Beading Wire: Gauges
As a beginning beader, the terms and supplies for beading wire seem limitless. As I (hopefully) become experienced in a particular beading topic, I have tried to capture the information down for other beginning beaders. Information and definitions in this guide are meant for beginning bead artists and jewelry makers.
I previously published an Ebay guide on the subject of Memory Wire:
Memory Wire - Beading - Beads 4 Beginners
Additionally, I have published several other Ebay guides for beginning beaders on other beading topics, including several on seed beads. You can visit my other Ebay guides by visiting the link below:
Miniquiltmaker Ebay Guides - look for the picture of the Saint Bernard when searching through the main Ebay guide topics.
Beading & Jewelry Wire
There are several different types of wire marketed and sold for the purpose of beading, bead art work and jewelry making.
This Ebay guide is going to attempt to cover in more detail the subject of wire used for beadwork and jewelry making to aid the beginning beaders and jewelry makers in choosing wire for their projects.
Let me emphasize that last statement: this guide is for wire used for beadwork and jewelry. The focus of the guide is from the standpoint of only wire that is suitable for professional or high quality beadwork and jewelry.
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Most search links will be at the end of the guide.
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Tools for beading wire will be the topic of a future guide. I’ve learned my lesson on trying to “cram” too much information into just one guide.
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Wire Gauge
First off, I do need to explain what the term “gauge” means and how it relates to the size of beading/jewelry wire.
Gauge is the term used to reference the size of the diameter of the wire. The larger the gauge number, the finer (in other words the smaller or thinner) the beading wire diameter will be. The smaller the gauge number, the thicker (or larger) the beading wire diameter will be.
Here are some gauge conversion measurements:
14 gauge wire is 1.63mm diameter = 0.064 inches
16 gauge wire is 1.29mm diameter = 0.051 inches
18 gauge wire is 1.02mm diameter = 0.04 inches
20 gauge wire is 0.81mm diameter = 0.032 inches
22 gauge wire is 0.64mm diameter = 0.025 inches
24 gauge wire is 0.51mm diameter = 0.02 inches
26 gauge wire is 0.41mm diameter = 0.016 inches
28 gauge wire is 0.32mm diameter = 0.013 inches
30 gauge wire is 0.25mm diameter = 0.0098 inches
32 gauge wire is 0.20mm diameter = 0.0079 inches
34 gauge wire is 0.16mm diameter = 0.0063 inches
Keep in mind these measurements and what the term “gauge” means when buying wire for beading or jewelry projects.
Gauge measurements are standard regardless of the type of wire.
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Craft Beading Wire
Before describing all the various types of beading & jewelry wire, the subject of craft beading wire has to be discussed.
And here is where I am really going to confuse a lot of people.
When I refer to craft beading wire, I am referring to the the very inexpensive wire commonly found for sale in the craft section of chain stores. Although many of the larger craft stores do carry quality beading thread brands, they too sell the inexpensive beading wires I refer to as craft beading wires.
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The confusion comes in because many the “brand name” manufacturers such as Beadalon, BeadSmith, Soft Flex and others do sell versions of “craft beading wire”.
Let me be clear I am not referring to these beading wires in this Craft Beading Wire paragraph. The “craft” beading wires manufactured by Beadalon, Bead Smith and Soft Flex are higher in price and quality.
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Inexpensive wire is readily available and often not easily distinguishable from high quality wire to the beginner. It is the most inexpensive type of wire used in beading. It is not used by professional bead artists or jewelers. It is suitable for children’s projects.
How to recognize craft wire from high quality wire is part of the learning process for beginning beaders. How the craft wire is sold on Ebay varies by Ebay seller. Craft wire does not always have a “brand name” or trademark name on the spool or package it is being sold in. Some craft wire brand names are: Fibre-Craft, Darice, Westrim and Craft & Jewelry wire by CCA (Cousin).
One clue to inexpensive craft beading wire is the price: if the wire is unusually inexpensive, that should be a clue the wire is of a lower quality. Prices of high quality beading wire are fairly standard throughout the industry.
I guess my number one tip would be to beware of any unlabeled (no brand) wire whose price is ridiculously low.
And be on the look-out for “Soft Touch Fun Wire” from Toner Plastics Company.
