The more you know about the wire you work with, the better your projects will be. Check out some basics below.
Wire Shapes
There are four shapes of wire: round, half-round square, square and triangular. The names are accurate to the shape that the wire is when looking at its cross-section. The most popular of these shapes is the round wire, although some artists prefer working with the other shapes more often.
Wire Sizes
Wire is sized by its thickness. Popular wire gauges are 14-guage to 26-guage. The thicker the wire the smaller the gauge number. 14-gauge wire is thicker than 16-gauge wire and 26-gauge wire is thin. In other places than the U.S. wire is sold in diameters measured in millimeters. The chart below gives you a gauge to diameter(approx) conversion. Popular wire sizes are 18-gauge to 22-gauge.
Gauge Diameter
26 0.4mm
24 0.5mm
22 0.6mm
20 0.8mm
18 1mm
16 1.3mm
14 1.6mm
The following is except from http://www.jewelrymakingideas.net/making-wire-jewelry/
Gold filled wires are the toughest and the most durable, followed by silver filled wire, much more soft and malleable. Gold and silver wires are ideal for creating a classy elegant look and for imparting sheen, shimmer, and luster and to add on to the bling factor. They also give a better hold to the stones which they are encrusting.
If you are creating affordable pieces of fashion jewelry your best bet would be 18 gauge copper filled wire which are inexpensive and therefore bring down the cost of the piece of jewelry drastically. Copper filled wires are available in a variety of colors and match with different kinds of outfits.
Bigger or thicker wires are ideal for jump rings and necklaces. Thinner smaller wires are made use of to create earrings, anklets, bracelets.
The more you pull jewelry making wires through the tools, the harder and stronger they become with each increasing pull.
Wires are also used for wire wrapped jewelry that is a bit different and pretty unique.
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