Metals
Sterling silver is a durable white, lustrous metal with a silver purity of 92.5%. Next to gold, silver is the most malleable and ductile metal known. It can be formed, cast, soldered, textured, etched, enameled, and engraved. It has the ability to take on surface patinas to achieve a darker antiqued appearance. It can be made to have a satin or brushed appearance or be polished to a high shine. Although silver can tarnish, the tarnish can easily be removed by using a polishing cloth, a silver safe chemical cleaner or polishing paste to bring back the original luster of your metal. We carry various gauges of silver sheet and wire in round, half-round, rectangle, and square. We also stock silver bezel strips in various gauges and widths, as well as casting grain and tubing. The harness of all of our sterling silver is half hard.
Fine silver is simply pure silver. It is 99.9%, or .999 pure. It is highly resistant to tarnish but can scratch and dent easily. Because it is so soft, fine silver is best for earrings or necklaces instead of rings or bracelets that are bumped and scratched more frequently. We carry round fine silver wire in 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 gauge bezels strips. The hardness of all of our fine silver is dead soft.
Silver filled wire is a popular alternative to sterling silver. It consists of a thick
layer of 925 sterling silver mechanically bonded to a copper alloy or brass alloy center using heat and pressure. It is 10% silver by weight, and the layer of silver is much
thicker and more durable than silver plated metal. We carry silver filled wire
in 18 gauge, 20 gauge, and 22 gauge.
Gold filled is a more economical choice if you want a gold look without the hefty price. Gold filled
metal is not an alloy, it is a layered material constructed in two or
three layers. It is composed of a solid layer of gold “pressure bonded” to a
core of another metal, usually brass, sometimes silver or copper, using
pressure and heat. Gold filled metal
rarely tarnishes. Since the top layer is gold, gold filled wire and findings are resistant to tarnish, however they can tarnish under extreme circumstances. We
carry round gold filled wire in 18 gauge, 20 gauge, and 22 gauge.
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and is one of the more affordable metals for jewelry making. It has a warm yellow tone that slightly resembles gold. It is very
ductile and can be manipulated easily. It can be formed, cast, soldered,
textured, etched, enameled, and engraved. It also has the ability to take on various
surface patinas from green to black. However,
due to the copper content in the alloy can tarnish or develop a green colored patina over time. We carry brass sheet in 18, 20, 22, and 24 gauge and round
wire in 16, 18, and 20 gauge.
Copper is an eye-catching
metal with a unique orange-red hue. It is a naturally occurring mineral
mined from the earth. It is highly malleable making it easy to manipulate for
use in your designs. Copper can be formed, soldered, textured, etched,
enameled, and engraved. Copper doesn’t rust, but over time it will tarnish or oxidize and can take on a natural green patina when exposed to certain conditions. Various chemical patinas can also be used to
give its surface a black, green, or antiqued appearance. We carry copper sheet in 18,
20, 22, and 24 gauge and round wire in 16, 18, 20, and 22 gauge.
Alloys of gold are divided into 24 "karats" or parts. So 14K gold has 14 of 24 parts gold. This makes the gold content about 58.3% The remaining contents are different metal alloys
that give more hardness to the gold. It is quite durable making it more scratch
and scuff resistant than gold with a higher content of purity. We carry round 14k
yellow gold wire in 18, 20, 22, and 24 gauge.
14K white
gold also contains 58.3% gold. Since gold is yellow, white gold also contains one or
more white metals to lighten its color and add strength and durability. The
most common white metals that form the white gold alloy are palladium,
platinum, and manganese. Sometimes copper, zinc or silver are added. We carry round 14K white gold wire in 18, 20, 22, and 24 gauge. Gold
can be soldered, formed, textured, cast, engraved, and etched. Over time, gold can tarnish but it is easy to restore to its original beauty with a
polishing cloth or a gentle wash of soapy water and a soft cloth.
Solder is a
fusible metal alloy used as the “glue” to join metals together. Solder is
melted by torch in order to adhere to and connect pieces of metal. After the
solder cools, the pieces are solidly bonded together. We offer silver solder in
easy, medium, and hard in wire and sheet form. We also have platinum solder with
1100 and 1700 degree flow points. We carry white and yellow gold repair
and plumb solder in various karats and flow points, as well as 14K pink and green
gold plumb solder.
PMC consists
of microscopic particles of metal and a water-soluble, non-toxic, organic
binder that burns off during firing. It is perfect for creating unique, durable
designs, and beautiful fluid, pieces with an organic flow that never require
soldering. PMC is great for beginners because it doesn’t require
traditional jewelry making skills like soldering or forging which makes it fast
and easy to work with. We carry PMC in silver, fine silver, copper and bronze
in various weights, slip/paste and origami sheet paper.