Soft Touch wire is a very high quality beading wire by the Soft Flex Company. Since “Soft Touch” is in the brand name of an inexpensive, pre-packaged craft wire, you may come across this inexpensive wire in a search for the higher quality Soft Touch wire.
They are two completely different types of wires from two different companies
I did try the inexpensive wire and I do give it a “thumb’s down” for jewelry and beadwork. It is suitable only for craft projects.
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Craft Beading Wires from Leading Bead Wire Manufacturers:
The following beading wire manufacturers do manufacture lines of craft wire in addition to their high quality beading wires. Some of these wires (but not all) can be used for wire wrapping). Designers often suggest beginners start with these type of wires before investing in the more expensive precious metal silver and gold wires.
Company names: Beadalon; Soft Flex; BeadSmith; The Beadery
A word of warning - whether you are practicing your wire wrapping or just making jewelry: these wires are primarily color coated copper based wires. They can be very sensitive to the type of pliers and cutters you are using for your bead work and jewelry. There are in fact special pliers sold for this type of wire to reduce the “knicks” and marking of the colored coating. Regular pliers may have ridges on the inside. Look for pliers sold with a smooth flat surface on the inside if you plan on doing a lot of work with this type of wire.
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The Soft Flex company manufactures a copper based colored beading wire called:
Artistic Craft Wire
It is sold in too many variations of diameter (gauge), yardage and color to list them all.
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The Beadalon company manufactures a copper based colored beading wire called ColourCraft.
Beadalon ColourCraft
It is sold in too many variations of diameter (gauge), yardage and color to list them all.
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BeadSmith manufactures a craft beading wire as well. It is simply called: BeadSmith Craft Wire. It is actually not easily found for information. Artistic Craft Wire and ColourCraft are more popular. I do know the BeadSmith comes in 3 colors: silver, gold and copper. I do not know if all 3 wires are copper based - the gold and silver are not precious metals. All 3 colors appear to be manufactured in gauges: 18, 20, 22 & 24. It may be manufactured in even smaller gauges, possibly up to size 34, but because it is found for sale less often than other brands, I am not able to determine for sure if it is sold in gauges that small. I do have a spool of BeadSmith wire I purchased a few years ago and never used. It does not state the metal content - the top of the spool only states the gauge, yardage and that the wire is tarnish resistant.
There are 30 yards on the spool. Here are the pictures of my spool of Beadsmith Wire (the color is a bit off - it is bright silver):
BeadSmith Wire
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The Beadery
I can find even less information on this company than I could find on BeadSmith. It is less frequently sold by most bead & jewelry supply stores than the other brands. I do know it is sold in 15, 30 and 40 yard spools. It is also a copper based wire and comes in several colors in addition to gold and silver. I do not know the range of gauges it is manufactured in.
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That’s a lot of info on craft wire, but that subject has to be described in detail in preparation for the real beading and jewelry wire.
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Professional Beading Wire
Beginning beaders/jewelry makers shopping for wire supplies on Ebay will come into contact with the terms:
dead soft, half hard and full hard
Beginners who may have ventured into wire wrapping may have noticed the nylon coated beading wire they used for making necklaces was not working well for wire wrapping techniques.
This is because there are basically two different types of categories for beading wires:
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nylon coated and “uncoated” beading wire
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There was not enough room in this guide for a detailed discussion of both nylon coated beading wire and uncoated beading wire.
Nylon coated beading wire was separated out to its own guide:
Beading Wire: Gauges & Metals for Beginners Part Two
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This guide will focus only on the wire used for advanced wire wrapping techniques.
**Advanced Wire/Wire Wrapping Jewelry - “Uncoated” Beading Wire**
If you are working on improving your wire wrapping skills or your metal jewelry skills, you have already discoverd the nylon coated beading wire you might use for necklaces and bracelets is not working so well for wire wrapping. Nylon coated beading wire is not the preferred choice by advanced wire bead & jewelry artists. You may or may not know the terms dead soft, half hard and full hard; these terms refer to 3 different types of wire hardness. All 3 types of wire hardness start from the same wire, but they undergo 3 different treatment processes. Since this is a beginner guide, I will leave out the details of the treatment process. The dead soft wire is the softest wire and the full hard is the hardest of the 3 types of wires.
