So if you have the option of using the middle or back of your flush cutter jaws to cut a piece of wire, that’s a good habit to get into, so you can preserve the tips for when you need to really snip up close and in tight spots. Generally it’s good practice to only use the fine tips of your tools (for round nose, chain nose, and flush cutters) only when necessary. The really good tools should tell you specifically the range of gauges recommended for use with the tips and the range for the rest of the tool. The tips of your tools (round nose, chain nose, + flush cutters) will be able to handle smaller gauges than the middle or back of the tools’ jaws so there is a little bit more of a range. Thanks for your question, Judy! Some tools might have different recommendations but that’s a good rule of thumb.
#STERLING SILVER FINDINGS THAT WRAP CRYSTALS HOW TO#
Still want more information about choosing jewelry wire? This entire series is dedicated to helping you know exactly which wire you need for your project: All About Jewelry Wire Part 1: Wire Gauge Sizes Explained All About Jewelry Wire Part 2: Wire Hardness All About Jewelry Wire Part 3: Wire Shapes All About Jewelry Wire Part 4: Common Wire Materials All About Jewelry Wire Part 6: What is Work Hardening? All About Jewelry Wire Part 7: How to Work Harden Jewelry Wire It may require heavy duty jewelry making tools for shaping and cutting.
It may require some heavy duty jewelry making tools for shaping and cutting.ġ2 gauge wire is usually only available in dead soft temper. It can require heavy duty jewelry making tools for shaping and cutting.ġ4 gauge wire is often only available in dead soft temper in most materials. It can be shaped by hand and with the use of regular jewelry making tools.ġ8 gauge wire can be shaped by hand and with the use of regular jewelry making tools (for shaping and cutting)ġ6 gauge wire may be available in either dead soft of half hard temper in some materials.
21 gauge is preferred by many for prong settings and earwiresĢ1 and 22 gauge wire can be shaped by hand and with the use of regular jewelry making tools.Ģ0 gauge wire is also good for a variety of other delicate handcrafted findings, like links or looped chandelier earring components. 
wire settings for small to medium stones.
open link chains (for light or small stones). It can be shaped by hand and with the use of regular jewelry making tools. It can be used as a frame to wrap smaller wire around in some applications* – like earrings, when the finished piece is not structural. wirewrapped links, wrapping briolettes and other stonesĢ4 gauge wire is not recommended for open link chains in most cases. It should not be used as structure wire or open loop links.Ģ4 gauge wire is a very versatile wire and is one I buy and use in great quantities. wire wrapping (wrapped loops) small beads and briolettesĢ6 gauge wire can be shaped with the use of regular or fine tipped jewelry making tools. Use regular or fine tipped jewelry making tools to shape and cut.Ģ6 gauge wire is still quite fine but is relatively strong. These small wires are not suitable as structure wires (to wrap other wire around), nor should they be used for open loop links. 28 gauge wire can also be used for wire wrapping very small light beads, though the finished wraps will be very delicate and could bend and break quite easily. knitting / crocheting / viking knitting. At this size, the temper (or hardness) of the wire doesn’t really mean much as it is so fine that it’s easily pliable. It can become kinked and break easily, so it is best to work slowly with these small gauges of wire. Which Gauge Jewelry Wire to Use for What? Here’s our handy dandy wire gauge size chart for visual reference: There usually is a good reason why certain sizes are used for certain projects so if you’re a wire working newbie this is a great place to start to avoid a little of the typical beginner’s trial and error frustrations :)įirst, remember that the smaller the number, the larger the wire. It’s important to keep in mind all the other factors as well – remember that not all materials behave the same way or are measured with the same wire gauge system.Īnd of course, these are not so much rules but general guidelines to follow if you’re just starting out. Today we’re going to cover which gauges of wire are generally used for which kinds of jewelry making projects. 
We have covered different wire gauge measuring systems, wire hardness, different wire shapes and materials for jewelry wire. Welcome back to All About Jewelry Wire! This is Part 5 of a series unraveling all the important aspects of choosing the right jewelry wire for your projects.
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