Jewelry Making Wire
Jewelry making wire can be combined with gems, crystals or even used alone to make beautiful jewelry designs.
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It can be used for necklaces, earrings, bracelets and even rings. Wired jewelry has a unique contemporary look that regular "strung" jewelry cannot replicate. The wire can even be hand hammered to give it a flattened appearance and can be used to wrap cabochons or raw stones for pendants and rings.
You can buy jewelry making wire for any project. It comes in solid gold, silver and copper. If you like color you can buy Niobium wire in intense colors. The gold wire is quite expensive, of course and is quite soft. The silver comes in a number of hardnesses.
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The copper adds an warm earthy feel to any piece but does require hardening to keep it's shape. If you plan to use Niobium wire, you will need rubber or coated pliers as the coating on the wire is brittle and can damage easily and flake off.
Jewelry making wire comes in different "hardnesses". Memory wire is steel wire that is rounded in shape like a spring. It is very hard and comes in a coil. You cut off the desired length and string your beads on it.
It is not used to form embellishments or for wire wrapping but is great to make chokers that sit close to the neck or wrap bracelets that wrap around the wrist multiple times. It retains it;s shape and will stretch out to be put n or taken off and then spring back into shape. Dead soft wire is very soft and is easily bent with your bare fingers. It will not hold it's shape if any weigh is applied to it but is good for wire wrapping around a cabochon. Half hard wire has been heated or annealed and will keep it's shape. It is good for making findings, claps and ear hooks.
When selecting jewelry making wire, you'll need different gauge wires depending on what you intend to use the wire for. The thickest gauge is 16 gauge which will retain it's shape when formed. Too thick for wire wrapping, it can be used to create embellishments and requires tools to form shapes with . 18 gauge wire can be used for almost anything including wire wrapping. You will need pliers to create sharp bends, but this wire is easily shapable and holds it's shape well. 20 gauge wire is rather thin and good for attaching beads and also to use as ear wires. 22 and 24 gauge wire is really too thin for practical use but can be used to create delicate wire embellishments.
Learn more about making jewelry
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