by Rose Marion, Wire-Sculpture.com

Wire Jewelry Idea for
December 14, 2011

One of the most exciting new products we began carrying this year, besides Albina Manning’s Coiling & Weaving Series, is without a doubt our Sterling Silver Filled Wire. Our sterling silver wire is 1/10, or 10% sterling silver by weight, fused to a red brass core. The only other sterling silver filled wire on the market is 1/20, or 5% sterling silver by weight, so you’re getting the best-quality silver filled wire on the market. Plus, our silver-filled wire isn’t coated or treated, so you can still hammer, oxidize, and treat it just as you would regular sterling silver wire.

Over time, we’ve collected data on Gold-Filled, Sterling Silver, and Argentium® wires, the most common wires to be sold by weight, and put it in a convenient chart for you. Now, we’ve added Sterling Silver Filled wire to the chart! Please note that precious metals are measured in troy ounces; you can find an ounce-to-troy ounces conversion calculator here. We’ve also included our chart on Copper and Brass, which are often measured by the pound.

Having trouble reading the charts? They are all filled out according to length-per-weight. So, for example, for Gold Filled Round 14-gauge wire, the value is 5.45; this means there are 5.45 feet of gold filled 14-gauge round wire per troy ounce.

Download Wire Length-per-Weight Charts (88KB)  |  Download Adobe Reader

Click to Download!

Please note, all values are approximate.

Feel free to bookmark this page, or our online Wire Charts page, and come back as often as you like! We have left blank the gauges and shapes that we do not carry; since our suppliers do not carry those wires, we cannot know the specifications for those

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by Rose Marion, Wire-Sculpture.com

Wire Jewelry Idea for
December 7, 2011

Today’s Wire Jewelry Idea is a new free pattern! Here’s a unique way to cage a pointed crystal. Click here to view Dale “Cougar” Armstrong’s pattern, Chained Fluorite Pendulum.

Maybe you’ve mastered Lock That Rock, but the stone isn’t quite right for a rounded cage. Maybe you’ve learned how to Cage a Crystal, but the shape of the crystal doesn’t quite match the style. Hm, maybe if you used jump rings and some chain… what could happen…

Chained Fluorite Pendulum Free Pattern by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong

Dale’s Chained Fluorite Pendulum Pattern is designed for an octahedron (eight-sided crystal), but you can apply this concept to nearly any kind of crystal!

Dale said, “This pattern shows the chained crystal being used as a pendulum, but it could also be worn as a pendant or hung in a sunny window. (I am going to hang mine on our Christmas tree.)”

Love fluorite? Then look forward to Friday, when Dale will cover Fluorite in-depth in our Gem Profile Friday!

And lastly, if you’ve found yourself in possession of a freeform cab, I suggest you look at our Gem Profile: Labradorite and scroll to the bottom to Albina Manning and Trackey McKenzie’s freeform pendants. Albina Manning will even be teaching a cabochon pendant technique in our upcoming Tucson classes!

Tip: Want to print the pattern? Select the whole text of the pattern (click and hold the mouse down at the beginning of the pattern, and drag it to the end of the pattern). Go to Edit > Copy. Open a word processor such as Microsoft Word or OpenOffice Writer, and go to Edit > Paste. Now you can save it on your computer, make changes, and print it!

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by Rose Marion, Wire-Sculpture.com

Wire Jewelry Idea for
November 30, 2011

Some time ago, Casey Willson left a comment on this popular tip of the day, Prevent Tarnish on Copper and Nickel Silver, mentioning she had a great method for preserving copper wire’s shine, using a generic of Mop N Glo, called Mop N Shine. It wasn’t long before we were flooded with requests for Casey’s secret method!

Casey was gracious enough to share her method with us. While I personally haven’t tried it yet, Casey’s spent the last 9 years developing and perfecting this method. I hope it helps you find a good method of protecting your base metal wire jewelry, too!

Please test this method on scrap wire and spare beads before using this method on your finished jewelry. We cannot guarantee results will be the same for everyone.

Protective Coating for Wire and Base Metal Findings

by P. Casey Willson

Set up items needed:

• Product: Mop N Shine (generic form of Mop N Glow floor polish)
• Newspaper
• Viva paper towels (or other good quality)
• Tray or flat cardboard (optional)
• Long tweezers, crochet hook or old (clean) pliers
• Air tight container
• Water and disposable rag for clean up
• Cotton swabs for cleaning off gems while product is wet.
• Ammonia for cleaning up dried spots on work area.

Advisory:

1. DO NOT get this product on good gemstones or cabochons as it will dry blotchy on polished stones. Treat wire or findings ahead of time or with small paint brush to touch up after finishing item or on high wear spots such as bails or pin backs.
2. Be sure wire is very clean with no tarnish (patina is just fine if you want to keep it!) or dirt at all. This coating is very hard and difficult to remove when cured.
3. Be aware you are working with a polymer and the feel of the wire will be a bit slick. Be sure to include the polymer in your item description. I think it’s a plus, as it prevents tarnish and also reduces allergic reactions to everything except rare allergies to plastic.
4. DO NOT dip spring clasps; paint the outside instead. Dipping can lock up the spring mechanism.