You may sometimes see these wires given number designations: dead soft has a hardness of 0; half hard has a hardness of 2; and full hard has a hardness of 4.
The type of wire chosen, i.e. dead soft, half hard or full hard, is based on the project to be made. Dead soft wire is the softest and can easily be wrapped around a bead by the hand without pliers.
All of these types of wires are used for advanced wire wrapping and other advanced wire work techniques.
How the Wire for Advanced Wire Work is Sold
The wire is sold by hardness, gauges and metal content. The wire is sold by by the category of hardness: either dead soft, half hard or full hard - these terms are discussed above.
Next, the wire is categorized for sale by metal content. Sterling silver and gold filled are the two most commonly found metals used for these types of beading wires. However, other metals are used: Fine Silver, Argentium Silver, Red Brass, Yellow Brass, Nickel and Copper are other metals that have been used for wire work.
The wires are manufactured for sale in a wide spectrum of gauge sizes from 16 gauge to 26 gauge. Silver can be manufactured in 28 gauge.
Lastly, the wires are also sold by the shape of the wire. Wires are manufactured in three different shapes: round, half-round and square.
I do want to mention I found one metal - Niobium wire - which was described as being a “half hard” wire. It is available for sale in several colors and I have seen it for sale in gauges 20 to 24.
You may also seen the term “anodized Niobium” wire - it is the same thing as Niobium wire.
I have seen reference made to Titanium wire used by professional jewelers.
Beginning beaders should experiment with all the different types of beading wire available.
But if the day comes when you want to advance your wire skills & techniques, it will be time to experiment not only with the gauge and metal content of the wire, but also the “hardness” of the wire too. You will find not all beading wires “are created equal”. Some beading wires are better for wire work than other others. Finding out which is best for you is going to take a bit of experience and experimentation.
Suggestion: when experimenting, leave full hard wire to the last - it is very hard. It is not recommended for intricate wire wrapped designs. I have not personally worked with full hard wire. I have most often seen it recommended for making clasps.
Twisted Wire
Twisted wire is another form of uncoated beading/jewelry wire, but with a unique shape. It basically looks like the uncoated wire that has been twisted around - it has a beautiful, decorative appearance. It is sold by the foot, coiled up in rounds. I have only been able to find it in dead soft and half hard for metal hardness. For metal content, I have only found twisted wire in sterling silver and gold filled. Some people do call TigerTail wire twisted wire, but that would be incorrect. TigerTail is a nylon coated wire. Twisted wire is uncoated.
I have found twisted wire sold in the following gauges: 13.5; 14; 16; 18; 19; 20; 22; 24
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Beading Wire - Searches by Metal Content (All Three Hardness of Wires):
Remember - these are precious metal wires; they are NOT silver coated or copper coated.
Sterling Silver; Gold Filled; Fine Silver; Argentium Silver; Red Brass; Yellow Brass; Copper; Titanium
Beading Wire - Searches by Metal Hardness:
Dead Soft Wire (under crafts); Dead Soft Wire (under jewelry); Half Hard Wire (under jewelry); Half Hard Wire (under crafts); Full Hard Wire (partial jewelry search); Full Hard Wire (under crafts)
The search for full hard wire under all the jewelry sub-categories yielded almost 2,000 results. So, I edited the search in this guide to just look through the jewelry wire supplies under the jewelry category.
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Other “stringing” materials for beadwork and jewelry include:
“Hemp“: Beading - Beads 4 Beginners: Hemp for Beadwork
“Beading Elastic“: Beading - Beads 4 Beginners: Beading Elastic
“Beading Threads & Fibers”: Beading - Beads 4 Beginners: Thread & Other Fibers
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Please note - I am no where near finished with this guide (but I am working several hours a day on it)! I already had to separate out nylon coated beading wire into its own guide because of the large amount of information about that type of wire
Please be patient, July 15, 2007
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REMEMBER TO CLICK THE REFRESH BUTTON EACH VISIT FOR ANY UPDATES
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Clarence and I thank you.
How I spend my time: training my dogs, beadwork and making quilt yo yo’s.