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.
by Lilian Raji
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.
Read More
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!
Read More
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.
Read More
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. 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.
Read More
by Erica Stice
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!
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
by Erica Stice
Explore pattern wire and gallery wire used in the jewelry studio in this overview guide on essential materials for your design practice.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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?
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
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.
Read More
Learn about common mistakes in jewelry photography and how to fix them so your product photography shows your product in the best way.
Read More