Procedure

Pour at least 1″ of dip into your air tight container. I prefer a 6″ to 8″ by 3″ oblong container or 3′ to 6″ large round one that will hold at least 2″ of dip with a 2″ clearance above the liquid level for safety. With these sizes you can dip a coil of wire without any bends being created.

Place wires or findings in dip without splashing. It can be removed immediately with fingers if you prefer but better with long tweezers, a crochet hook or old pliers. The dip WILL freeze the joint of the pliers if you allow it to dry in the joint so hold them nose down and dry them nose down.

Let excess drip off then lightly drop on newspaper and paper towel lined tray. Stretch your wire coil (or separate multiple findings) so the dip does not dry on two connected items. You want to avoid rough spots this may create. We’re after a smooth, thin coating. Curing time is short. Generic brands cure faster. Allow at least ten minutes for hard curing.

If item being dipped (such as a base metal cab setting) has “holes” or filigree, be sure to lightly blow through the holes to prevent a film from forming.

If dipping a finished base metal piece or chain hang from a pin or hook above your absorbent pad to let any excess drip off. Chains will be a little bit stiff but just run them through your fingers when dry and they will be fine. We work with wire so any of us can make a stand from which to hang these pieces from stiff wire (coil the base, then make an arched rise with a hook on the end).

Touch up (with small paint brush) any places where pliers may have broken through dip coating while you were working with it.

Notes and Cautions

I will also dip inexpensive porous cabochons that I use in practice pieces. It works as a hardener for soft stones such as chalk turquoise and as a color fixer for dyed stone. DO NOT use on highly- polished hard stones or beads!

DO NOT use on any thread if you use thread in your work. It will make the thread brittle so it breaks. DO NOT use on leather. DO use as a sealer on acrylic painted items.

Double-dipping high wear items is a good thing. Be sure coating is cured between dippings.

Always test materials other than wire before using dip.

Product cleans up easily with water when wet. Tools like paint brushes or crochet hooks should be kept in water between uses, then dried when you finish. Avoid shaking wet items excessively as droplets may get on work surfaces and any nearby carpet or even on your clothing, then be missed.

Please practice methods before using on important pieces!!!!

I’ve developed this method over about 9 years of jewelry making in various styles and it has worked for me quite well. I love the fact that with this dip I can wear base metal ear wires! When I make copper or brass earrings I want the findings to match!

I kept this as my “secret process” for almost six years. Now I’m sharing it freely with hopes that you all benefit.

Credits: In “The Art of Painting on Rocks” by Lin Wellford this material was suggested as a paint protective coating. I took the idea further. My thanks to Lin.

P. Casey Willson

Wire-Sculpture does not guarantee any results from this method, and is not liable for any damage caused by this method. Please be sure to test this method and become familiar with it before transferring it to any finished jewelry pieces.

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by Rose Marion, Wire-Sculpture.com

Wire Jewelry Idea for
November 16, 2011

Ever since I read Dale “Cougar” Armstrong’s article Inspiration Comes from Everwhere and Every Thing and saw her picture of a wrought-iron fence, I’ve kept my eye out for inspirational ironwork. It wasn’t until a recent day trip to Las Vegas that I found some interesting shapes I immediately thought about recreating in wire, both in iron and in tiling. So I hope you are inspired by the pictures I took, too!

We stayed at the Sunset Station, which had examples of ironwork everywhere. This lampstand in our hotel room provided me with the perfect way to hang my knitted earrings - a conundrum I'd been stuck on for weeks!

A desk and sconce at the Sunset Station. Perhaps a collar design?

Elevator tile at the Sunset Station (not ironwork, but still easily replicated in wire)

The Bellagio Hotel is one of the most famous hotels in Las Vegas. Located right on the Strip, among its other attractions, the Bellagio has an incredible wealth of ironwork and inspiration for wire designers! I highly recommend walking through it if you ever go to Las Vegas, it is worth it. Here are just a few shapes I captured:

Mosaic tile in the Bellagio - it could be a new cuff or necklace design!

Here is some ornamental ironwork outside the Bellagio.

Elua III by Lia Herron Manuele strongly resembles ironwork, and proves that it can be adapted to wire jewelry!

Check out this pendant by Lia Herron Manuele, who posted it on our Facebook page. Called Elua III, it’s made of brass, sterling silver wraps, and glass beads. It reminded me of the Bellagio’s ironwork as soon as I saw it!

Balcony ironwork: so beautiful! The tips of the swirls are painted silver, but they looked like Swarovskis from a distance to me.

I had the frame of this piece in the car with me in Vegas, but I couldn't decide what to put in the middle. Plus, I'd made it a little too big to be a pendant. So I turned it into an ironwork-inspired suncatcher! (Click to enlarge)

Those are just a few images that inspired me! I will be sure to have my camera with me when I travel again, and I can’t wait to go back to Las Vegas for a longer trip!

