Sterling Silver Crown Gallery Wire 4.0mm x 0.65mm 12" Lengths

Gallery wire forms the decorative bearing and side wall of a stone setting at the bench, and this Crown pattern is rolled in sterling silver. It comes out of a long tradition: the wire is produced in Israel on equipment originally built in Germany in the 1920s, and the whole factory relocated from Germany to Israel in the 1950s, where a family business has produced this gallery wire ever since.

The Crown design carries a beaded base, which is what separates it from the closely related Inverted Heart design (part number 844-703). The Crown sits on that beaded base while the Inverted Heart has a smooth base, and the Crown stands 4.0 mm tall against the Inverted Heart at 4.5 mm. Wire thickness is 0.65 mm.

The wire is sold by the 12 inch length in hard, as-rolled temper. Order two or more units and the wire is sent as one continuous piece 24 inches or longer, unless you specify otherwise in the order comment field.

Features

• Crown design on a beaded base, distinct from the smooth base Inverted Heart style (844-703)
• Hard, as-rolled temper holds its shape after forming, which suits shaping stone settings
• Temper can vary from batch to batch
• Can be annealed to improve flexibility for bending or wrapping work
• Multi unit orders ship as one continuous piece unless otherwise requested

Notes

This wire is hard and not annealed as sold. It performs well for shaping stone settings in that state, but extensive bending or wrapping may damage it. If your application calls for significant bending or wrapping, anneal the wire first: flux the wire, heat to a dull red, then quench in pickle as soon as the color fades.

Wire may have sharp or rough edges as manufactured, so finishing may be required. Sterling silver tarnishes naturally over time, and exposure to sunlight, humidity, and salt water accelerates it. Store the wire in airtight packaging with tarnish strips to keep tarnish down. Most tarnish comes off with a mild abrasive polish or a soak in an anti-tarnish solution.