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1 Year Silver Price.
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24 hour $US price per ounce.
New Blog Posts
Posted on 1/12/2012:
Check out our two latest blogs for jewelry artists:
Why Award Season Matters to Jewelers,
Launching a Bridal Jewelry Line
Winter Vacation Dates
Re-Posted on 12/21/2011:
We are closed for our annual winter vacation December 22 through January 2. We will re-open on TUESDAY, January 3rd. After break, we will compare the London metals fix rates from December 21 and December 30, the last day London posts before we re-open. We will use the lower fix rate of the two dates for all orders submitted over vacation when we download internet orders. We will not consider days in between. Thank you very much for your business in 2011 and happy holidays!
2012 Shipping Rates
Posted on 12/21/2011:
FedEx shipping rate increases are effective January 2, 2012. We have updated our system with new FedEx flat rates for all orders that will ship out in January. Please use our shipping quote tool to look up new rates using your zip code. The 2012 USPS rates do not go into effect January 22, 2012. We will wait until that week to update postal rates. Happy New Year!
Valentine’s Day 2012 Jewelry
Posted on 12/21/2011:
Read our latest blog on artisan jewelry trends for the next jewelry gift holiday.
Halstead Holiday Gift Guide
Posted on 12/12/2011:
Check out our latest blog on great gifts
for the holidays that are quick and easy to restock this late in the season. Fill in your
inventory before final holiday shows and sales with great
jewelry supplies!
Gold Plated Pewter Price Increase
Posted on 12/12/2011:
Due to the rise in gold costs this year our pewter jewelry supplies
manufacturer has substantially increased plating costs on all gold plated pewter items. These
price changes are effective immediately. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Reduced Prices on Books and DVDs!
Posted on 12/1/2011:
Just in time for holiday gifts enjoy reduced pricing on books and DVDs while supplies last.
We will not be restocking jewelry making
publications so shop now for the best selection.
New Gift Boxes
Posted on 12/1/2011:
We are proud to launch a selection of
jewelry gift boxes.
These are 2 piece assembled boxes made in the USA and filled with cotton blown padding. We offer
five colors and five sizes. These are essential items for your jewelry business. Best of all, you
can combine boxes to reach quantity breaks!
Winter Vacation Dates
Posted on 12/1/2011:
We will be closed for our annual winter vacation December 22 through January 2. We will
re-open on TUESDAY, January 3rd. Please plan your jewelry supply orders accordingly and be
sure to get your orders in before noon on our last business day, December 21. After break,
we will compare the London metals fix rates from December 21 and December 30, the last day
London posts before we re-open. We will use the lower fix rate of the two dates for all orders
submitted over vacation when we download internet orders. We will not consider days in between.
Thank you very much for your business in 2011 and happy holidays!
New Cast Sterling Charms
Posted on 11/10/2011:
We are proud to introduce several dozen new fancy charms to our expanding collection. Highlights include CZ-set cocktail charms,
sports charms and many more wholesale silver charms.
Closed for Thanksgiving
Posted on 11/1/2011:
We will be closed Thursday Nov 24 and Friday Nov 25 in observance of Thanksgiving. Please plan your
jewelry supplies orders accordingly. Happy holidays!
New Swarovski Colors Now Available
Posted on 10/14/2011:
Antique Pink and Denim Blue crystal beads by Swarovski Elements are now in stock!
New Sterling Ring Bands Now in Stock
Posted on 10/12/2011:
Introducing our series of brilliant plain and hammered finger rings! These beautiful shiny bands are ready to wear.
Or, you can use them to solder on settings or embellishments. The smaller bands are perfect for the latest stacking
ring trend. Shop our selection of silver rings
now.
5 Tips for Making Hand Stamped Jewelry
Posted on 10/12/2011:
Check out our latest blog
and don’t forget to shop hand stamped jewelry supplies for this holiday season.
Metals Market Correction
Posted on 9/20/2011:
This week both silver and gold markets plunged in a correction of over 25% for silver and 10% for gold. Customers
understandably leapt at the opportunity to stock up on
jewelry supply staples
and popular items. In just a few days we sold out of many items due to an extreme surge in demand. We are doing our best to
restock as quickly as possible. However, some items will remain out of stock for several weeks or more while our manufacturers
produce replacements. We appreciate your patience and thank you for your continued patronage.
