Silver Wire for Jewellery Making

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by: Adam Hunter
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Wire-wrapping is one of the oldest forms of jewellery-making. It is also one of the most popular in modern times, being relatively inexpensive and relatively easy to learn at a basic level. Of course, the more adventurous you become as an artisan, the more expensive and skilled it can become, but wire-wrapping can be one of the most rewarding forms of jewellery-making there is.

Gold and silver wire are measured and sold in a wide range thicknesses and shapes e.g. round wire ranges from 0.3mm to 6mm diameter. millimetres The diameter of the wire determines its suitability for certain applications; 0.8mm and 1mm wire is widely-used for creating wire shapes, whereas the thinner gauge wire 0.3mm is more suitable for adding decoration or even threading beads.

Gold and silver wire also come in different shapes; square, round, half-round and oval. Square wire is generally used for wire-wrapping designs, such as the creation of a bracelet, half-round wire is most popular as a means of creating connections between the components of a piece and round wire is the most popular shape for creating loops and other more intricate designs.

The hardness of gold and silver wire also has some bearing on its uses; wire comes in varying degrees of hardness: full hard, half hard and dead soft. Full hard and half hard wire are used to create more robust pieces that may have weight to them; perhaps the wire supports a stone in the piece or is used in jewellery that is primarily made of wire. Because of its hardness, half hard or full hard wire will require more tools to manipulate it than dead soft wire. Dead soft wire can be manipulated using your hands, but it is better to use pliers for precision work. Dead soft wire can accommodate light beads and can be bent to create intricate designs and pieces, but they are likely to be very delicate and not recommended as jewellery to be worn on a daily basis.

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About the Author

Adam Hunter – E-commerce Marketing Manager of cooksongold.com. Cookson Precious Metals offer a choice of supplies from over 10,000 products including gold and silver wire, jewellery findings, tools, precious metal clay and precious metal sheet - gold, silver, platinum and palladium plus technical information for jewellers, jobbers, designer, craftsmen, artisans and students. For interviews, quotes, images or comments contact: Adam Hunter E-commerce Marketing Manager Tel(DDI): +44 (0) 121 212 6491 E-mail: adam.hunter@cooksongold.com

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