Choosing Wire for Jewelry

Byjames brown

Competent jewelry making requires the use of wire and a number of tools, along with materials such as beads, glass, clasps and more. The wire used in jewelry making is made in a number of materials and sizes. There are two important aspects of wire that you need to know before choosing wire for jewelry. These are the wire gauge and the wire hardness. Wire gauge simply refers to how thick the wire is. The thicker the wire, the smaller the number, and of course hardness means how hard the wire is. Mainly, these include fully hard, semi-hard, and very soft. Depending on the type of material and size, you can choose wire for different jewelry projects. In case you need to decipher which beading wire to buy for your next project,

Method

  1. Choose your project. Different jewelry projects require different wire, so reselect wire each time you start a new type of wire jewelry creation.
  • Choose which material you want to use. Wire is available in aluminium, iron, copper, craft wire, coloured, french, gold plated, memory wire, sterling silver, silver plated and tiger tail. The price mainly depends on the material from which the wire was made.
  • In jewelry making Tiger tail wire is a very common wire. It is braided stainless steel wire covered with nylon. It is very strong and available in a number of colors. It cannot be used for wire wraps, but to create the appearance of an “invisible” setting where the beads appear as if they are floating.
  • Other standard, inexpensive options for expert jewelry making include copper, aluminum, and niobium. Copper wire comes in gold and silver colors and is coated with enamel. Color Coated Wire is available in many colors and gauges and often has the color within the wire. So, you don’t need to be quite so careful when working with tools. Niobium is light, available in many colors and not delicate.
  • French Wire is a twisted wire that’s great for adding accents to jewelry. It is available in copper, gold plated, silver plated, sterling silver and vermeil. If the coil is smaller the metal will be more precious and more expensive.
  • Gold filled wire contains 100 times more gold than gold plated wire. It comes in very soft, semi-hard, and full hard, which is a scale from very sensitive to extremely hardy. This is expensive wire so it should probably be saved for special projects.
  • Memory wire is made of mild steel or stainless steel. It’s great for bangles or other hoops because it returns to the hoops it was made into at the factory. It cannot be used for projects that require wrapping.
  • Sterling silver also comes in very soft, semi-hard and full hard strength scales.
  • Gold and silver plated wires are great for creating a fancy look, but they can easily be ruined by tools.

Choose the wire size you want to use for your project.

  • Use 30 or 28 gauge (0.25 to 0.32 mm) wire for making delicate jewelry. It is great for wire weaving, rings, beadwork and making small necklaces. Use fine jewelry making tools for this power.
  • Use gauge 26 (0.40mm) to wrap beads and make smaller chain links. This is the start of the finer wire gauges. Use fine tools for this strength as well.
  • Use 24 gauge (0.51mm) wire for most beading projects. The gauge fits through most beads but is not overly bulky. It has a tendency to nick, so you may need to purchase a wire straightening tool.
  • Use  (0.64mm) wire for stone settings, earrings, and pendants. It is a medium gauge wire commonly found in a variety of materials and colors.
  • For average clasps, jump rings, and pins use 20 to 18 gauge (0.81 to 1 mm) wire. This medium-thick wire can also be used for thicker chains or for threading glass beads.
  • Use 16 to 14 gauge (1.3 to 1.6 mm) wire is best for large, heavy jewelry construction. If you’re using heavy beads or experimenting, this thick wire makes a statement. You can also use it for napkin rings or lampshades.

French Wire Wholesale Suplier

Innate Enterprises (SMC-PVT) LTD has been dynamically serving the jewellery industry with the finest-quality French Wire for more than a decade. We aspire to help you keep up with the ever-evolving jewellery, art & fashion industries demands and trends. Therefore, as an eco-friendly wire manufacturer, we produce a wide range of jewellery wires, including copper wires, French and color-coated wires.

Tips

  • You may want to stay away from jewelry wire that contains nickel. It often causes an allergic reaction. The average colored craft wire is nickel plated, so be aware of that before you choose. Sterling silver often contains a small percentage of nickel.
  • Figuring out which wire works best for your jewelry project may require some experimentation.
  • To choose wire for jewelry making, you need to pay attention to the type of metal wire you plan to use.
  • Gold filled wire, which is less expensive and looks and feels like gold, is more suitable for special projects that have a fancy look.
  • Memory wire is great for bangles. Copper wire can be used in making earrings, necklaces and many different jewelry projects as it comes in a number of gauges.

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