New Pewter Christmas Charms
Posted on 9/20/2011:
Introducing ten new designer pewter charms for the holidays. Choose from Santa, a nutcracker, toys and more
for youy Christmas jewelry creations. Shop pewter Christmas charms now.
Holiday 2011 Trend Report
Posted on 9/19/2011:
Check out our latest blog on the top 8
artisan jewelry trends for this year.
New Metal Stamps
Posted on 9/19/2011:
ImpressArt product launch! We are proud to offer 14 new letter stamp sets and 20 new design stamps by ImpressArt.
Make hand stamped jewelry with funky fonts and popular designs like the stick figure family series. We also have a new
jewelry stamping starter kit available for $79.90. Shop now!
Prices Reduced on Copper Blanks
Posted on 9/19/2011:
We are pleased to announce a price reduction of 10-20% on many of our new
copper blanks for jewelry making.
New Blog Post
Posted on 9/7/2011:
Meet another talented new artisan jeweler and two-time finalist in The Halstead Grant competition, Sterling Echoes.
Designer Denise Harrison specializes in etching sterling silver jewelry. Check out her gorgeous work on
Halstead Jewelry Blog!
Labor Day 2011
Posted on 9/1/2011:
We will be closed on Monday, September 5th in observance of Labor Day. Please plan your orders for jewelry supplies accordingly.
Since we are closed for a long weekend we will use whichever is lower of the London fixes from Friday, September 2nd and Monday,
September 5th for all orders received over the break.
August 29, 2011 Metals Markets
Posted on 8/29/2011:
The London market is closed Monday, August 29 for a bank holiday. We will continue to use metals fixes from last Friday until the London market opens again tomorrow. Silver $41.06 and Gold $1788.
Blog Review of Philadelphia Bead Fest
Posted on 8/25/2011:
Check out our latest blog on the August Bead Fest event. Hilary took classes and spent time with our 2011 grant winner. Click now to read the details.
New Matte Gold Plated Sterling Items
Posted on 8/25/2011:
Check out our product additions including some of our most popular findings in sterling now also available in a
matte gold plated finish.
More New Tools
Posted on 8/25/2011:
We just uploaded a dozen new tool items including a folding lamp, magnifier, tool tote, bench pin and more. Watch the website for even more new tools and stamps coming in September.
Swarovski Price Reductions
Posted on 8/25/2011:
We have reduced prices on most of our smaller pack sizes of 5328 bicone and 5000 round
Swarovski Elements crystal beads. Compare again and save!
Pierced Leaf Bail Findings
Posted on 8/25/2011:
Our most popular
glue-on leaf bails
in sterling silver are now available in a pierced configuration that is perfect for earrings and charms.
Whoop it up for Hoops
Posted on 8/25/2011:
We have added a variety of fashion
sterling silver hoop earrings
just in time for the holiday season. Hoops are a major jewelry trend right now. Don’t miss out on these great sellers.
Layne Designs Wins the 2011 Halstead Grant
Posted on 8/2/2011:
Philadelphia-area designer Layne Freedline of
Layne Designs is the winner of the 2011 Halstead Grant for jewelry entrepreneurs. The prestigious award includes a $5,000 small business grant as well as $1,000 of
jewelry supplies from the grant sponsor Halstead Bead Inc. Layne Designs joins a distinguished roster of
Halstead Grant recipients since the program began six years ago. Applications for the 2012 Halstead Grant will be available later this year.
Posted on 7/21/2011:
Read about one of last year’s finalists for The Halstead Grant,
the talented Alyssa Lesser of LESS Jewelry. Results for the 2011 Halstead Grant competition will
be announced in early August. Check back to see this year’s winner and finalists soon.
New Blog Post: Setting Up a New Jeweler's Bench
Posted on 7/18/2011:
Tips on building and organizing a studio workspace for jewelry and metalsmithing. Check out our
hints and photos to get your studio humming! Then shop at Halstead Bead for metals and
findings
for all your jewelry creations.
New Books and DVDs Now Online
Posted on 7/18/2011:
Learn a new technique or get inspiration from one of our many
jewelry publications
from Kalmbach and Interweave publishing. Popular titles include Soldering Made Simple by Joe Silvera
and Mixed Metal Mania with Kim St. Jean.
