How to Choose Wire Temper for Making Jewelry

by Dale Armstrong

You have decided to give wire jewelry making a try, congratulations! It is a lot of fun, but there are so many different sizes or gauges, tempers or hardness and shapes of jewelry making wire to choose from, that one can easily become confused. One of the questions I am often asked about a variety of projects is, "What type of wire can I use?" In this short series of "About Jewelry Making Wire" articles, I hope to be able to cure most of your curiosity and confusion.

How to Choose Wire Hardness

Wire "hardness" or temper measures malleability how easily it bends, shapes, or holds without breaking.

Jewelry wire comes in four main tempers: hard, half hard, medium hard, and dead soft.

They are also numbered: Full Hard #4, Half Hard #2, Medium Hard #1, Dead Soft #0.

Full Hard Wire is difficult to bend and expertly holds its shape in whatever configuration it is worked into. Hard wire can be used to make ear wires, pins, single jump rings, hook,s and clasps that will get a lot of use; because the harder the wire, the more "spring" it naturally has.

For example: the pin on a well-loved brooch will be pushed back and forth many times, therefore a harder wire will withstand more use before possible breakage.

Half Hard Wire is definitely more malleable than full hard, and it is the most popular wire temper for those who create "traditional" wire jewelry items.

This wire will beautifully hold any shape it is bent into and because it will work harden quickly, it is the perfect choice for executing prong designs.

Half hard wire forms crisp clean angles and smooth spirals and curves, and it is the preferred choice when making jump rings.

This prong ring was made in half hard gold filled wire.

Dale Armstrong's How to Choose Wire Temper for Making Jewelry - , General Education, Wire Wrapping, Wrapping, Wire Wrapping Jewelry, Weaving, Wire Weaving, Weaving Wire, , Prong Ring

Medium Hard Wire

Slightly softer than half-hard, often silver-plated or colored craft wire.

Handles most half-hard projects; ideal for sensitive hands.

Copper core makes it unsuitable for prongs.

Dead Soft Wire

Extremely malleable, bends easily by hand into loops, swirls, spirals, and sculpted pieces.

Ideal for coiling, crocheting, knitting, weaving, or mixing with half-hard wire.

Doesn't hold shape under stress (like prongs) by gauge, but hardens/textures well with jewelers' hammers.

Please keep in mind, that most jewelry making wire will "work harden" as it is bent and formed, making the harder tempers more difficult to work with near the end of a project.

This feature can be an advantage while making certain items that will take a lot of stress such as hooks, clasps, and pins, to name a few.

The temper of a wire may also appear to harder to work with, depending on the size or gauge of a wire. For example, bending a piece of 22-gauge half hard wire is much easier than bending a piece of 14-gauge half hard wire, because 14-gauge is larger.

Materials

Wire

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Tools

WireJewelry - Ultimate Wire-Pliers Jewelry Pliers with Case, Set of 5

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Professional Texturing Hammer With 12 Faces

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Texturing Hammer with 9 Faces

HAM-470.00

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Category: General Education
Technique(s): Wrapping, Weaving, General Education

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Dale Armstrong

A die-hard rockhound, lapidary, and wire jewelry designer, instructor and author, Dale credits her mom for spurring the main interest that led to Dale's chosen career. Her mother was an avid rockhound and many, weekend family adventures involved traipsing through the White Mountains of New Hampshire in search of abandoned pegmatite mines. This is where Dale’s fascination with, and education of rocks and minerals began, some 40 years ago.

With more than 40 years of experience, Dale uses absolutely no solder or glue in her traditional wire jewelry designs, and teaches how at jewelry making events in North America, Russia, Ukraine and Switzerland. Her award winning work is sold in galleries and has appeared in many printed publications.

Author of numerous magazine and Internet articles and the bestselling book, “Wirework: An Illustrated Guide to the Art of Wire Wrapping”, Dale has made several series of instructional DVDs for WireJewelry.com.

hen she is not teaching or writing, Dale creates new designs in SE Tennessee where she enjoys her family, furry friends, gardens and tons of rocks.