When you think of jewelry making, the top supplies that come to mind are probably string, beads, and clasps. But don’t limit yourself to just three materials! There’s a long list of other supplies that can be essential in your creative process, including wire for jewelry making.
Wire can be vital in creating all types of jewelry. It can serve as a string replacement, a pendant wrapping, a reinforcement for clasps and hardware, and more. Your uses for this material are practically endless!
However, it can be overwhelming trying to find the perfect spool of wire due to an abundance of options. So, keep reading to learn about some excellent contenders that can narrow down your search!
Our Top Picks
Best Overall
Anezus Jewelry Wire
Budget Option
Yountiger Stainless Steel Wire
Best for Easy Bending
Mandala Crafts Anodized Aluminum Wire
Best Overall
Anezus Jewelry Wire
Silver wire can get expensive, but silver-coated wire can work just as well! Anezus makes wire for jewelry making with a copper core and a beautiful shiny silver coating. The outer coating is tarnish-resistant, as silver usually is. And the copper inside the wire works for almost any jewelry craft you have, as this metal is very flexible.
The convenient packaging allows you to easily unravel your wire, as it uses a spool. So you can quickly grab your wire pieces without worrying about a bent and knotted mess. This wire for jewelry making is rather thin as it’s a 20-gauge wire, sitting at about 0.032 inches. Its thinness makes it an excellent choice for most beads, and it allows you to tightly secure.
Pros
- Tarnish-resistant coating
- It’s very flexible
- Durable yet beautifully shiny
Cons
- The coating can peel with friction
- It cannot hold heavy pendants
Budget Option
Yountiger Stainless Steel Wire
If you’re looking for good-quality wire without a hefty price tag, Yountiger wire is your best bet! It offers a whopping 164 feet of heavy-duty 20-gauge wire. This wire for jewelry making uses stainless steel for a strong and durable material.
Due to the stainless steel material, it can take a little time to bend with just your fingers. So, to make it easier, a pair of jewelry pliers will do the trick. But this slight tightness makes it great for holding pendants, crystals, and other heavy objects. Solid steel wire for jewelry making like this is hard to break. You can feel confident that your jewelry pieces will last for years.
Not only will this easily dispensable wire help create tough hardware, but it’s also rust-resistant. So, it’ll stay strong and clean if you happen to wear your new jewelry creation in the rain.
Pros
- You can use it for many projects, as it offers 164 feet of wire
- It uses stainless steel, which is rustproof
- It’s strong, making it a good option for securing hardware or hardware creation
Cons
- It can be a little hard to work with due to its strength
- The spool itself is a little flimsy, so it can break
Best for Easy Bending
Mandala Crafts Anodized Aluminum Wire
Using aluminum as the primary material for wire, like this Mandala Crafts wire, is perfect for flexibility. Aluminum is much softer than other metals, allowing you to bend it any way you need. That’s why it’s a useful option for pendant wrapping.
A wire for jewelry making like this often cuts your creation time down significantly. You most likely won’t even need any tools to help you bend it. The fact that it’s a 22-gauge wire also contributes to easy bendability, as it’s only 0.0299 inches thick.
This wire for jewelry making also has an anodized coating. Coatings like these use electrochemical processes to make a protective film. You can freely wear this wire outdoors because of this. It’ll stay shiny and beautiful for years as it’s tarnish and rust-resistant.
Pros
- Extremely bendable due to its thin size and aluminum material
- It’s rust and tarnish-resistant
- It’s perfect for tiny beads
Cons
- You may find that it’s too thin for large-holed beads
- It can’t hold heavy things, as aluminum is a soft metal
Best for Beading
BENECREAT Bead String
Do you need an extremely heavy-duty wire for your jewelry? Well, the BENECREAT bead string is an excellent option!
It combines multiple strands of stainless steel to form one strong line of wire. The wire may be thin at 0.039 inches (18-gauge), but it doesn’t fall short of strength. This wire for jewelry making will stand up to any pulling and bending, as it can withstand pounds of force.
Its flexible nature makes it a great option for beading bracelets, necklaces, and anklets. The nylon coating makes this wire soft on the skin while protecting the wire from damage.
You can expect it to stay strong and abrasion-free throughout all your jewelry-making endeavors.