Independence Day 2011
Posted on 6/29/2011:
We will be closed on Monday, July 4th to celebrate Independence Day. Please plan your orders
for jewelry supplies accordingly. Since we are closed for a long weekend we will use whichever
is lower of the London fixes from Friday, July 1st and Monday, July 4th for all orders received
over the break. We will be enjoying The World’s Oldest Rodeo here in Prescott, AZ along with the
usual fireworks, picnics and camping trips. Cowboy up! Happy 4th of July!
Posted on 4/21/2011:
We are open on all business days surrounding the Easter holiday but global metals markets are closed
in observance of Good Friday on April 22. So, the Thursday April 21st 5pm fix update of $46.26 silver
and $1504 gold will stay in effect for all orders placed between 5pm Thursday and 5pm Monday.
On Monday, the London Market remains closed in observance of Easter Monday; however, the New York
Exchange will re-open. So, for the Monday April 25th 5pm price update at Halstead will we use whichever
is lower of the Thursday April 21st London PM Fix ($46.26 and $1504) or the 4pm MST April 25 New York
Spot Market price as posted on Kitco.com. Happy Easter!
Posted on 4/21/2011:
Finally some good news in pricing! Our manufacturer of copper beads recently reduced pricing
10% to 40% on most bead styles and a few basic findings. Shop
wholesale copper beads
now. These prices will become permanent if the manufacturer can consistently sell enough
volume to run machine batches of a certain size. We’ll keep you posted.
USPS Rates Increase
Posted on 4/21/2011:
The US Postal Service increased some service rates on April 18. Parcel declared value insurance went
up $0.05 in each bracket. Rates for flat rate priority boxes and first class mail parcels also increased.
Priority mail rates for irregular boxes did not change. The small flat rate priority box now costs
$5.20 postage plus $2.80 insurance for values between $100 - $150 for a total of $8.00. Other priority
mail box prices will depend on the package weight and value.
Posted on 3/30/2011:
Silver-Filled is a metal material that is similar in construction to Gold-Filled.
It consists of a layer of .925 sterling silver that is bonded to a brass core consisting of a copper and zinc
alloy. The sterling silver layer is 1/20 or 5% by weight of the total material. It is a great
low-cost alternative to sterling that is more durable than silver plating. Silver plated base
metals contain only a fraction of the silver content in Silver-Filled. Silver-Filled is not the same as
Sterling Silver and should not be sold as such. Please be careful to keep your Silver-Filled
materials separate from sterling items and properly labeled. Although Silver-Filled is not new,
there is renewed interest in the material due to the high cost of precious metals today. We are
introducing this limited selection of Silver-Filled findings to assess interest and satisfaction
with the product. We welcome your feedback.
Posted on 3/15/2011:
One of the hottest trends in jewelry design is custom hand stamped jewelry! Just in time for Mother’s Day
jewelry stocking we have drastically increased our selection of
hand stamped jewelry supplies.
We now offer a broad selection of letter stamp sets and designer
metal stamps. We also carry all the necessary metals for stamping. Shop
sterling silver blanks,
gold filled blanks,
copper blanks and
silver sheet for your stamping canvases. Enjoy!
Soldering Supplies Now Available
Posted on 3/15/2011:
We were blown away by the high demand for our complete 9pc
soldering kit last year. So, we have just added to our selection of
jewelry soldering supplies.
We now offer tools, torches, and flux. Silver paste and wire solder will be arriving any day. Stay tuned.
Save It From Scrap SALE!
Posted on 1/24/2011:
We are offering limited quantities of overstocked items
in unique product assortments. These assortments have fixed prices that will not change with
the market. Prices are rock bottom blowout deals to move stock before we scrap any remaining
overstock this summer. Quantities are limited and these items may not be returned. Buy now
while supplies last!
New Halstead Logo
Posted on 1/24/2011:
In 2011 we will be updating our company logo. Watch for changes to the website, printed catalog
and print ads starting this month. At Halstead we sell much more than
wholesale beads
so we believe the new logo emphasizes the family business name more and the bead portion of our
product line a little bit less to better reflect the wide variety of jewelry supplies we carry.
