Blog
Halstead is passionate about supporting small jewelry businesses. Check out our huge archives of helpful articles for makers including technique tutorials, business advice, and connection to resources in our community. Craftsmen and designers alike trust Halstead for supplies and information. Our goal is to help you be successful. Subscribe to keep learning and growing in your profession.
Grants can be a great way to help your jewelry business get to the next level. Read on for a list of grants for your business, as well as some tips and resources of where to look for funding options.
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by Erica Stice
Solder not flowing? Find out the reasons why. Jewelry soldering can be frustrating at times, but with the right knowledge, you can quickly troubleshoot the problems.
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by Erica Stice
We receive more questions about gold-filled items than any other products here at Halstead. We have addressed many material issues in past articles. But, this piece will focus on how to solder gold-filled jewelry items and the issues that may arise. We will also discuss other hot topics dealing with gold-filled items such as sanding, filing, and cleaning.
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Nearly every business across all industries has to deal with customer complaints. It’s a natural side effect of being a business owner unfortunately. But knowing how to deal with complaints can make or break your business. We talked to a few jewelry business owners for their best advice on how to handle customer complaints.
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by Erica Stice
Copper and brass are fun materials to work with in the jewelry studio. They are beautiful in their own right and they are perfect for learning new techniques. But, soldering these metals raises unique issues in design and technical execution. Learn more from our studio coordinator, Erica Stice.
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We have developed great relationships with jewelry making schools all over the country. They offer a range of 1 day workshops to multi-week classes with experienced instructors.
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by Erica Stice
If you have a small piece or want a precise join without a lot of solder flowing, learn to pick solder. Pick soldering minimizes solder messes and heat on your jewelry piece to prevent melting disasters. Add this skill to your bench resume today.
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by Erica Stice
Soldered wire accents allow you to create geometric designs with a line drawing feel. But, soldering thin wires onto sheet metal is a challenge. Our very own Studio Coordinator, Erica Stice, has some tips and a video.
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by Erica Stice
Use 14kt gold solder ornaments on sterling silver jewelry blanks to create unique mixed metal jewelry pieces. Erica Stice is breaking down the sweat soldering process so you can add this great technique to your jewelry making skills.
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by Erica Stice
Many jewelers remember falling in love with metalsmithing at their first torch soldering experience. That mercurial silver flash when solder starts to flow is magical. But, what is actually happening at that moment? What is the science behind soldering?
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by Mariel Diaz
Check out this guest article from Mariel Diaz. Her financial tips for jewelry business owners will help you keep your business on track and earning money.
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by Erica Stice
Rolling mills and jewelry studios go hand in hand. Some jewelers use their rolling mills to imprint patterns on an annealed metal sheet. Others use a rolling mill as the raw material workhorse of their studios. See these and more uses in action.
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Finding and expressing your unique identity isn't always easy. This guest blog from Michael David Sturlin discusses the design process and how you can discover and express your unique creative identity through design.
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Learn about common mistakes in jewelry photography and how to fix them so your product photography shows your product in the best way.
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by Erica Stice
Don't get stuck with a too-short necklace! Whether it's by a customer's need or desire, longer necklaces are a must to carry. Necklace extenders can help take any pre-made design and add length. Learn about some of the most popular types of extenders Halstead offers.
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Check out this guest article from Michael David Sturlin inspired by his experience as a Halstead Grant guest juror this year. Learn new ways to think about pricing your work strategically instead of just blindly applying a formula that may undermine the finances of your business.
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We understand you only want to give your customers the best. That’s why we take great care in our jewelry quality assurance so all items we sell are up to standards. In addition to only buying from reputable vendors, we send items for quality control lab testing. Read more about our quality control procedures.
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by Erica Stice
Our necklace length guide can help you and our customers quickly make jewelry decisions based on the neckline style you're wearing. Read the article, watch the video and save the infographic. Print it today!
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by Erica Stice
Read Tips & Tricks from the Halstead team on untangling chain plus how to properly store chain to prevent further tangles from happening. We've added a few tangled horror chain stories as well.
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