About Dorje Adornments

Founded in 2006, Dorje Adornments stands out as Rochester’s premier fine jewelry and precision piercing studio. Our space spans two beautiful floors with dedicated piercing rooms in a 100-year-old historic mansion on Park Avenue and carries a large selection of high quality jewelry in both solid gold and titanium from trusted brands in the industry such as BVLA, Anatometal, Neometal, Modern Mood, Ember, and more. We are proud to be Rochester’s only members of the Association of Professional Piercers.

The word Dorje (dor-jay) holds meaning in multiple forms — It not only translates to diamond in Tibetan, but it is the physical prayer symbol of Vajrayana in Buddhism. Dorje stands for the unbreakable truth, the things that people cannot take from you.

Dorje has been redefining safe piercing in Rochester since we opened the doors in our initial location underneath our friends at Love Hate Tattoo in 2006. Founded by Nick, the first APP member in Rochester, the goal was to provide a beautiful and safe place for clients to express their authentic self through piercing and jewelry. Our mission is to create and maintain a space where all are welcome to explore new body modifications through piercings done with care, expertise, skill, and the highest quality materials. Community, education, and attention to detail are part of the core of why our doors remain open.

Dorje has evolved like any of us would over the 18 years we have been open. Our space is here to serve the wants and needs of our community in Western New York and provides an inclusive environment that does not and will not tolerate hate. Much of our foundation and stellar team is built on the shoulders of the  LGBTQIA2S+ community and that will never change. Despite the metamorphosis Dorje has gone through over the years, our tenants of providing safety and expertise and the utmost care to our clients stand unwavering.

Welcome to Dorje, we’re happy to see you here. ✨

Our Story

The Dorje Team

We wouldn’t be where we are today without the dedication and hard work of our team.

  • Nick Dorje (he/him)

    FOUNDER / PIERCER / STYLIST

    Nick has been a piercer since 1999, founding Dorje Adornments in 2006. He's traveled extensively, guest-piercing at renowned studios nationwide to refine his craft. His passion lies in personalized piercing, considering clients unique anatomy, style and personality. Nick currently dedicates himself full-time as CEO of Dorje, focusing on enhancing the Dorje experience and fostering a safe space for our team and clients alike.

    Loves: Yoga, DJing and dancing to house music, riding his bike around Rochester, watching movies at the Little and the Dryden theater, spending time with his husband and working on learning how to speak Spanish.

    Favorite song: Blue Monday by New Order

  • Tom Gottschalk (he/him)

    HEAD PIERCER

    Tom, our head piercer at Dorje for over a decade, is renowned for his upbeat personality and expertise. Clients flock to him for bespoke projects that guarantee a unique experience. He's also passionate about mentoring, exemplified by guiding Bee through their piercing apprenticeship, reinforcing Dorje's commitment to education and safety in piercing.

    Loves: Collecting hobbies, woodworking, cooking delicious food, traveling, and his pets.

    Favorite song: How Long Do I Have To Wait For You by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings

  • Noah Larham (he/him)

    PIERCER

    Noah began his piercing career in 2001 and comes to Dorje with over two decades of hands-on experience piercing in New York! He is a grounding force in the piercing room with great knowledge of techniques and sterility. Noah credits piercing for allowing him to meet and connect with his favorite people and for introducing him to his best friends.

    Loves: Working out, woodworking, binging anime, spending time with his wife and pups.

    Favorite song: We’re In This Together by Nine Inch Nails

  • Bee M. (they/them)

    APPRENTICE PIERCER

    We couldn’t be more delighted to have our piercing apprentice, Bee, on our team. Bee’s love for piercing began when they started getting pierced in Buffalo, which lead them to a career at Dorje. They have been part of our team for over three years with their journey starting as a jewelry specialist and quickly leading into performing piercings with care and expertise under the education of Tom. Bee loves anything rose gold and offering gender-affirming piercings.

    Loves: Star Trek, playing tabletop games, any variation of Mountain Dew.

