[Jewelry making - Article 00082] - Re: [Orchid] Drawing gold wire and hardness

[rebecca rourke]

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    with gold at 560.00 + an oz, why not just purchase some full hard to
    spring hard 24 g. 18 kt wire..unless you have a lot of time for
    drawing it down from say 18g..i think three-four passes of 24" of
    wire in a decent draw plate should render just about any 18kt wire
    hardened if you don't anneal it, but do use some oil of wintergreen
    or other liquid lubricant on your draw plate ( try to avoid wax on
    the drawplate if possible and particularly if it is a sapphire
    drawplate) as you proceed so the Au doesn't become brittle and break.
    24g is pretty small.Remember if you're buying 14kt, you are paying
    for wire that is only about 50% gold..., it is harder naturally due
    to the Cu and Ag, and the higher the karat the softer the gold..i
    recommend going with 18 kt for chains- due to the richer colour, and
    14 karat for the clasps- due to the integral strength if you're just
    begining to play with gold. however, 20-22 karat looks beautiful and
    adds value to the piece.Another consideration is the style of chain
    you're after. If it is byzantine or the like, and you are using a lot
    of jump rings for the construction, 18-22 gauge will give you enough
    strength, but also weight..which may or may not be desirable..there
    is no pat answer to your question as it is essentially one of
    design..have fun, but take shortcuts to makeyour production time
    minimized if this is to be your sole means of support..
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