There are two main gauge systems used to determine wire size for crafters and artisans. American Wire Gauge is typically but not always the way jewelry wire is measured in the United States and Canada. Most other European countries measure wire size in millimeters. Gauge numbers work the opposite of how you'd expect.
The larger the gauge, the smaller the wire's diameter. This is because the numbers were originally determined from how many times a piece of wire had to pass through a draw plate before it was done being sized. The more times through the plate, the thinner the wire. It can be used for intricate wire work like wire weaving, bead crochet, Viking knit, and fine coils. It can even be used like sewing thread, to "stitch" beads and embellishments onto leather bracelets or metal blanks. It's a popular size of wire to use with pearls and tiny gemstone beads, which normally have smaller holes than other beads.
It's a little too thick to fit through most pearl beads or small gemstone beads, but has excellent durability and workability for most other general jewelry purposes. If you use half-hard wire or you work-harden dead-soft wire , then gauge wire is also sturdy enough to hold its shape for making handmade chain, ear wires, eye pins, jump rings, and lightweight clasps. When work-hardened, 20ga works well for bracelet and necklace wire. Solid not plated or filled gauge wire can be used to make rivets.
Solid not plated or filled wire 16ga wire is used to make rivets. Depending on the metal , 16ga gauge may be difficult to bend. It can also be used to create frames for resin and mixed media projects, as well as structural support for many styles of jewelry. Solid 14ga wire can be used to make rivets. Depending on the metal , this gauge may be difficult to bend. It's popular for rings, neck collars, bangle bracelets and cuff bracelets. It's stiff enough that you'll want good-quality jewelry tools when working with it, but it's not too hard to shape.
For soft wire such as copper, you may need to work-harden the wire to make sure bracelets and rings don't bend out of shape. Sometimes the process of forming your jewelry into the proper shape, work-hardens it enough. For other designs you may need to hammer-texture them or use a wire whacker on your finished design. The Trouble with Improper Tools. Months ago, I got so excited about advancing my wire wrapping techniques beyond wire-wrapped loops that I had a big success-turned-failure.
I dove right in and reached for a ball-peen hammer from the toolbox. In my stash, I had plenty of wire in various gauges, including gauge half-hard, my favorite. I had a large hoop earring finding with five holes in it that just begged for dangles to be inserted. I envisioned five long wire wrapped dangles with a few beads strung on them for color and flared wire ends to hold the beads in place.
I grabbed a piece of compressed wood board, my hammer, and headed for the studio. Intrepid Wireworker Skips a Few Steps. A modern masterpiece! Check out the photo of those earrings today. We shot an informal video in the back room of the studio with help from our impromptu camera person and bead artist Marcia DeCoster. Here are Mark's tips:. Do you have some wireworking lessons to share from your own experiments? Please tell us.
You must be logged in to post a comment. Stay up to date with the latest content, educational resources, promotions and special news from our partners. I picked up a thin mandrel and wound a coil of magenta wire around it. Instantly, I saw how the color brought life that the piece so desperately needed. And the color never tarnishes, so the wire will stay looking vibrant forever. So, I continued on and finished the base with a coil on every other jump ring, then added the charms.
When I began putting my pieces online to sell, that bracelet was the very first thing that sold! There are a lot of pros to using craft wire, however, there are a few cons. Also, if you have a set of worn pliers or cutters, be careful, as they may mar the color coating, exposing the copper underneath.
Dipping your pliers in Tool Magic would be helpful in this case! Enjoy exploring the rainbow of craft wire in your pieces. A simple way to add color to plain silver chain! This 5-minute jewelry project is from the assistant editor of Step by Step Wire Jewelry. Note: The free period for this project has ended; instructions are now available for purchase in the store.
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