    Favorite song: Margaritaviille by Jimmy Buffet

  • Christa Miller (she/her)

    STUDIO MANAGER / JEWELRY SPECIALIST

    Having moved around from California to Las Vegas, Christa has now landed in Rochester! Her fun yet minimalistic jewelry taste shines bright here at Dorje and she loves helping clients do the same! With a Master’s in Liberal Studies, Christa has an extremely professional, organized, and efficient work ethic. She works alongside Nick to collaborate and manage the details of Dorje!

    Loves: Binge watching documentaries, exploring New York State, and home decor projects with her wife.

    Favorite song: Golden Gun Girls by Metric

  • Jack Steger (he/him)

    HEAD JEWELRY SPECIALIST / INVENTORY COORDINATOR

    Jack, a Rochester native and our head jewelry specialist at Dorje for over five years, fosters a warm and inviting atmosphere for every visitor. He delights in connecting with clients, offering expert guidance to find their ideal jewelry, from timeless pieces to bold styles. Beyond client care, Jack leverages his sales experience to manage Dorje's inventory, merchandising, and jewelry procurement with precision.

    Loves: Watching movies, playing guitar, and enjoying the great outdoors!

    Favorite song: Champagne & Reefer by Muddy Waters

  • Rhys Black (they/he)

    CUSTOM ORDER + SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR / JEWELRY SPECIALIST

    Rhys came to Dorje with a passion for the piercing and jewelry industry and a desire to be a part of it all. Their knowledge of jewelry as it pertains to body piercing is rare to come by, and they adore helping clients pick out their favorite pieces and allowing clients to use piercing as a form of personal expression. When Rhys isn’t working with clients, they’re hard at work with overseeing custom jewelry orders and managing the studio’s social media.

    Loves: D&D and tabletop games with their partner, cats, making digital art and poetry.

    Favorite song: The Truth by The Front Bottoms

  • Sam Frank (she/her)

    JEWELRY SPECIALIST

    Sam, a Rochester native, comes to us as our newest jewelry specialist at Dorje with a keen eye for up to date fashion and beauty trends and an infectious sense of humor. A lover of yellow gold everything, her affinity for being a piercing stylist stems from the joy brought upon clients when they find the perfect new piece for their jewelry collection. Her favorite piercing is a septum piercing as they suit so many different people.

    Loves: Hanging out with her cats, binge watching her comfort shows.

    Favorite song: Deacon Blues by Steely Dan

  • Lynda Angold (she/her)

    OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

    Lynda brings a decade of piercing studio expertise to Dorje along with her passion about client connections and the intersection of fine and body jewelry. She studied Advertising and Marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology, has presented at the APP Conference in Las Vegas, and traveled globally for her work. Splitting her time between Rochester and New York City, she helps steer Dorje's roadmap and enhance customer experience.

    Loves: Her elderly cat (Tony Soprano), practicing her Portuguese and Spanish, playing Stardew Valley, eating oysters, and traveling.

    Favorite song: Great DJ by The Ting Tings

  • Karin Eckert (she/her)

    INVENTORY SPECIALIST / PLANT WITCH

    Karin is one of our gems who fell in love with getting pierced at Dorje eleven years ago. When she isn’t busy with being a freelance costumer, designer, and wardrobe stylist, she’s hard at work managing and counting the intricacies of Dorje’s jewelry inventory that keeps our studio running. Her theatre career includes being a 30+ year member of IATSE (an international entertainment labor union) and has taken her to places like London, Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York City. With a natural love for all growing green things, Karin works alongside Nick in caring for and nurturing the plants of Dorje we all know and love.

    Loves: Working barefoot in her garden, baking and making things using natural fibers and semi precious stones, watching a good documentary or staying up reading way too late.

    Favorite Song: Lose Control by Teddy Swims

  • Albert (all pronouns)

    PRINCE OF DORJE

    Albert comes to us from clownfish royalty — He can be seen swimming around with his crab friends among the anemones by the Dorje cashwrap. He also doesn’t mind if you call him Al. He loves to wave goodbye to our clients and let them know how fabulous their new piercing looks!

    Loves: Learning new languages, watching Finding Nemo, exploring new places.

    Favorite song: Fins by Jimmy Buffet