Hi everyone!

I've been beading for about 2 years, and have recently become curious about wire work. The problem is that I've been getting a jumble of conflicting info, and now I'm confused! First, I'm not sure what type of wire to use...I'm leaning toward Artistic Wire. I don't sell my jewelry, and don't want to shell out a lot of money, but still want my pieces to look good. Any recommendations? Also, I want to make my own findings. I've found a few websites that offer info about making jump rings, clasps, headpins, etc, but most of them give different gauges to use. Does anyone have experience with making findings? What materials and techniques do you use? I greatly appreciate any help I can get! Thanks! :) 

                               -Erin

I use either sterling or artistic wire for my findings.  Sterling (dead soft) is much easier to work with, but also more expensive!  For hooks and rings (which for me usually involve a wire wrap), 22 guage seems to be good.  18 guage artistic wire is difficult to make a good wrap with.  However, artistic wire is great for practicing and experimentation. 

 I use a lot of German silver (good quality plated copper) and it serves an excellent purpose.  Either 18 or 20 gauge for clasps - instead of hammering it, I use several hard squeezes with nylon jaw pliers (or a soft cloth and regular pliers to harden it.  Artistic wire is great for wire wrapping so long as your loops are firmly wrapped - it is a bit soft on its own.  Sterling wire is great for ear wires:  just ensure it is well hammered or squeezed for it to hold its shape.  I love making my own findings - it sort of makes my jewellery legitimately unique.

I really prefer 21-gauge wire for most findings, especially ear wires. This size wire fits easily through most ear holes, is pretty strong, and still fits through most beads starting at about the 4mm size. However, not many wire suppliers sell this odd size, though it doesn't hurt to ask your favorite supplier if he could get some for you. 22-gauge is the next size down (remember that the larger the number the smaller the wire), and is also a pretty good multi-purpose size of round wire, so it also works fine for this project.

Thanks

Angela Enoho

Thank you all for your responses!

I have a few more questions if any of you, or anyone else, can help...

Lady Macbead, does German silver wire come in different colors (copper, gold, etc.)? How well does it hold up.. for example: does the plating scratch off or does it tarnish? Are there any websites that sell good quality German silver wire?

Angela, do you have a favorite brand of wire to work with?

If anyone has any favorite brands and/or website suppliers please let me know! I've gotten some great advice about the gauges to use, but know I'm somewhat lost on the brand of wire to use! Like I said before, I don't want to spend a ton of money, but I still want my pieces to hold up and look good. Thanks everyone!! :)

-Erin

I've never used German silver, so I'm no help there.  I'm no expert, but I'd be happy to share what what's worked & hasn't worked for me...

Artistic Wire and copper wire are fairly inexpensive so they're great for practicing and experimenting.  Copper has become more popular as the prices of silver and gold have risen, so I've used copper in finished pieces, too.  The copper I've used will darken with time so I try to use a mix of bright copper and antique copper beads and spacers in those pieces so that everything blends.  It seems like I read or heard about copper wire that's been treated to delay darkening - maybe someone else can help with that.

I love working with gold filled wire, but it's pretty expensive so I end up using a lot of sterling just because of the cost.  Argentium silver doesn't tarnish as fast, but all silver will eventually tarnish if it's not cleaned or wiped down.  Silver has a different feel than GF though - kind of hard to explain. 

Aside from price, you want to look a 3 things when you buy wire - shape (round, half-round, square etc) gauge (diameter) and temper.  Temper tells you how stiff or malleable the wire is - you'll usually see abbreviations in catalogs - ds= dead soft, hh= half hard, h= hard.  They all have their uses, but generally the bigger the wire, the softer you want it to be.  When possible, you don't want to buy wire on a spool as it's harder to straighten without work-hardening it.    And tools with nylon jaws go a long way in preventing scratches.  You can also put masking tape over your regular tools.

As far as suppliers go,  it pays to shop around.  Call for current prices before you buy because the prices of precious metals fluctuates.  (A lot of catalog and website prices are based on prices that may or may not be anywhere close to reality.  I saw a site the other day that priced their silver based on $6 per ounce - silver hasn't been that low in years.)  Try Rio Grande or Monsterslayer for wire.  If you buy wholesale, also check Foreign Source.  You'll get good prices at shows sometimes, so check them out if you have any near you. There are tons of places to buy wire - maybe someone else will post their favorites as well.

Hope this helps!

Thanks Rustie!

Your help is very much appreciated! I've never been to either of the websites you mentioned, but I'll be sure to check them out now!

Thanks again!

    Erin

 "German silver" is nickel silver, a white brass alloy containing  copper, nickel and often zinc. It is only available in white color.

There are colored craft wires called variously German craft wire, British Craft wire or European craft wire. These are usually either silver colored or gold colored brass based wire. The plating is quite sturdy and does not chip or flake. I've long suspected it is made with a process similar to gold filled or rolled gold plate (or silver filled.)

Of course I carry many of these wires in a variety of gauges at Rings & Things.

Many LBS and craft stores carry Artistic wire,  Colour Craft wire, or copper, brass and silver wire. That might be a good resource to try out several kinds to find what works best for you.