Let us know if you like it!
The Halstead Grant 2011 Call for Entries
Posted on 1/24/2011:
In 2011 we are changing the name of our grant from the Jewelry Design Business Development
Grant to simply The Halstead Grant. We believe the award is now established in the industry
and besides the old name was a mouthful! This year will be our 6th annual award. The
application is already available on the grant website.
Applications will be due June 6, 2011. Good luck!
2011 Shipping Rate Increases
Posted on 1/24/2011:
Both FedEx and US Mail have updated their rates for 2011. New rates for shipments of
jewelry supplies
are already in effect and can be reviewed in our shipping quotes
system by inputting your zip code and package value. Rate increases vary by method and zone but
range from 0% - 10%.
BMAC Call for Jewelry Exhibitors
Posted on 1/24/2011:
The Buyers Market of American Craft is reviewing applications from jewelry artists who are
ready to sell wholesale to galleries, museum stores and boutiques. Seeking U.S.- and
Canada-based artists who produce all work in their own studios. Ask about booth benefits for
first-timers. Call Rebecca Mercado at 800.432.7238, ext. 202, or visit
www.buyersmarketofAmericancraft.com.
Winter Closure Notice
Posted on 12/21/2010:
We will respond to all emails, chat messages, voice mails etc when we re-open
on January 3rd. We will accept and hold orders received via fax, email and online shopping cart
during vacation. They will be processed & shipped when we re-open Monday, January 3, 2011. We
will wait to run card pre-authorizations and final order payments on that day as well. Prior to
inputting orders we will compare daily market fixes from Tuesday, December 21 (our last day open
in 2010 as shown on the header bar above) and Friday, December 31 which is the last business day
of the metals markets before we re-open. We will not consider market prices from dates in between;
but we will use the lower market price fix of those two specific dates for all orders received over
vacation. We wish all of you a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!
Winter Closure
Posted on 12/13/2010: We will be closed for winter vacation Weds, Dec 22 through
Sun, Jan 2. Please place your final 2010 orders by noon on Tues, Dec 21.
Thanksgiving Holiday
Posted on 11/22/2010: We will be closed Thursday, November 25 and Friday, November
26 in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday. Please note that FedEx and USPS are both closed
on 11/26 as well. We will re-open and be ready for your jewelry supply orders the following
Monday. Happy holidays!
Holiday Closing Dates
Posted on 10/26/2010: We will be closed Wednesday, December 22 through Sunday, January 2
for our annual winter vacation. Please place final orders for 2010 by noon MST on Tuesday, December
21 to ensure shipment before we close. We wish everyone a wonderful holiday season and thank you for
your business in 2010!
FedEx Express Price Reductions
Posted on 10/12/2010: It's an early Christmas at Halstead Bead, Inc! We have lowered
our flat rates on FedEx 1-day, 2-day and 3-day services from $1 - $4 depending on zip code and
ship method. Look up your shipping rates. New 3-day rates range from
just $9.20 to $12.50!.
FedEx Switch
Posted on 7/20/2010: In early August, we will be switching to FedEx as our primary shipping
provider. We greatly appreciate all the customer feedback we received via our recent shipping survey.
We have outlined new rates and answers on FAQs.
Chain Supply Notice
Posted on 6/9/2010: This week a major world chain manufacturer suddenly closed its doors
due to the recession. We use many other chain sources; however, their departure will cause a supply
gap across the entire industry for the foreseeable future. We anticipate severe shortages of many
footage chain styles as the market struggles to absorb the demand that this manufacturer supplied.
Shortages will most likely intensify through the holiday season since remaining chain suppliers will
not have time to add new production capacity in the next three months. We are rapidly remerchandising
the items directly affected by this closure and will substitute the closest chains we can find under
the same stock numbers. We will note these changes as soon as they occur and you will start to
notice variance from the stock you are accustomed to receiving for many items. Prices will most
likely increase as we switch some items to new sources. We recommend stocking heavily on chain until
this situation improves. Lead times and stock outs will be longer than they have ever been before
so you may need to be flexible and look at close alternatives instead of waiting for items to come
in. This will be a difficult period for everyone in the trade. The closed factory was one of the
biggest and best chain manufacturers in the business. They will be truly missed. We apologize for
the inconvenience and will do our best to minimize supply disruptions and communicate with our
clients as the situation develops. Thank you for understanding.
