jewelry making tips

Read how you can elevate your hand stamped jewelry with these five helpful tips. From settings, to pattern wire or 14kt charms, they are simple changes.

March 19, 2019

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!

Learn how to make a hinge in your jewelry designs. This essential mechanism will allow you to tackle lockets, boxes, poison rings and more!

January 03, 2018

How To Make A Hinge For Jewelry

by Erica Stice

See an overview of the Halstead Design Challenge and learn how to make a basic knuckle hinge in your jewelry designs using tubing, sheet and wire.

Improve your jewelry studio practice with metalsmithing skills tips from Michael David Sturlin. Consider the benefits of repetition and honing your craft.

October 16, 2017

Jewelry Studio Insights: Practice Makes Perfect

by Michael David Sturlin

Michael David Sturlin talks about the necessity of repetition for optimal results in your jewelry studio practice as you build metalsmithing skills at the bench.

Jeff Fulkerson lists innovative ideas for supplies to use in your jewelry studio. Simple household items can become your new favorite tools!

July 05, 2016

Around the Studio with Jeff Fulkerson

by Hilary Halstead Scott

Jeff Fulkerson shares clever ideas for using supplies you might not expect to see on a jeweler's bench, plus, tips for using some of your old favorites.

Stacking rings are hot. Explore this huge trend in jewelry making along with ready-to-wear ring styles for upselling and related articles on ring making.

July 28, 2015

Popular Jewelry Trends: Rings Galore!

by Erica Stice

Read tips on how to make trending stacking and midi rings work for you!

Read our guide to metal blanks for hand stamping custom jewelry designs. Learn about different metal properties and compare the pros and cons of each.

June 24, 2014

Guide to Hand Stamping Metal Blank Options

by Hilary Halstead Scott

From durability to price, check out our guide to metal blanks for making hand stamped jewelry.

Learn how work hardening affects your jewelry making and learn how annealing your sheet metal can help. Understand this basic metalsmithing concept better.

July 31, 2012

Basic Metalsmithing: Work Hardening and Annealing

by Hilary Halstead Scott

This is an introduction to the concepts of work hardening and annealing. It is critical that beginning metalsmiths starting to hammer, solder and form metals understand these principles. Read on to learn more. This popular blog post was updated in 2019.