What Is The Best Wire To Use For Jewelry and Where Can I Get It?
by Rachel
What is the best wire to use for wrapping sea glass jewelry?
Copper, Sterling Silver, and Gold-filled Wire
I just collected sea glass from Builders Bay in Bermuda.
I want to make jewelry and wonder what is the best kind of wire to use and a possible place to get it.
Thank you. Love your jewelry. Never realized sea glass is so beautiful!
~ sea glass crafts question submitted by Rachel
Lin's Answer:
Hey Rachel,
Thanks for the compliment. I have had fun with it over the years.
As to your question, I first started off with craft wire that you can buy at a crafts store to practice with, but really for your money's worth, getting copper wire is way cheaper.
There are ways of saving money if you will be using a lot of wire.
I have heard of some getting their copper at Home Depot in electrical wire and then stripping it, but I'm lazy and don't want to bother with that, so I get almost all of my supplies online.
Online sites are generally very helpful and reasonable and have a huge selection. You don't have to have a wholesale license to buy from them either but because they're so big, their prices are very reasonable.
I have found that copper, sterling silver, and gold-filled wire
all have their own unique qualities.
I use "dead soft" simply because it's gentler on my arthritis. Afterward, I can throw the jewelry into a tumbler and work harden it. You can get "dead soft," "half hard," or "hard" but most people I know who do wire wrapping use the dead soft.
Hope that helps you out. Have fun! Lin Schneider