Beads & Jewelry Making Supplies by WigJig Newsletter for 04/24/2005

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WigJig News:

We have added some new products to our Internet store since our last newsletter.  Specifically, we have added several new lengths of anti-tarnish sterling silver and gold-filled wire and we have added several new sterling silver toggle clasps.  Two of the new toggle clasps have been placed on sale for the next two weeks at 20% off their normal retail price.  You can view these two new clasps below.  The new lengths of wire are our effort to make our anti-tarnish sterling silver and our gold-filled wire more affordable.  Until now we have been selling this wire on one ounce lengths.  We are now selling anti-tarnish sterling silver and gold-filled wire in 18 and 20 gauge in 5 foot lengths and in 22 gauge in a 10 foot length.  This brings down the price of this wire and makes it easier to try making jewelry with this wire.  Our hope is that those of you who have been using our silver-plated and gold-plated wire will try both our anti-tarnish sterling silver and gold-filled wire. We believe that you will like the results.

On Sale:
 We update the jewelry supplies that we have "On Sale" with every newsletter.  A small sample of the products we have for sale at discounted prices are shown below.  Please click on any of the text below the pictures to view our entire list of sale items.  Select the picture itself to view that specific item in our Internet store.  This sale will be effective through May 6, 2005 or until we run out of that item. 
 


Swarovski 6mm Bicone Tanzanite Beads

6mm Bicone Swarovski
Tanzanite Beads
 


Swarovski 6mm Bicone Black Diamond Beads

Swarovski 6mm Bicone
Black Diamond Beads
 


6mm Swarovski Sapphire Light Bicone Beads

6mm Round Swarovski
Sapphire Light Beads


Sterling Silver Ear Clip

Sterling Silver Lever Back Ear Clip
 

Pin Vise Jewelry Tool

Pin Vise
 


Fine Silver-plate Earring Drop

Silver-plate Earring Drop Finding
 

Free Jewelry Design:
With every newsletter we provide a new jewelry design from WigJig University to spur the creative juices.  The new design for this newsletter is the design for the 3 Tier "V" Shaped Chandelier Earrings shown at right.  Making these earrings is an advanced beginners jewelry making project.  The most difficult step is making the wrapped bead link to connect one tier to the next.  We show several alternative designs for making these "V" shaped chandelier earrings and will add a couple of more 2 Tier alternatives at a later date.  These earrings are very similar to the 2 and 3 tier earrings that we described about a month ago, but in this case the "V" shape is oriented normally.  The earlier designs were made in an inverted "V" shape.  If you were successful in making those earrings, you will find these earrings use almost identical components and techniques.

To view our instructions for making these earrings please select either the picture or the name of the earrings at right. 

3 Tier Chandelier Earrings Jewelry Making Project Made with Swarovski Aqua Beads  3 Tier V Chandelier Earrings Jewelry Making Project Made with Swarovski Crystal AB Beads

3 Tier "V" Shaped Chandelier Earrings
Past Techniques:
 We maintain a techniques web page that provides links to the discussion of techniques in our prior newsletters.  You can visit this web page here.  Follow the links on that page to the discussion of the technique in that newsletter. 
Jewelry Technique:
This weeks jewelry technique is a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of several types of wire.  Specifically we compare the advantages and disadvantages of soft, versus 1/2 hard versus hard wire and the advantages and disadvantages of sterling silver, gold, Argentium anti-tarnish sterling silver, gold-filled, silver-plated and gold-plated wire.  We have added page 21A comparing wire hardness and page 21B comparing the various types of precious metal wire to our series of Beginners Instructions web pages. 

The one question that we get asked more than any other is what wire to choose.  These two new web pages help to answer this question.  Our personal choice for the wire we use to make jewelry is gold-filled wire.  We use gold-filled wire because it has all the advantages of gold wire at a fraction of the cost.  The most significant advantage to either gold or gold-filled wire for us is that we need to take pictures of the jewelry that we make and digital cameras are much better at taking pictures of gold colored wire than they are of silver.  The second most significant advantage is that gold and gold-filled wire have a natural tarnish resistance.  Our jewelry is on display out in the air for a very long time.  With our gold-filled jewelry we have not had to polish any of our display pieces. 

To view our comparison of the types of wire select either Page 21A for a comparison of wire hardness or Page 21B for a comparison of precious metal wire. 
 

 

We are continuing to improve our newsletter, so please feel free to provide feedback at custsrv@wigjig.com. 

Announcements:
Online Books.  If you are looking for new and interesting jewelry projects -- try one of our Online Books.  Our most detailed instructions are for sale online.  Please select here to view our selection of online books.  These books are delivered over the Internet and there are no shipping costs on an order with just online books. 

Shipping Policy.  We ship all retail orders over $60 for free within the US.  For International orders we ship via UPS international service and charge $34.95 (our average cost) for this expedited shipping service.  Please select here to view our entire shipping policy.

WigJig University.  We provide Over 2,000 web pages of free information, tips, techniques and free jewelry making designs in WigJig University.  We encourage everyone to view this information as a source for new ideas, projects, or a way to learn new techniques.  We now have a page in WigJig University that shows our designs by sorted by the WigJig tool used to make them.  Please select here to view that information. 

International Vendors.  We do have vendors who sell our WigJig products outside the US.  We encourage customers to contact these vendors in their home country.  Please select here to view our list of overseas vendors.  We are also happy to sell our WigJig tools to stores.  Please send us an e-mail if you are interested in selling our WigJig tools. 

Classes.  We have a listing of various jewelry-making classes using our WigJig tools that are offered by bead stores throughout the country.  If you are interested in classes, please select here.  If you know someone who has classes in using our WigJig tools, please ask them to send us an e-mail at custsrv@wigjig.com so that we can include them in these pages. 

FREE SHIPPING ON ALL ORDERS OVER $60.00 SHIPPED to USA - Customer Care - WigJig, PO Box 5124, Gaithersburg, MD 20882; (800) 579-WIRE (phone), (240) 597-2262 (fax), custsrv@wigjig.com (email).  Privacy Policy.  All content on this web site including jewelry and wire designs are copyrighted by WigJig.  WigJig is a registered trademark.  Last modified: January 11, 2008

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2003    2004

01/09/2005    01/23/2005    02/13/2005   02/27/2005   03/13/2005   03/27/2005   04/10/2005

WigJig Jewelry Making Newsletter