Pros
- Has a nylon coating to protect the metal and your skin from irritation
- It uses durable stainless steel
- It uses seven strands of wire, making it very strong
Cons
- Tightly twisting the wire can be challenging
- The spool can make unraveling a little messy
PAXCOO 3-Pack Jewelry Beading Wire
If you’re not quite sure which color wire you want, the PAXCOO beading wire pack will be perfect! You can choose to use one color or combine a few for a stunning piece of jewelry. Each wire for jewelry making uses copper, which is usually moderately easy to bend.
The 18-gauge, or 0.0478 inches thick, wire is thin but strong enough to hold heavy charms and pendants. It’s just the right size for most beading projects and is perfect for holding hardware firmly in place. The wire won’t unravel or break due to tight coils or twisting.
Another excellent feature of this wire for jewelry making is the tarnish-resistant coating, which means you can wear your jewelry outdoors in humidity or rain. This will keep your jewelry looking as good as new for years ahead.
Pros
- You’ll get three color options
- The wires are tarnish-resistant
- Each wire type has a copper core, which is bendable and rust-resistant
Cons
- The length is a little short at about 15 feet per color
- The coatings can scratch off with heavy use of pliers and tools
Jewelry Wire Buyer’s Guide: Things to Consider
Before you purchase your wire for jewelry making, you should consider a few things. Thickness (gauge), color, and durability are all things that can significantly affect your jewelry.
Gauge
The gauge of a wire is essentially another way to describe the thickness of it. There’s a long list of gauges available, but you’ll often find jewelry wire in the range of 18-26. You can find numbers outside of this, but those aren’t usually the best options for handmade jewelry.
To determine wire thickness based on the gauge number, you need to understand how the scale works. The higher the number is, the thinner the wire is. Thinner wire is usually much easier to bend, but it’s also more fragile. Keep this in mind when picking your wire for jewelry making.
Color
If your wire will be visible in your jewelry, you’ll want to consider what color wire to get. The most popular options are silver, gold, or copper. But sometimes you’ll find bright colors like blue or pink.
Think about the color of your other materials. Maybe you’ll want to color-coordinate the wire color with your beads or pendants. You don’t want your wire for jewelry making to stick out like a sore thumb. When your wire isn’t visible, you can typically pick whichever color you want.
Durability
Gauge and durability often go hand-in-hand. If you plan on doing a lot of twisting and wrapping, you may not want a high gauge wire. It’ll be more prone to breakage. So, you’ll probably want something like an 18 or 20-gauge wire. You don’t want the wire to snap into pieces while you’re crafting.
Another part of durability is the materials that the wire uses. Look for materials like stainless steel, copper, and aluminum. They’re usually strong and bendable materials, making them good for jewelry wire.
Wire for Jewelry Making Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best wire thickness for jewelry making?
If you need a little help, a 20 or 22-gauge wire is typically a decent thickness. They’re thin enough for most beads and pendants but thick enough to handle wrapping and twisting. However, keep in mind that the best thickness depends on the type of jewelry you’re making.
What type of jewelry wire won’t tarnish?
Silver is usually the best jewelry wire if you’re looking for something that’s tarnish-resistant. But this is a pricey material. So, the next best options are aluminum or stainless steel. These wire types are more affordable and often go through an alloying process. This process increases tarnish and corrosion resistance.
What is the standard gauge of jewelry wire?
A 20-gauge thickness is typically the standard gauge of wire for jewelry making. This wire thickness is like the middle ground, making it excellent for almost any jewelry-making project. It’s a good gauge to start with if you feel lost on what thickness you need.
Wrapping Up Wire for Jewelry Making
Picking the right wire for jewelry making can be difficult whether you’re a beginner or a professional. You’ll need to determine the correct thickness, color, and durability that you’ll need before purchasing. But if you need some help, these wire options should give you some ideas on where to start!
Do you need some design ideas for your new jewelry wire? Check out our Jewelry Making Ideas post for some inspiration!
Ashley Masiello is a crafting fanatic, video editor, artist, general freelance writer, and a writer for That Sweet Tea Life. She has a bachelor’s degree in film/media and two minors in writing and art.
She loves to try out crafts, projects, and recipes in her free time. And she enjoys sharing fun and interesting artistic knowledge with others. Whether you like scrapbooking or cooking, there’s a fun learning process for everything!
Ashely can be reached at [email protected]