The spool of gold wire. It promises a thousand creations. But faced with the various options – diameter, hardness, alloy – the choice can quickly become a headache. The question of hardness, particularly between "annealed" and "work-hardened," is often a source of confusion.
At La Fille du Sud, we've made a choice: to offer you exclusively... Annealed gold wire . In this guide, we will explain why we believe it is the most versatile and noble material to bring your jewelry to life.
Understanding Hardness: The Fundamental Difference
In jewelry making, the "hardness" of a wire determines its malleability.
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Hardened Wire (Hard or Medium-Hard): It's a stiff and "cripply" wire. It's mainly used for very specific structural elements, such as earring posts or clasps, where no shaping is required. Its lack of flexibility makes it very difficult to work with.
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Annealed (Soft) Thread: The Thread of Creation
The annealed wire has undergone a heat treatment that makes it extremely Flexible and malleable . This is the wire that jewelers use for all shaping work.-
His Superpower: It can be hardened! Once you have shaped your piece, simply work-harden it yourself by gently hammering it with a mallet or passing it through a rolling mill to give it the desired final rigidity.
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Its versatility: It allows you to do everything: create curves, swirls, set stones, AND create rigid structures. It's the ultimate "do-it-all" thread.
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Conclusion : Annealed wire offers you total creative freedom, which hardened wire does not allow.
Diameter Guide: What Thickness for Your Project?
Now that you know why annealed wire is the best choice, here's how to choose the right diameter for your project.
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Thin Diameters (0.3mm to 0.5mm):
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Usage: Ideal for wire wrapping, fine details...
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Average Diameters (0.6mm to 0.9mm):
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Usage: Perfect for rings, earrings, thin rings...
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Thick Diameters (1.0mm and above):
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Usage: Essential for a ring shank, a wedding band, a bangle...
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Select the Alloy (18k vs. 9k)
We have already dedicated an entire article to this subject, but here is an essential reminder:
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18-Carat Gold: The choice of Preciousness . Its color is richer, its brilliance more intense. Ideal for fine jewelry pieces. See our 18k collection
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9-Carat Gold: The choice of Accessible robustness . Harder, it's perfect for everyday jewelry. See our 9k collection
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For a detailed analysis, read our guide: 18k gold vs 9k gold: Which to Choose?
Conclusion: The Good Thread is the Beginning of Magic
Choosing your gold wire is no longer a mystery. By understanding these three criteria – hardness, diameter, and alloy – you now have all the information you need to confidently order the raw material that will bring your most beautiful creations to life.
Your project starts here. Your talent will do the rest.