Wire - General

Sterling Silver

More Info.

• Jewelry made in sterling silver is perceived to have value
• Sterling silver can be purchased in soft or 1/2 hard

• Sterling Silver Tarnishes easily in the presence of sulfur compounds like those found in air pollution. 
• Sterling Silver is expensive.
• It is harder to take pictures of sterling silver jewelry.

Gold

More Info.

• Jewelry made in solid gold has very high perceived value.
• Gold can be purchased in soft or 1/2 hard.
• Gold is naturally tarnish resistant. 

• Solid gold is very expensive.  It is considerably more expensive than sterling silver. 

Anti-Tarnish Sterling Silver
(Argentium)

More Info.

• Jewelry made in sterling silver is perceived to have value
• Sterling silver can be purchased in soft or 1/2 hard
• Argentium sterling silver has a natural tarnish resistance.
• Argentium sterling silver when tarnished, the tarnish is a light yellow color and can be washed off with soap and water.

• Argentium Sterling Silver is more expensive than ordinary sterling silver but is far less expensive than solid gold. 
• It is harder to take pictures of sterling silver jewelry.
• Argentium Sterling Silver comes from the manufacturer with a light coating of tarnish.  It is recommended that you wash this wire with soap and water before you use it to make jewelry components. 

Gold-Filled

More Info.

• Gold-filled wire appears and wears exactly like solid gold.
• Gold-filled wire is slightly stronger than solid gold.
• Gold-filled wire can be purchased in soft or 1/2 hard.
• Gold-filled wire has the same natural tarnish resistance as solid gold.
• Gold-filled wire has 5% gold alloy squeezed around a gold colored metal core.  For this reason the gold on the wire can not be scratched off by normal wear and tear.

• Gold-filled wire costs more than sterling silver, but much, much less than solid gold. 

Silver-Plate

More Info.

• Silver-plated wire is inexpensive.
• Silver-plated wire appears like sterling silver for jewelry items that receive limited abrasion like earrings. 
• Some silver plated wire has an anti-tarnish enamel coating. 

• The silver plating is 1-2 molecules thick and can be scratched off by normal wear and tear.
• Silver-plated wire can tarnish.
• Silver-plated wire is only available as soft wire.
• Most silver-plated wire contains traces of nickel. 

Gold-Plate

More Info.

• Gold-plated wire is inexpensive.
• Gold-plated wire appears like 24 kt gold and is suitable for jewelry items that receive limited abrasion like earrings. 

• Gold-plated wire appears like 24 kt gold and can be hard to match to jewelry components made of other gold alloys.
• The gold plating is 1-2 molecules of gold thick and can be scratched off by normal wear and tear.
• Most gold-plated wire contains traces of nickel.