What gauge should bezel wire be?

Most bezel wire is between 28-30 gauge thickness, though you can get it up to 22 gauge in thickness, but that is only for straight bezel wire. Bezel wire is made of fine silver because it is a softer metal and is much easier to push over the stone than sterling.

What is fine silver wire?

Fine silver is . Fine silver, also referred to as 99.9% pure silver or 999 silver, cannot be heat hardened like sterling silver or argentium silver. Fine silver does not tarnish like sterling silver. Otto Frei fine silver is jewelry quality and not medical grade material.

What is bezel wire used for?

What is Bezel Wire? Bezel wire wraps around your cabochon to hold it securely in place. Fine silver, or . 999, wire is ideal because there is no fire scale to clean up after you solder the join together.

What gauge backplate should I use for bezel set ring?

If you are bezel setting for a ring, use minimum 18 gauge (1mm) (rings take more hard wear than pendants). Anything thinner can bend and you end up damaging your stone or your piece, either while you’re setting the stone, or while your customer is wearing it!

What is silver wire used for?

Silver is the best conductor of electricity available and it has been used in electrical wires for quite some time in very specific, high temperature conditions.

Is fine silver the same as sterling silver?

The answer is a definite yes. Sterling silver is an alloyed form of silver which is much more suitable to use in jewellery and other metalwork. Fine silver is 99.9% pure silver. Instead fine silver is alloyed with copper to create sterling silver, which is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper.

Can you fuse fine silver to sterling?

You can solder fine silver to sterling. I think I’d make sure the strands of sterling are very tightly woven and will sit flat on the solder block. Burnish the back of the starfish so that the solder won’t just sink into it.

How thick should a silver ring be?

Most rings are around 1.5mm thick, which is a good enough thickness for daily wear and active hands. Rings thinner than 1.5mm are still durable, but more likely to bend and change shape over time. They’re also perfect if you like minimum metal between your fingers and don’t like the feel of a thick ring.

What kind of wire is used for bezels?

There are two types of bezel wire you can choose from when you’re shopping: plain bezel wire and gallery wire. Plain bezel wire is available in 3/16, 1/8 and 1/4 inch widths, with gauges ranging from 26-30 gauge. It is a plain, flat wire without any shapes or cuts in the design. Gallery wire is also used to set cabochons.

What happens if bezel wire is too tall?

If you order a bezel wire that is too tall, you will have too much material. This means you’ll need to sand the extra fine silver down or you’ll have too much covering the top of the cabochon. If you order bezel wire that is too short, it won’t be able to fold over the top of the stone at all, which means the stone will fall out.

What to use to mark a bezel strip?

Wrap your cab using available objects around your house: wire, paper, soft measuring tape, or string as shown above; and wrap it tightly. Make sure to add an extra 2-3mm so when you file the bezel wire down the two ends will meet and lay flush together. Use a thin permanent marker to mark the spot.

What kind of wire to use for a cabochon?

Bezel wire wraps around your cabochon to hold it securely in place. Fine silver, or .999, wire is ideal because there is no fire scale to clean up after you solder the join together. Plus, the wire is soft and it’s easy to manipulate the wire around the stone.