So my nephews gave me some gold-filled wire that has been really fun to work with! Made a few rings today...using some great freshwater pearls from The Purple Door in Jamestown and a big fat amethyst quartz I had in my bead collection. I think I am going to try some wire wrapping of pendants next so stay tuned!
What is gold filled wire you may ask?
Pure gold is 24Kt. and is so soft that is it impossible to utilize it in wire wrap jewelry. Gold filled wire is created by taking a sheet of 14 kt. Gold and bonding it through extreme heat and pressure to a core of semi-precious metal (brass). This is a very sophisticated process and only a few mills in the world do it. This process is not GOLD PLATING. There is a very big difference. The end result is a 14kt. tube which is strong, durable, and resistant to tarnish because of its 14 kt. gold covering. There is 100 times more gold in 14 kt. Gold filled (rolled gold) than in gold plate. A 14kt. gold filled piece is usually considered a lifetime piece of jewelry.
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