[Jewelry making - Article 00401] - Re: [Orchid] Beaded Necklaces Keep Breaking

[Lillie's Loops]

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    Thanks for asking. The answer depends on the look and the items you
    wish to place on the wire. For simple stringing, without the wire
    showing, I like the Softflex, 49 strand, for anything that is
    remotely heavy, has beads that I just don't want to lose, and/or I'm
    selling it for a good profit. 

    The cheaper stuff (meaning the lower strand Beadalon) is okay. (I
    find that Softflex is stronger than Beadalon.) If one is worried
    about a small amount of wire that may show, as may happen if you need
    a piece that has more flex, I tend to go with a darker color of wire,
    such as black. 

    If I make a piece that calls for the wire/cable as part of the
    design, such as with stones widely spaced apart, I don't use wire at
    all. At that point, I use silver chain, or, if I don't want the chain
    to be that noticeable, I use a silver cable (which is a very fine
    chain). If the piece calls for a black chain/cable, I dip the chain
    into a solution that will oxidize the silver to a dark color. One
    type of solution that will do that is liver of sulfur. There are
    other solutions that are easier to use that will work as well. There
    are even solutions that will give the chain a gold or green patina. 

    Keep in mind, however, that the fine cable is more likely to break
    if holding a heavier stone or bead. In those cases, I use a chain
    that is delicate looking but has some staying power and, for the
    smaller holed beads, I wire wrap the beads and attach the wire to the
    chain. 

    One other thought in the discussion of breaking crimps. I strongly
    discourage anyone from using anything but silver crimps. The cheaper
    stuff is weak and much harder to use. And, the nicer crimps come in a
    multitude of sizes, so that one can use the crimp that best fits the
    wire. 

    Good luck with your project and let me know if I can answer any
    questions for you further. If you want more help, we can connect on
    the telephone and do a long distance crimping walk-through. Lil
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