New Flat Rates on Orange 3-Day and Blue 2-Day UPS Shipping
Posted on 5/18/2010: A huge thank you to all who responded to our shipping survey. We are
still evaluating complete results to adapt our shipping services to current customer needs. However,
we are able to immediately begin offering flat rates on some UPS express services based on overwhelming
customer demand. Flat rates are available on packages up to 3 pounds. Heavier packages will be charged
the list rates by weight and address.
Orange 3-Day flat rates vary between $14 - $17 depending on your state. Blue 2-Day flat rates
vary between $16 - $22 depending on your state. We cannot offer flat rates on Red Next Day service
at this time because rates vary too widely depending on delivery addresses and package weights.
We hope you find flat rates helpful when choosing a shipping method. Thank you for your feedback.
These flat rates are a direct result of your input!
Huge Gold Filled Price Cut!
Posted on 5/10/2010: We are pleased to announce aggressive price cuts from 5%-15% on thirty
of our most popular 12/20 gold-filled
wholesale beads and findings. These
prices are effective immediately and cover several plain rounds, crimps, crimp covers and small tubes.
New Smaller Pack Sizes & Reduced Wire Minimum
Posted on 4/15/2010: We heard you! ~Based on customer demand and persistent high metals
markets we have reduced our minimum pack sizes on several hundred items. We will also allow
bulk wire orders of 1/2 ounce
per item when the market fix for gold is above $900 and silver is above $16 respectively.
Our minimum order is still $100 but you can now buy smaller quantities of many products.
For example, our sterling letter cubes are now sold by the piece
(just in time for Mothers Day).
Digital Sales Sheets
Posted on 4/15/2010: We have officially made the switch into the digital era. All new
product sales sheets released between catalog publications will now be sent to customers as PDF files
for download attached to this quarterly newsletter. We will no longer print sales sheets
as package inserts. However, rest assured that we have no plans to stop publishing our
printed annual catalog each year. This change only applies to interim product releases.
Please remember that we always upload new items to our website as soon as they are available.
You can easily search for items added since a certain date by visiting our
Brand New section
online.
Check out this quarter's
New Jewelry Supply Items PDF!
New Jewelry Supply Items
Posted on 6/9/2010: Please view our sales sheet for images and pricing on the following
new items. The sales sheet PDF shows pricing at $16.79 Silver and $1093.00 Gold Market Value.
- Swarovski Elements: New Colors & Pendants
- Gunmetal Chain
- Leather Cord by the Meter
- Sterling findings and charms
- Woven Cable Necklaces
- and more...
Download: April 2010 Sales Sheet (1.3MB PDF)
Or, you can see the new items on our online shopping cart
Brand New section.
New Bridal Jewelry Design Tools
Posted on 4/15/2010: We are proud to announce the launch of a new, improved section in our
Jewelry Design Tools. Check out our
bridesmaid jewelry making
inspiration boards complete with jewelry design ideas and product listings. This section also
features a color selector
for choosing wholesale crystal beads to complement bridesmaid apparel. Check it out for use with
your bridal party design commissions.
Grant Deadline Approaches
Posted on 4/15/2010: The June deadline is coming up for our 2010 Jewelry Design Business
Development Grant competition. See the grant section
of our website for more details.
New Blog: The Post-Recession Jewelry Market
Posted on 4/15/2010: Check out our jewelry blog
to read an opinion piece on how the recession is changing the industry landscape.
Website Improvement Launch
Posted on 4/15/2010: In late January we launched several new features on our website.
Feedback has been fantastic as customers can now order more efficiently and find items more easily.
Here are some of the most exciting new site elements:
Brand New Items are
now searchable by date. Enter the month when you last visited the section at the top of the
page and the site will return all items added since that date.
Streamlined Checkout Process. We have halved the number of clicks it takes to add items
to your shopping cart and complete the average order. This means faster ordering for
customers and more time for other things.
Out of Stock Information and Options. Items are flagged on the website when they are out
of stock so you can select an alternative or make other arrangements. The shopping cart
now also allows you to designate backordered items if you wish to do so for lines over $30.
