Simple loop versus wrapped loop and more

Generally, I prefer a wire wrapped bead rather than a simple loop, just because it's more secure. There are times I do use a simple loop though, but be sure the wire is heave enough, and it's not a piece that's toing to take stress at the loop.

Sorry, can't help with your other question.

Jerry.....thanks for your answer on behalf of the few *rookies* on this ng. A question I have is what type of wire is the best (round, half-round, etc) and what do the terms *dead soft, half-hard, etc* mean in this context. It does get a bit confusing.

My daughter bought a spool of 20 gauge sterling wire and also an 18 gauge one and she was wondering too. My best guess at the moment would be "round and half-hard" for general usage. And perhaps 22 to 24 gauge. Is this right??

Also, to answer the OP's question about beading wire, I do use ordinary Beadalon.....but I do have some of their sterling or silver-coated wire here for purely esthetic reasons. I plan on making a floating (or invisible) necklace with silver and blue, so think it would look much better with silver wire. That's just my personal thoughts.....certainly not expert!! (G)

Heather

Simple loop vs Wrapped loop : as Beadbimbo said - wrapped loops are more secure. Sometimes the design wont allow for a wrapped loop, and in those cases you are justified in using a simple loop but make sure your wire is a heavier gauge. Smaller gauge wire wont hold up as well and can come apart or the gap between the two ends can widen and the jewelry piece can fall apart.

Nylon coated stainless steel wire vs Sterling Silver/Plate wire : I guess it depends on the "look" or design you are aiming for.

You can use either the sterling silver (not plated*) wire or nylon color coated stainless steel wire for illusion necklaces - both look great. When making jewelry where gemstones and crystal will cover the wire completely, why waste the money using sterling silver wire when no one is going to see the wire anyway and people will think you are just inflating your prices for nothing.

I'd say, use Sterling Silver when the wire is going to be displayed as part of the design as in an illusion necklace, but its ok to use nylon color coated for just about everything else - including illusion necklaces. That's what I do.

• Note about plated silver - I don't use the stuff, never have and never will. To me, plated is just another word for CHEAP and after a while of wearing it, it wont look good anyway. That's just my opinion, which I am sure is not the opinion of everyone here.

Do what you like, use what you like and what looks good to you. That's the beauty of handcrafted jewelry!

~ Sterling

I think you're getting mixed up with "wire" and the Beadalon stringing wire that is gold/silver plated stainless steel wire that is coated with clear nylon.

If the Beadalon wire was *solid* gold or silver it would be prohibitively expensive!

Also, the clear nylon coating prevents tranishing or the plating rubbing off.

This Beadalon wire is fantastic for illusion necklaces.

Nope - not getting mixed up at all. DMW asked about regular wire and when is best to use a simple loop as opposed to using a wrapped loop. DMW was referring to hard, half hard, & dead soft - round, half round, & square wire.

DMW also asked about nylon clear and color coated BEADING wire like Soft-Flex, Accu-Flex, and Beadalon. And all three manufacturers make a

100% Sterling Silver beading wire. As a matter of fact, I happen to have a 30' spool of 39 strand Accu-Flex 100% Sterling Silver beading wire and yes it was rather expensive - cost me somewhere around $30.00 to $40.00 bucks but it does make fantastic illusion necklaces like you said.

Accu-Flex and Beadalon make a 24k gold plated beading wire. Not sure about Solf-Flex but I'm guessing they do too. Although I use Accu-Flex exclusively, I still wont buy the 24k gold plated beading wire - because its plated. Yeah, I get that the nylon coating prevents the plating from rubbing off, but its still plated. If its not "genuine" (and I hate that word because its so overused) but if it aint real, then I don't use it. What really sucks is that there are more styles to choose from in pewter, plated, and base metal, but I cant use any of them because its not Sterling. I have to wait for someone to do it in sterling before I'll use. Somewhat limiting, I know, but if I could just find some metalsmithing classes around here, I'd make my own. That's kinda the next step.... making my own finding and components.

~ Sterling

Round definitely. The gauge depends on what kind of beads you are wrapping. I usually use half-hard. I'd only use 22 if I were wrapping and not just making loops. I don't think I'd use 24 at all. Or, I should say that I never have. I guess I could see it with something fine and light like pearls or some smaller swarovski crystals maybe, but then again, I don't think I'd just loop the ends, but would always wrap. I probably err to the side of caution there. I always worry about things catching on clothes, etc., or coming apart if someone pulls to hard on a piece. Granted, I haven't done a LOT of this kind of thing. I'm just giving my opinion on my experience. I want my pieces to be secure and not come apart easily.

For example, on my tree pendants:

I do make a simple loop for the bail, because if I wrapped it, it would be too clunky with the wraps from two ends at the top, BUT I use 16g half hard wire for the frame on these pendants, so that sucker is pretty secure. Also, if you tumble the piece, the wire is going to harden, so you can do some things in dead soft, especially a heavy gauge, and tumble it and it will work.

The floating necklaces sound lovely. I've never seen the silver coated Beadalon. It sounds nice.

Thank you so much for the very helpful responses. I should have been more precise with the terms used to avoid confusion.

Denise