautiful wife and two boys, kayaking, bicycling,
photography and of course those beautiful gemstones and creating works
of art using the noble metals.
Jeff Hildebrand
I graduated Ripon Sr. High School in Ripon, Wisconsin in 1975. I have
diplomas in jewelry making, hand-engraving, watchmaking and clock making
from John Wood Community College in Quincy, Illinois. I graduated with
honors from Gem City College, also in Quincy Ill. with as Associate in
Technology Degree with a major in complete horology in June of 1983.
In 1998 I passed the required testing by Jewelers of America and became a
Certified Master Bench Jeweler . I have been working in the jewelry
industry for 27 years and have been at Wickersham Jewelry for the last
4+ years.
What drives me is my love of design and creating
original jewelry and the pleasure I get from restoration of a piece of
heirloom jewelry. I also find it fun taking a broken bit of this and a
broken bit of that and fabricating a new piece of jewelry . In my free
time I enjoy spending time with my wife and my dogs I enjoy
water-sports, hunting and snowmobiling.
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