0.2mm 0.3mm 0.4mm 0.6mm 0.8mm 1mm 1.2mm 1.5mm

We also sell a wide range of Silver plated, Gold Plated, Brass and Copper Wire suitable for Jewellery, Hobby and & Craftwork, in single packs, assorted selections and in large Trade packs. As well as a range of craft tools

• Silver Plated 0.2mm - 1.5mm         All Sizes are available from our Ebay Shop
  
• Gold Plated 0.2mm - 1mm
  
• Copper 0.4mm - 1.5mm           
• Brass 0.4mm - 1.5mm
• Coloured coated Copper wire 0.3mm - 0.6mm (range of 15 colours)
• Clear, Smoke & Black & Fluorescent Beading Thread 0.3mm
  

I have written below some notes on wire Jewellery and other projects that each wire is commonly used and suitable for. Each wire is equally suitable for wire modelling, model making, hobby, cake toppers and other crafts uses. The thicker the wire the stronger and better at holding its shape it will be, as a general rule always use a thicker wire first, and then use a finer wire if you then feel it necessary.

For most jewellery projects it is recommended to use 1mm or 0.8mm. The thinner wires, such as 0.6mm and 0.4mm these are ideal for binding, bead work, wire wrapping and twisting together. The very fine 0.3mm and 0.2mm are ideal for Stitching, Sewing , Embroidery, Weaving and Crocheting work also used for jewellery binding work.  The thicker gauges of  1.2mm and 1.5mm are our best sellers,  although these thicker gauges are harder to bend and manipulate,  they do make attractive in bold, chunky design jewellerys,  is very popular  for making the main support for making cake toppers, as well as being a popular size for art sculpture and model work.  For the beginner I would recommend experimenting with copper wire as it’s softer and more flexible to work with.

 I am often asked questions about wire and below are answers to those most commonly asked.

Wire hardness
Most jewellery wire is now sold as either dead soft, half-hard, or hard, with dead soft being wire manufactured with a hardness of 0, half-hard being wire manufactured with a hardness of 2, and fully hardened wire being wire a hardness of 4. Dead soft wire is extremely soft and pliable, it can be easily bent and is excellent for making rounded shapes including a spiral. The disadvantage of using soft wire is that the finished piece is easily bent out of shape if not properly handled. As with most things, no single wire is perfect for all applications, but Half-hard wire is a good compromise for jewellery & most craft work, in general and in an ideal world, all wire will be easy to bend, until in its final shape and then be very stiff, but this wire does not exist. Copper is a little softer when compared to Silver and Gold plated wire of the same gauge.

Gold Wire
A popular question that I am often asked is what carat Gold is the wire made from and the gold content? our gold plated wire is drawn from 24k gold which is then plated onto good quality copper to give a better reddish colour. With both Gold and Silver plated wires, all that ever varies is thickness of the plating, for example the proportion of gold in gold plated wire is quite small, being only plated a few molecules thick. Our gold plated wire is on drawn on average from one ounce troy of a gold bar per 1500 yards of wire which on average equates to 16 grains of gold per one metre of wire (approx). Exactly the same Gold plated wire is sold in many craft shops and Internet shops for £5.50 per coil. Due to our bulk buying power and our low overheads we can pass on direct savings, while our present stocks last as Gold prices are always on the increase.

Wire sizes
There are two defined methods of selling wire in the UK, the older American “gauge” system and the metric diameter system. We stock wire in a range of sizes from 0.2mm (finest) up to 1.5mm (thickest) For information purposes we have listed the closest gauge equivalent in our listings. The wire gauges range in size from a huge 0 gauge, which is roughly the size of a pencil, 0.8mm is roughly the thickness of standard size paper clip wire.

Recommend Tools
This is a difficult question as it’s a matter of personal choice, it’s a bit like asking a Chef to name a couple of ingredients and the list could go on and on,  but I would say just 4 basic pliers,  round nose pliers,  side wire cutters,  brass face flat pliers and a pair of bent nose pliers.

Then if you wanted to buy more then buy a flush (top cutting) cutting pliers, Needle nose pliers, flat nose pliers and a pair of combination short point pliers. If you are doing Bead work, then a Crimping pliers is a must have tool.

Other useful tools are a Jewellers Repousse hammer (for hardening, texturing, flattening and spreading wire) Then if the list went on to power tools, a Dremel multi tool which is very useful tool and for which we sell Diamond burrs, Tungsten Carbide burrs and cut off discs . A bench grinder with one side converted with a 6” buffing wheel  is very handy and we sell the buffing wheels & adaptors and specialist polishing waxes, the list could go on as we sell everything you might need from Micro drills, Micro pin chucks, pin chucks, micro cutting broaches to jewellers screwdrivers,  magnifiers,  eye loupes and puffers as well as items like Clock and watch oils.

