Читать книгу Making Copper Wire Earrings - Lora S. Irish - Страница 10

While you can, of course, buy wire through jewelry supply stores and craft stores, copper, brass, aluminum, and stainless steel wire are also commonly available at your local hardware store or from online hardware suppliers. You can also purchase large quantities of wire (in 1-pound spools) online through marketplaces such as Amazon and eBay. All four of these types of wire make wonderful earrings while remaining inexpensive enough that you can freely practice, experiment, and play before moving on to work with more expensive wire like silver or gold wire.

Copper wire is considered a soft wire and can easily be bent using just the pressure of your fingers. After the link is created, it can be work-hardened by lightly tapping the link for about one minute with a nylon mallet.

Brass wire is very hard and needs even, strong pressure to create smooth bends. Brass does not tarnish and retains its bright yellow tone for years.

Aluminum wire is available in a range of hardnesses, from very soft craft wire to harder hardware wire.

Stainless steel wire is a hard wire that can be bent using jewelry tools and a little extra pressure. The metal does not tarnish over time, retaining its bright appearance.