Halstead Jewelry Articles

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.

PR Professional Lilian Raji talks about when to hire a PR firm for your jewelry business. She discusses key factors to know if you’re ready.

by Lilian Raji

PR for Jewelry: Are you Ready to Hire a PR Company?

Thinking about hiring a PR firm? Lilian Raji, founder of The Lilian Raji Agency, a luxury goods public relations and marketing company, discusses how to know if your jewelry business is ready. She talks about what a PR company can do for your brand and shares real world stories.

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by Kelli Vanyek Greene

Meet Kris Schaible, Halstead's Featured Lampwork Artist

Halstead is proud to feature Kris Schaible as the 2019 featured lampwork artist. She has been working in the glass field for 15 years and has created beautiful glass beads and finished jewelry pieces. Read on to learn more about Kris!

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by Bethany Blackshear

Build a Jewelry Photography Setup on a Budget

Photographing your own jewelry can be a big money saver for your business. With the right setup you can turn out quality photos yourself, versus spending hundreds of dollars having them photographed by a professional. Unfortunately a good setup for photo can be expensive. Read on for tips to create a jewelry photography setup on a budget.

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by Erica Stice

Soldering Gold-Filled: Tips for Success & Troubleshooting

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. Soldering gold-filled is tricky and requires knowledge about the material before you attempt it. Briefly, we will also discuss other hot topics dealing with gold-filled items such as sanding, filing, and cleaning.

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by Erica Stice

5 Ways to Elevate your Stamped Jewelry with New Techniques

Hand stamping jewelry is a great way to create a personalized collection. If you add soldering, or any of these techniques, to the mix you'll be able to elevate your collection easily!

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by Ashley Maldonado

Tips For Responding To (And Avoiding) Jewelry Customer Complaints

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

Soldering Copper & Brass Metals in the Jewelry Studio

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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by Erica Stice

Pattern & Gallery Wire Guide: The 411

Explore pattern wire and gallery wire used in the jewelry studio in this overview guide on essential materials for your design practice.

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by Ashley Maldonado

Halstead's Preferred Studio Schools

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

How to Pick Solder in the Jewelry Studio

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

Soldering Wire Embellishments to the Surface of your Jewelry Designs

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

How to Sweat Solder 14kt Gold to Sterling Silver

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 Ashley Maldonado

Learn Sawing From Our 2019 Featured Metalsmith, Julie Sanford

We are proud to present Julie Sanford as the 2019 Halstead Catalog featured metalsmith. Learn more about Julie, check out her tips for using the jeweler's saw, and watch her demo video in this article.

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by Erica Stice

Types of Silver Solder Used in Jewelry

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

10 Cash Flow Culprits in your Jewelry Business

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

5 Ways to Use a Rolling Mill in your Jewelry Studio and Maintenance Primer

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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by Michael David Sturlin

Finding Your Creative Identity Through Design

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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by Paulette Werger

Get Creative With Pre-Made Jewelry Components!

Get inspired to look at findings in a whole new way! Paulette Werger ran a workshop "Creative uses for Premade Components" and you'll love some of the ideas she and her students came up with.

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by Bethany Blackshear

Is Your Jewelry Product Photography Up to Par? 3 Common Mistakes to Avoid.

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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