Sort Product Pages. You can now sort the items within a product category by price instead
of the standard item number alphabetization. Find options that meet your budget more easily.
New Clearance Section
Layout. The Clearance Section now features a drop down menu to limit the items shown according to
material class.
More Changes Coming Soon! We will be rolling out new enhancements throughout 2010 to improve
your experience at www.HalsteadBead.com.
Argentium Update
Posted on 4/15/2010: Argentium finding production has not yet resumed after the mill
licensing switch at the end of March. Manufacturers are still working out material supply before they
can begin production again. We have some stock remaining on most of our
Argentium findings
and are hoping to figure out replacement sourcing by the end of the summer.
Upcoming Price Increases
Posted on 4/15/2010: We have received substantial price increase notices from several
sterling silver and
gold filled chain footage
manufacturers and our
ziplock bag
manufacturer. We will be raising prices accordingly in May on many chain
items and in July on ziplock bags. Order now to stock up on footage jewelry chain styles
at current pricing while supplies last. Backorders will not receive rain check pricing.
Celebrating 37 Years
Posted on 4/15/2010: We recently celebrated our 37th year in business. Thanks to all our
clients and colleagues who have made this anniversary possible. We are grateful for your business
and your support. We look forward to serving you for another 37 years or more!
Argentium Update
Posted on 2/17/2010: Argentium
has announced that mill product will now be produced in the United States by several
different alloy mills. In an extremely unusual move, Argentium is apparently granting exclusive
production rights to one mill for casting grain, another mill for sheet goods and possibly a third
mill for
jewelry wire.
This division of raw material production raises many questions as to the logistical
and financial feasibility of sourcing the three types of raw material necessary for findings
manufacturing. Traditionally, manufacturers could source all types of mill products from a single
producer. Having to use 2-3 raw material suppliers will increase the cost and time involved in
manufacturing.
Furthermore, to date, Argentium has only announced the mill for casting grain. It will announce
suppliers for sheet and wire in March after the previous major Argentium mill in the US ceases
production. It is not clear how long the gap will be in material supply as a result. While mill
products will be available in the market,
wholesale findings
manufacturers cannot plan past March for production because Argentium is not announcing the mills
involved or disclosing their pricing structure, terms of sale, volume requirements, etc.
At Halstead Bead, we will make every attempt to continue sourcing
findings
in Argentium from factories here in the USA and in Europe. However, these factories are all still
saying they cannot plan a production line until March when all information is available. It is
unlikely that we will source Argentium wire and sheet unless the mills granted exclusive rights
are mills we already work with. Otherwise, the relatively small volumes involved in Argentium
wire products would make the pricing on the line prohibitive.
We are frustrated by the lack of information and clarity of Argentium communications to date. We
currently have stock available for 22 out of the 28 Argentium findings we carry. We are stocking
up on the line to try to bridge any gap in supply to the extent possible. Please continue to check
Facebook or the News page on our website for further announcements as more information becomes
available. Thank you for your patience.
Argentium Notice
Posted on 1/25/2010: The primary manufacturer of Argentium findings, beads and mill products in the USA has announced
that they will stop producing the alloy and all associated goods in March of this year. Most
secondary manufacturers of Argentium products in North America source the alloy from this mill
so we expect significant supply disruptions late this spring. We are researching alternative
overseas suppliers of Argentium products but it is unlikely that we will have replacement supply
in place on such short notice. We are not certain that we will ever be able to replicate our
current selection. We will post updates on our website, Facebook and Twitter as more information
becomes available. In the meantime, we recommend that those requiring Argentium components stock
heavily prior to early March when production will stop. We share your frustration with this
situation and offer our sincere apologies for the bad news.
Swarovski Elements 6202 Heart Change
Posted on 1/25/2010: Swarovski has announced that it will be upgrading the facet
configuration on the 6202 Heart Pendant series. This design change will phase over just like the
recent bicone series switch. The new product code will be 6228. The website will show the currently
available style.
New Halstead Bead Website!
Posted on 1/21/2010: Welcome to Halstead Bead's new corporate website! This updated
software includes many aesthetic and navigational improvements. Shoppers are able to sort product
groups by price, stock number or description. More improvements to the system will roll out over the
course of 2010.
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