Jewelry wire

Wire is defined today as a single, usually cylindrical, elongated strand of drawn metal.

However, when wire was first invented over 2,000 years BC, it was made from gold nuggets pounded into flat sheets, which were then cut into strips.

The strips were twisted and then rolled into the round shape we call wire.

In this process, a solid metal cylinder is pulled through a draw plate with holes of a defined size.

The hardness of metals can be changed by annealing with heat treatment, or by work hardening a wire by bending it.

The disadvantage of using soft wire is that the finished piece can be bent out of shape if not properly handled.

Pieces made with hard wire have the advantage that they are not easily accidentally deformed.

Hard wire is difficult to bend but makes permanent shapes.

Advances in technology now allow the manufacture of jewelry wire with different cross-sectional shapes, including circular, square, and half-round.

Square wire can be twisted to create interesting visual effects.

Thick wire, of 16-gauge and heavier, is harder to bend and requires more expert handling.