The Jewelry Symposium (TJS) has announced Dennis “Buzz” Busby and Randy Welch as the 2026 recipients of its Lifetime Achievement Awards. The awards recognize their decades of work supporting and advancing jewellery manufacturing technology. The honours will be presented during the symposium in Detroit, Michigan, May 16–19, 2026.

Busby, former casting director at Stuller, and Welch, former senior tech process engineer at Stuller, retired in 2024 after 41 and 43 years at the company, respectively. Both joined Stuller in the 1980s and have contributed to industry knowledge sharing through presentations, publications, and ongoing technical guidance.

“We are honoured to present Mr. Busby and Mr. Welch [with] the TJS Lifetime Achievement Award at this year’s symposium,” said Linus Drogs, chairman of the Board at TJS. “Both men have contributed much to the progress of fine jewellery manufacturing. ‘Buzz’ Busby was a regular attendee at SFS [Santa Fe Symposium of Jewelry Manufacturing Technology] since the beginning, attending 29 of the 34 years. He and Randy Welch… were ever eager to share the latest advancements in the jewellery-making process. Separately and together, they have authored and co-authored presentations for SFS and other conferences, industry-wide. Whether shared with hundreds of people at the symposiums or shared in thousands of individual conversations over the years, their goodwill and ongoing endeavours for knowledge-sharing represent the embodiment of the TJS mission.”

TJS, formally The Jewelry Symposium for the Advancement of Jewelry Manufacturing Technology, is a non-commercial global community that aims to inspire creativity, foster innovation, and encourage the development of all facets of the jewellery-making industry.

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes exceptional contributions to the industry. Previous recipients include Eddie Bell in 2023, in recognition of his work founding the Santa Fe Symposium of Jewelry Manufacturing Technology (SFS), and Dr. Christopher Corti in 2025, who has more than 45 years of experience in the precious metals industry.

Awardees receive a commemorative plaque and a full-access pass to TJS’s annual symposium for life.