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Jewelry Links :
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Favorite Bead Purching Sites
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Fire Mountain Gems - Grants Pass, OR
A begillion beads, findings, wires, and design ideas as well as "how to's."
This is an on-line ordering site only. They do have tours if you call ahead. I'd like to do that myself!
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The Bead Studio, Ashland, OR
Great site, fun to visit and on line they have a bunch of projects to try. I recommend a visit if you are in Ashland, OR or on-line.
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Dancing Beads, Medford, OR
No online ordering but is a nice store to visit, and the owner is very helpful. Some good classes offered, but seems to be a little behind in its updates. It is in the quant part of old town Medford. Check it out and the downtown area, while you are there. Nice gallerys close by as well as Grilla Bites (a good casual organic restaurant).
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Good Info on Gems AND Tips on how to create your own jewelry:
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Weights And Measures - U.S. & Metric Equivalents Guide
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U.S. LENGTH - METRIC EQUIVALENT
1 inch (in) - 2.54 cm
1 foot (ft) - 30.48 cm
1 yard (yd) - .914 meter (m)
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METRIC LENGTH - U.S EQUIVALENT
1 mm (millimeters) - just over 1/32 of an inch
2 mm - just over 1/16 of an inch
3 mm - 1/8 of an inch
4 mm - 5/32 of an inch
5 mm - 3/16 of an inch
6 mm - 1/4 of an inch
7 mm - 9/32 of an inch
8 mm - 5/16 of an inch
9 mm - 11/32 of an inch
10 mm - 3/8 of an inch
1 centimeter (cm) - .39 in
1 meter (m) - 39.37 in
WEIGHT EQUIVALENTS
1 ounce (oz) = .0625 lb = 28.349 gram (gm)
1 gram (gm) = .001 kg = .035 oz
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Using Wire for Wire Wrapping, Looping, and Wire Jewelry
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The choice of wire is a personal preference for most jewelry makers. Much of the decision is connected to the type of jewelry and the desired artistic results, but there are a few general rules of thumb that you can follow when first starting out. Then, as you start to work with wire, feel free to experiment because these rules are often made to be broken.
Wire Hardness:
Wire comes in three different forms of hardness: dead soft, half-hard, and full-hard:
Dead Soft: As the term indicates, this wire is very soft and can be bent with your hands. It is often used for wire-sculpted jewelry.
Half-Hard: It is a little bit harder and a little bit stronger than dead soft wire because it has been pulled through a draw plate (a tool with holes in it the same size and shape of the wire). It, too, can be bent with your hands unless you are using a very thick gauge.
Full-Hard:This wire is harder and a little stronger than half-hard wire because it has been pulled through a draw plate more times than half-hard wire.
Wire Shapes:
Wire comes in a variety of shapes such as round, half-round, square, and twisted. Round wire tends to be the most versatile. Half-round and square wire are good for wrapping around stones, because the wire has a flat side that will not roll off the wire-wrapped object. Twisted wire is simply square wire that has been held straight and twisted lengthwise to create a spiralling twisted surface effect, which creates a fancy decorative effect in jewelry.
Wire Sizes:
In the US, the size or thickness of wire is measured in gauge (also spelled ‘gage’) while in most European countries they measure it in millimeters. Below is a list of the different sizes and common uses for each size, along with some other helpful information.
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WIRE GAUGE GUIDE
GAUGE
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DIAMETER
IN INCHES
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DIAMETER
IN MM
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COMMON USES
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| 10 |
0.1019 in. |
2.052mm |
Very thick wire. Often used by silver smiths using forging or welding techniques. Good for chokers, stiff bracelets, rings.
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| 12 |
0.0808 in. |
2.588mm |
Still very thick wire, still hard to bend intricately by hand. Good for chokers, stiff bracelets, even wire-sculpted rings.
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| 14 |
0.0641 in. |
1.291mm |
Heavier Wire. Good for chokers, stiff bracelets, even wire-sculpted rings.
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| 16 |
0.0508 in |
0.0508 in. |
Heavy Wire. Commonly used for chokers, heavy-duty clasps
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| 18 |
0.0403 in. |
1.024mm |
Med-Heavy Wire. Good for making clasps, chokers, wire sculptures.
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| 20 |
0.0320 in. |
0.8128mm |
Medium wire. Size most often recommended for creating wire-jewelry using wire jigs and other wire sculpturing techniques. Good for making heavy-duty earwires and lightweight clasps because it’s still pretty easy to work with but strong as well. Dead soft is best, as thicker wire starts getting harder to bend. About 19 feet of 20 gauge wire to the ounce.
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| 22 |
0.0253 in. |
0.6426mm |
Medium-Fine Wire. Very versatile size because it is pretty thick but most beads (like crystals and stone beads) can fit on it. Dead soft is a good way to go with this wire. Good for making earwires, headpins, and rosary style wrapped links. One ounce of 22 gauge has about 31 feet of wire.
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| 24 |
0.0201 in. |
0.5106mm |
Fine wire. Good for beads that have small holes in them such as pearls. Half-hard is good in this size as it adds a little bit of body and strength to a slender wire. Good for making rosary-style beaded links. In an ounce of 24 gauge there is about 48 feet of wire.
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| 26 |
0.4038mm |
0.4038mm |
Very fine wire. Good for beads that have small holes in them such as pearls. Half-hard is good in this size as it adds a little bit of body and strength to a very slender wire. Good for making rosary-style beaded links. In an ounce of 26 gauge wire there is about 76 feet of wire.
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| 28 |
0.0126 in. |
0.3200mm |
Extremely fine wire, not much wider than a human hair. Mostly used for wire crocheting and wire knitting. Hard to handle, tendency to get tangled.
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STANDARD NECKLACE & BRACELET LENGTHS
Women
Choker - 16 inches
Princess/Pendant Length - 18 inches
Matinee - 20 - 24 inches
Opera - 28 -32 inches
Rope - 40-45 inches
Long enough to be worn doubled - 45 inches or more
Lariat - 48 inches or longer, not joined at ends. Worn knotted or wrapped
Bracelet - 7-8 inches
Anklet - 9 inches
Men
Choker - 18 inches
Pendant Length - 20 inches |
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Mission Statement:
Intent Design Studio: Jewelry - Creates and sales exquisite jewelry at affordable prices, for your personal adornment, enjoyment and satisfaction. All creations whether purchased or designed by Nancy are chosen and inspired through intuition and with lifes spirit and heart in mind...
And for the pure fun of making and purchasing beautiful things for you and for me! :-) |
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The content of this art site is exclusively owned by Intent Design Studio, LLC
Any reproduction of the art work within is expressly prohibited.
All work copyright © 2005-08 Intent Design Studio, LLC
•All Rights Reserved•
Sat, Sep 20, 2008
This site generated with 100% recycled electrons!
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