• Very Fine Wire
• Wire stitching, Embroidery, Weaving and Crocheting

• Fine Wire
• Wire stitching, Embroidery, Weaving and Crocheting
• Bead work

0.4mm is quite fine, a little thicker than 0.3mm. Very easy to bend twist and wrap, also used for Embroidery, Weaving, and Crocheting. It is equally suitable for intricate jewellery work like headpins, eyepins, tiaras and creating bead sprays with small beads such as freshwater pearls where 0.6mm wire may be just a bit too heavy. If you doing bead work gauge 0.4mm and 0.6mm are the most popular sizes used.

0.6mm wire (22 gauge)

•   Medium Fine Wire
•   General beading work
• Wire-wrapped loops, headpins, eyepins and ear-wires

A very popular and versatile gauge wire that has many uses, although not recommend for structures that may bend under pressure. Most commonly used for general beading work, but also suitable for stone wrapping of smaller crystals, semi-precious beads and freshwater pearls. Delicate jump rings can be made with this gauge wire. Also suitable for making wire-wrapped loops, headpins, eyepins and ear-wires. This wire is the most popular gauge for creating scrolls and coils on Cake toppers and is normally used together with 1.2mm. The Brass wire in this gauge is ideal to make Fishing floats and also Rabbit snares.

0.8mm wire (20 gauge)    ( 0.8mm is roughly the thickness of standard size paper clip wire)

• Medium Wire
• General Purpose Jewellery wire
• Creating links, clasps and structure
• Model making

This is the most popular and common size wire used in jewellery making. If you are new to wire jewellery this is the wire to start with. Suitable for making and adding structure to tiara designs, creating links, clasps, armatures, eyepins and earwires. Also used for wrapping Austrian Crystals and transparent semi-precious beads. Most glass beads (but not all) are manufactured with a hole that is 1 mm in size and will accommodate 0.8mm wire. The largest wire that can go through the beads is generally chosen. Beads and gemstones are much harder than the wire and over time will saw into the wire as the thicker the wire, the longer it will last.

1mm Wire (18 gauge)

• Medium Thick Wire
• Heavy duty Jewellery making
• Model making

This wire (and larger sizes) are the most popular sizes for making earring components and quite chunky jump rings which are unlikely to pull apart. Also suitable for making clasps, frameworks for beaded cuffs, wire wrapping beads with large holes, chain-making as well as wind charms, gift wrapping and making Christmas decorations. It is also popular with Model makers and Model Train enthusiasts.

1.2mm & 1.5mm Wire (16 & 14 gauge)  

• Heavy wire
• Bracelets, Rings and Neckwire components
• Wire sculpture, Wedding & Special Occasion Cake Toppers
  
• Model and Art Sculpture work
  

These heavy gauge wires are by far our best selling wires. These wires are harder to bend so you need to use heavier duty tools. These wires are generally used for making rings, bracelets (especially copper), neckwire component. Very popular for making wire sculptures like Cake Toppers and other unsupported shapes. Both size wires are the popular for model making, model railways, Dolls houses, scenery supports and lots of varied craft projects. The 1.2mm gauge is normally used to use as the main base wire for cake crowns use to with 0.6mm to create and bind your beads and wire scrolls etc.

We also sell Copper Wire

£1.99

Make your own Copper Jewellery

Therapeutic and metaphysical Properties of Copper

Copper, as a natural elemental metal, has been mined for thousands of years to make tools, jewellery and other decorative items. It is associated with mystic lore and legend because of its natural healing qualities. It is said that Copper holds the powers of Mother Nature.

Copper gets it's name from the Latin "cuprum," which comes from the island of Cyprus, where it was mined in ancient times. Cyprus was known as "The Sacred Isle of the Goddess Venus".  Copper was associated with the planet Venus and was thought, that like Venus, Copper had a balancing, stabilizing and therapeutic effect. Copper is believed to have natural qualities that promote Channelling, Cleansing, and Purification. It is said to be a good 'conductor' of energies from other worldly sources hence it’s legendary reputation of having natural, mystical and therapeutic qualities. Perhaps this is why Men and Women all over the world have worn Copper bracelets as a healing talisman to treat arthritis for thousands of years. Copper was also associated with the Greek God Hermes, known as a catalyst for increasing mental agility, quick wittedness and romantic power, It is believed to aid self esteem, communication and is used as the shaft of Crystal wands because it facilitates the flow of energy.

Did you know..... That the copper in brass makes brass germicidal (called the oligodynamic effect ) for example, brass door knobs disinfect themselves of many bacteria within eight hours! This is why it's used in hospitals!

Polished Stainless Steel Miniature Pliers

Ideal for Wire Jewellery, Wire Modelling and Craft Work
Please see our other listings we sell a range of “palm size” pliers made from polished Stainless Steel. These are ideally suited for intricate and detailed work such as wire jewellery, wire modelling, model making, electronics and small craftwork.  Pliers have different ‘nose’ shapes and some are fitted with springs to make them a little easier to work with, and give a greater degree of accuracy.

