I use dips to clean sterling chains and whatnot but also I learned the hard way to pay attention when the label says to not dip amber, turquoise, pearls or any organic or porous stones. Wow, do they ever deteriorate fast, and mere seconds in the cleaning solution is all it takes. Amber dissolves! But, those non-tarnish bags work beautifully. A customer who’d bought a pearl and silver bracelet from me several years ago brought it back about a month ago for a replacement pearl and the silver was pristine, no discolouration at all, because she’d always kept it in the bag when she wasn’t wearing it. The one I had on exhibit is a mess — because you can’t leave it in a bag on the table, right? — and it’s an impossible design to clean. All those teensy pearls on fine Bali multi-ball head pins dangling on a fine silver chain…? Gorgeous bracelet, I sold several of them, but ewch… never again.

I have learned a lot about jewellery design from a cleaning perspective by watching things tarnish and then trying to figure out how to clean them, and deciding that maybe I should design things a little differently from the get-go if for no other reason than I use a lot of turquoise, pearls and matte lapis. You need to figure out first how easy the materials will be to clean, and then adapt the design with future cleaning (or repair) in mind.

As to the specific question, there is no such a thing as a “best” wire. There’s simply the best wire for the job. Every wire brand has it’s good points and bad, it just depends what you want to do with it. If you want to hammer, you don’t really want to be using a coated wire. Because most of the time I’m trying to keep my costs down, I’ve gone almost completely over to tinned copper to get the silver look. It’s not coated with that awful plastic which after a year or so starts to fray and crack and turn yellow itself. It’s quite maleable but hardens up beautifully. It goes well with the type of jewellery I make (tribalish). It’s super cheap. It will darken a bit but I’ve found I can polish it up with a silver cleaning cloth.

Having said that, the tin WILL eventually wear off — and again, it’s the chemicals in the local water supply and lotions, hair sprays and perfumes that are usually the culprit, so you have to tell people how to take care of their jewellery if they want it to last and look good longer.

I mix metals in my jewellery. I use sterling earwires way more often now primarily because I’ve learned it’s a huge selling point, even on otherwise less expensive earrings, and I buy them in bulk or make my own (Argentium is my personal favourite type of silver wire across the board, and both Argentium and sterling have come way down in price), and then I use 20, 22 and 24-gauge tinned copper to do most of my bead wrapping. I just bought some white gold-plated head pins to try out, as I like the darker more antique-y silver colour they have that goes with the pewterish look of the tinned copper, and also with the zinc, silvertone, pewter and coin silver beads and pendants I like. White gold won’t tarnish per se — but how long before the plating wears off? That is the question for now and the only way I’m going to find out is to use it and see what happens.

I buy copper by the pound because it’s cheap, it’s wonderful to work with and looks great, but it’s another wire that, yes, will tarnish, but at the same time it’s fairly easy to clean. You still have to watch what type of stones you’re putting with it, though.

I use cheap wire to design things with or to practice hammering shapes with, and to use for measuring how much wire I’ll be using on a given project, then I move on to Argentium, if that’s what I’m going to be using. I’m now starting to think about incorporating a bit of gold wire.

Another interesting wire — sorry, I’m going on a bit here — that I’ve seen is called “jeweller’s brass”. Does anyone know anything about this? Brass gives you the gold look, but I was told — or read on some website or other — that jeweller’s brass doesn’t corrode or tarnish, versus the regular (i.e. cheap) brass wire more commonly available.

Great question, Lydia, but as you can see it’s all about experimenting and eventually you’ll find the materials that are your personal go-to favourites to use. I use 18 and 20 gauge to wrap most pendants, 20 gauge for earwires, occasionally 18 gauge but mostly 20 and 22 gauge to wrap many larger beads, 24 gauge is the most common I use for the smaller beads and smaller Swarovskis, 24 gauge for larger pearls, 26 gauge for small pearls and tiny fine semi-precious — the last three because of the size of the holes — because, ultimately, it’s the size of the hole in the bead that’s going to determine the wire gauge you’ll be using.

Please keep us posted as to your progress, for sure, we all went through exactly what you’re going through!
Barbara

For not turning black, I make rings outof sterling as well. They will tarnish with time, and I use a jewelry cloth to shine them back up (or my trusty tumbler with steel shot will do it a s well). If you prefer a more satin finish, try comet or ajax, which is the same consistency as jeweler’s pumice. Rub it onto the metal and keep going until the metal is clean and bright, then rinse well. You can also protect metal from tarnish with furniture paste wax. Just swipe a small bit of tissue/rag onto the wax, then rub onto jewelry. For best results, I put the bulb of a bent-arm lamp over it to melt the wax into crevices, but this isn’t always needed. Just buff it clean, it will last a while. Krylon spray, clear nail polish, or spray laquer are other possibilities too. I just use silver and polish it from time to time. I keep copper and brass mostly for earrings, and I often spay those.

For your bracelet, it sounds like you might have used 12 g aluminium. Aluminium wire is nice in that it is easy to bend and stays shiny, but… it doesn’t work harden. Ever. It bends and it breaks. So, it is not really ideal for something like the structure of a bracelet, but works good for pendants or ear dangles that don’t get as much wear and tear.

For the ring that turned black, most metals used in jewelry – copper, silver, bronze, brass – will tarnish over time. This can happen quicker in humid climates or if it is in close contact with your skin. Ways to combat this include dips – such as future floor vinish – or rub on waxes, or even spraying with a clear lacquer. Remember though, these are all temporary and will need to be periodically reapplied.

My best recommendation would be to do some research on the different metals available (most common are copper, sterling silver, bronze, brass, aluminium, gold) see what the pros and cons of each are, the best ways to finish each – patinas, protective coatings, tumbling- and then pick the best one for the project.

I hope others are more helpful in getting you closer to the wire that works best for you!