Here is a list of the more common types of jewellery wire:-

 

Argentium wire - is the newest update to Sterling Silver. It is made from 93% sterling silver, but has germanium added to it instead of copper. This means that it is stamped 925 for sterling silver, but it is much easier to work with and best of all is natually tarnish resistant. So this means that there is less polishing and can be used for all sorts of decorations, not just jewellery. It is available in multiple wire gauages. I haven't really seen this available in Australia, but it is widely available in the US.

Copper wire - is, made of (surprise surprise) copper.  It comes in different gauges and is cheap to buy.  It makes a perfect practice wire.  It will usually tarnish (as copper is prone to do) however some people like this effect.  I always practice my new designs with copper, just to see how it will look and how hard it is to achieve the look I’m after.   It's great to use so that you can perfect a technique before using more expensive jewellery wires. It is available in multiple wire gauges.

 

Craft wire – is a copper based wire that is permanently coloured.  It is easy to use, inexpensive and is available in different gauges and colours.  However the colour can fade over time and if you scratch it, you may see the base alloy used. It is available in multiple wire gauges.


Gold Filled wire - is not what it sounds like.  It is actually made from a gold coloured alloy (usually jewellers brass) which is then dipped in gold (minimum of 10k’s).  This results in the wire having a 5% gold content (referred to as 1/20th gold). Sometimes you see wire advertised as “Gold filled wire 12k”, meaning the wire is dipped in 12 karat gold.  14k and 12k are the most common versions, but I have seen a 10k available.  This in effect means that the jewellery wire looks like gold and wears like gold.  The gold does not “wear off”, it tends not to chip or scratch while you’re wearing it and will look like new from one generation to another.  You do have to be mindful of scratching the jewellery wire with your tools.  If you are not careful you will damage the jewellery wire.  It is available in multiple wire gauges.


Gold Plated wire - means that the item has gone through an electroplating process, where gold is bonded to an alloy.  The gold layer is very, very thin (only microns thick).  The alloy is a mixture of different metals, usually copper, brass and nickel.  So gold plating is prone to wearing off, chipping and can be easily marked.  A lot of findings are gold plated and some jewellery wires are as well.  However the jewellery wire is usually referred to as "craft wire, gold coloured". It is available in multiple wire gauges.

 

Memory wire - is a flexible steel wire that comes pre-shaped in circles. You can find it in sizes for rings, bracelets (large and small) and necklaces (large and small). It can be natural (looks like steel) or you can even get gold plated and silver plated. Due to its hardness, you must use special cutters designed for cutting Memory wire, otherwise you will quickly blunt ordinary pliers.

Niobium wire - Niobium is another type of metal that is strong but also hypo-allegenic in nature. It's naturally a silver colour, but quite often you will find it call "Anodized Niobium Wire". This means that it has been coated with a colour. These colours are usually very virbrant and are quite attractive. However you do have to be careful as tools will scratch the colour off, damaging the wire. The most common colours you find are purple, pink, dark blue, teal, green and yellow. Please be away this in NOT the same as craft wire. You may find some cutters are not suitable for cutting Niobium wire (due to it's strength), follow the manufacturers guidelines for your tools. It is available in some wire gauges - usually 22ga, 20ga & 18ga.

Sterling Silver wire -  is an alloy made up of 92.5% silver and another metal (usually copper).  The copper makes sterling silver harder and therefore better to work with.  It won’t lose its colour, however it may tarnish over time. It is available in multiple wire gauges.