 Round Nose Pliers overall length of approx 130 mm (5 inch)



Our top selling set of pliers

The round nose pliers have tapered round nose jaws, which makes them perfect for making intricate bends and loops in wire and for making and opening  jump rings. light green plastic coated handle. These pliers have tapered round nose jaws, also known as Rosary Pliers which make them perfect for making intricate bends and small loops in wire and making jump rings. With plastic coated handles and no springs

Please check out our 100% feedback and our Ebay Shop as we have other tools listed that may be of interest

Please see our other listings we sell a range of “palm size” pliers made from polished Stainless Steel. These are ideally suited for intricate and detailed work such as wire jewellery, wire modelling, model making, electronics and small craftwork.  Pliers have different ‘nose’ shapes and some are fitted with springs to make them a little easier to work with, and give a greater degree of accuracy.

Wire cutting pliers,  (Side cutter)

Wire cutting pliers,  (Side cutter shown above)
Wire cutters are essential tools for cutting small gauge wire and tiger tail. There are two main types of wire cutter normally used: the side cutter and the top cutter. While both are useful tools, side cutters are a good all round wire cutter, although they are not suitable for cutting “Memory wire” or cutting very heavy gauge wire. With plastic coated handles and fitted with springs for ease of use.

Heavy Duty Wire cutting pliers,  (Side cutter similar to above)
Suitable for cutting “Memory wire” or cutting very heavy gauge wire. With plastic coated handles and fitted with springs for ease of use.

Wire cutting pliers,  (Top Cutter )
An excellent set of pliers with a specialized use, it cuts flush, closer than a side cutter, a handy tool that    
Not suitable for cutting “Memory wire” or cutting very heavy gauge wire. With plastic coated handles and fitted with springs for ease of use

Flat Bed Pliers
These pliers have two flat parallel ‘beds’ and the nose does not taper. The parallel nose bed makes them ideal for secure gripping of wire and thin plate and also perfect for closing crimps and fastenings. With plastic coated handles and fitted with springs for ease of use.

 

Brass Faced Pliers
Similar to our Flat bed pliers, but a more specialized tool. This pliers have internal brass face plates, flat parallel ‘beds’ to minimize any plier damage to your work. Ideal for wire and thin plate work. These are a bit easier than using a cloth inside a set of pliers!  One of our most popular set of pliers. Fitted with Red plastic coated handles for ease of identification.  

Bend Nose, Long Nose Pliers 
These pliers have tapered bent, flat nose jaws which are excellent for good general purpose use and a must for any tool kit. Fitted with plastic coated handles and with springs. Also an excellent size for use in Candle making, to crimp Sustainers onto wicks

Slim Needle Nose pliers

Needle nose pliers, slim non - serrated tapered jaws. Fitted with Green rubberized coated handles ensures comfortable grip and with springs.  Great for holding small parts.  Overall length 150mm 6" (approx)

Bead Crimping pliers

Bead crimping pliers with a comfortable grip coated handle.

•   There crimping pliers are designed for use with standard size round, crimp tubes up to 3mm in diameter.

Whilst you can use a flat nose pliers to close crimps, they are not the best tools for the job, the result is often an unattractive and insecure crimp with sharp edges. A crimping pliers produces smooth unobtrusive crimps for a professional finish. If you have ever used a flat nose pliers you will know that its difficult to crimp perfectly every time, using a crimping pliers you will produce consistent results of smaller, neater and more secure crimps, this is especially important when you are trying to hide the crimp inside a larger bead, barrel clasp or bead tip.
Length 130mm  -  5 1/8 inches (approx) We also stock Clear, Smoke, Black and a range of Fluorescent Beading Threads


Hobby Hammer

A light weight Hammer constructed of heavy duty steel with a 7" long knurled grip metal handle. Complete with 6 interchangeable screw on heads;  4 steel heads, including Flat, ballpein and chisel shaped.  1 brass flat head, and 1 Rubber head. This combination of 6 screw on heads, will make hammering and shaping of any type of material easy for the hobbyist.  

The perfect size tool for Jewellery & Craft work as well as model making, ship modelling, dollhouse miniatures or whenever a full size hammer just won't fit. Goes perfectly well with our Jewellers Anvil

Polished Jewellers Anvil

Polished Jewellers Metal Anvil, with round and flat polished horns and a handy hole in top working surface.  A great multi-purpose tool for wire and thin metal sheet working,  ideal for wire wrapping, forming,  flattening and shaping.  Stable Cast iron base that can be screwed on a worktop or piece of wood. Overall length  140mm (5 ½")

Repousse Hammer

• Large flat face measures approximately 1" (25 mm) in diameter, that lowers the risk of marking the workpiece
• The Head is made of tool steel with a length of approx  2 7/16" (62 mm)
• Contoured hardwood handle with bulbous end for comfort and control, to rest in the palm of the hand
• Handle measures approx 10" (254 mm) long

A 110g - 4 oz (approx) hammer and a great Tool for Jewellers, Silversmiths, Blacksmiths and Sheet metal Craftsmen. Used for planishing, forming and shaping of Wire and sheet metal. Suitable for use with a doming block, anvil or sand bag, the Ball pein head is also suitable for light riveting. 

Assorted Pack of 20

Tungsten Carbide Dental Burrs