March 09, 2018 / About Us

Top 3 Questions from New Halstead Customers

Curious about shopping for jewelry findings at Halstead? Learn the top 3 questions we hear from new customers getting started. ...

It feels risky to buy online from a new supplier for the first time. Here are answers to our top questions from new customers at Halstead to help you make an informed purchasing decision. Updated April 2022.

We realize you have a lot of choices when it comes to buying jewelry supplies. Here at Halstead, our passion is small jewelry businesses like yours. We're a family-owned business and know the value of hard work, loyalty and integrity. We strive to support small jewelry businesses everyday with great product selection, world-class service and important industry information. Our on-site jewelry studio makes us unique among jewelry supply companies. Here are the top questions we hear from new customers at Halstead.

Do I Need a Resale License to Buy?

Sales tax laws changed in June 2018. Remote sellers, like Halstead, are now required to collect sales tax on most inter-state transactions. If you live in Arizona, we require a current copy of your TPT Resale License and a Form 5000 to set up an account. We also require a business license for Colorado accounts. In other states, a license is not required to set-up an account. However, if you wish to be exempt from sales tax, you will need to have a current exemption certificate on file including a valid license from the state you are shipping to. For more information, visit our Order Terms & Conditions or contact us at [email protected].

Are You a Trustworthy & Credible Supplier?

Halstead started as a small family business in 1973. As our business has grown, so has our reputation. Our President, Hilary Halstead Scott, grew up in the jewelry supplies industry as her parents started and grew Halstead. We work with our vendors to ensure your products are up to our high standards through a rigorous lab testing & quality assurance program. When you contact our service department, rest assured you're going to talk directly to an actual human - no robots here! We have an in-house jewelry studio where every employee learns some of the basic jewelry making skills you use every day. We're also working with our industry partners to increase the transparency and sustainability of our products and the industry.

Jewelry supplies is all we do at Halstead. We keep an eye on the markets, trends, and industry updates so we can pass on as much information to our customers as possible. Buying from an online retailer or marketplace, like Amazon, can be unsettling as you never know for sure what you're getting. We promise you'll get exactly what you're looking for at Halstead. And if there's ever a problem with your product or if you have any questions, we're happy to help get to the bottom of the issue.

Will it Fit?

Once customers start looking at products, one of our most common questions is about fitting components together such as jump rings into chain links, pierced holes, or attachment loops on jewelry findings. The easiest way to determine whether a jump ring will fit is to visit the product detail pages for the components you want to connect. Look at the "notes" section for the measurement specifications.

You can always contact us for more information. But, all of our footage chain has a "Chain Specifications" table on their page that will tell you the internal diameter of the links. From there, you can use a conversion chart to figure out what gauge jump ring will fit. We also provide the inner diameter of attachment rings, the size of punched holes and the gauge of jump rings on the product pages for other findings. From there, you will need your handy jeweler's unit of measure conversion chart as a reference. Look for a jump ring with a gauge that is less than the inner diameter (ID) of the finding connection point.

S10015 Satin Silver blank with hole First, review the measurements for the component you want to attach. Take note of the hole size. 
Wire gauge conversion chart Next, consult the wire gauge conversion chart. As shown here, any jump ring 18-gauge or lighter will work for your component.
SJ105 silver jump ring Browse the jump ring selection on our site. Pay special attention to the size and gauge. Choose the best fit for your design aesthetic and the hole size on your component. 

When you're shopping for jewelry supplies like beading wire and crimp beads, you'll need to compare the diameter of the wire with the internal diameter of the crimp. Keep in mind that you will pass the beading wire twice through a crimp when attaching a clasp. For example, .46mm Beadalon 19 requires a crimp with a 1mm internal diameter if the wire will pass twice through the crimp.

You'll find the answers to more of your questions on our Halstead FAQ's. Or, reach out to our customer service department at [email protected]. We are always happy to answer your questions via phone, chat or email. Read Halstead Reviews & Testimonials to find out why other customers rely on us for their jewelry business supply needs. Thank you for shopping with us! We're grateful for your business.

Don't miss our intro to Halstead video!


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Written By: Katie Hacker
Katie Hacker: Host of Beads Baubles Jewels