Have you made wire jewelry inspired by ironwork? Post a picture on our Facebook page!

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by Dale “Cougar” Armstrong and Krystal Day, Wire-Sculpture.com

In Part 1 of this series, How to Choose Wire Temper for Making Jewelry, we learned about the most popular wire tempers that are used to make wire jewelry designs. Now we will learn a bit about the size or gauge of jewelry making wire, along with some examples of how different gauges may be used.

When looking at the gauge numbers of wire, it is normal to think: “the larger the number, the bigger the wire.” However, wire gauges actually work in reverse: “the larger the number, the smaller the wire.” This is because all jewelry wire sizes begin at the number 0, and each time the wire is passed through a drawing die, it becomes smaller. So, a wire that is labeled as 22-gauge has been pulled 22 times, and it is 22 times smaller than its original size. The gauge equals the diameter of the wire, meaning the distance straight across its center.

In North America, the size of the holes in a wire-drawing die is based on a geometric formula developed in 1855 by the machine-tool company, Brown and Sharpe. This progression of 39 sizes is known as the American Wire Gauge (AWG). All of the wire stocked by Wire-Sculpture is labeled using the AWG. Other parts of the world may use the British Standard Wire Gauge (SWG), where the sizes are just a hair larger than those of the AWG. (For example: AWG 20-gauge = 0.813mm and SWG 20-gauge = 0.914mm.) For the purpose of this article, all references below relate to the American Wire Gauge (AWG).

28-34-gauge
These are extremely fine wires, with diameters that measure from 0.013-.006 inches or 0.32-.16 millimeters. When thinking about using these wires, compare them to sewing thread. They can be used for coiling, weaving, knitting, and crocheting, as well as to work with feather-weight small-holed pearls and seed beads. If it should become kinked, this wire will easily break.

26-gauge
Measuring .016 inches or .41 millimeters in diameter, this is also a thin wire, but unlike the extremely fine wires (above) it is amazingly strong. In a round shape, one of its most popular uses is to coil it around a larger-gauge wire. It can also be used to knit, crochet, and weave, and to attach small-hole pearls and beads to other projects.

24-gauge
This is the first gauge in this list that can be used in the base creation of both sculpted and traditional wire jewelry designs. The diameter of 24-gauge wire measures 0.020 inches or 0.51 millimeters. In a round shape, it can be used more aggressively in the same manners as the 26-gauge above, and in a square shape 24-gauge can be used to make frames and wire settings for smaller cabochons and faceted stones. It is also used to make individual jump rings and head pins, as well as wrapping the tops of briolettes.

22-gauge
The diameter of this wire measures 0.025 inches or 0.64 millimeters. In a square shape, this is the preferred gauge for most traditional wire jewelry designs, such as bracelets, rings, and pendants for women and children. It is often used to make settings and frames for small-to-medium sized cabochons and cut stones. 22-gauge round is also used for larger coiling projects and those with experience will also use it for weaving and braiding designs. As a multi-purpose wire, it makes a nice double wrapped hook, head pins, smaller clasps, and it can be used to make individual jump rings.

21-gauge
Slightly larger than the 22-gauge, the diameter of 21-gauge wire measures 0.0285 inches or .723 millimeters. In a square shape, this small difference in size will match 21-gauge wire with the thickness of several pattern wires, so that they may be used together in bracelet and pendant designs. It can be used in all of the same projects listed for 22-gauge, but in a heavier fashion, meaning anything made with 21-gauge wire is suitable for men. It is the preferred gauge for making most prong projects and rings. Round 21-gauge wire is also an excellent choice when creating hooks and eyes, individual jump rings and other components that need to handle more stress. It is the preferred choice for making ear wires.

20-gauge
20-gauge wire measures 0.032 inches or .81 millimeters in diameter. In a round shape, 20-gauge wire is good for clasps, double wrapped hooks, head pins, ear wires and many other handcrafted components. The square 20-gauge wire is most often used to make heavier jewelry such as bracelets and rings for men, as well as to create neck collars for women.

18-gauge
Measures 0.040 inches or 1.02 millimeters in diameter and it is a very strong wire. It works well for making all types of hooks and clasps and for wire wrapping beads with large holes. It is used often when making ornate bracelets and when creating wire collars and heavier neck pieces.

16-gauge
This is a thicker wire that measures 0.051 inches or 1.29 millimeters in diameter. It can be used to make neck wires, freeform rings, bracelets and bracelet bases.

14-gauge
Probably the heaviest wire most wire artists will use, its diameter measures .0641 inches or 1.63 millimeters. Most often used in a dead soft temper, 14-gauge wire is perfect for making neckpieces, arm cuffs and bracelet frames.
What are your favorite gauges to work in? Leave a comment below! Next time, we’ll cover the last topic in this 3-part series on jewelry making wire, on Choosing Wire Shape.