Jewelers Benchpin Forums

I am creating earrings with bone and wire. I can get nickel silver and bronze from Rio Grande, and a gold tone brass from Amazon.

What I really need is a black or gunmetal wire with the same tensile strength as all of the above in 18, 20 & 22 Gauge diameters.

Thus far the only dark wire I can fine is a coated copper or aluminum. When these are worked the wire either loses its coating or breaks from being manipulated. I have bought Benecreat, Artistic Wire, Mandala Craft Wire, Fire Muntain's Black wire and one or two from Amazon.

They all are problematic.

I am creating in one case a spiral that is then flatten, and the bones go on and the wire is wrapped to hold a finding.

I have talked to Garlan Chain, as they offer dark chain, which is obviously made from wire, but they send their wire out to be coated.

I have wondered about titanium, yet can find no black or gunmetal in that medium.

Does anybody have ideas for me to either search for a term I am not using, or are you buying dark wire and don't mind sharing your source?

The images give you an idea of what I am up against,

For any darker steel stuff that comes through our shop I use various 12 and 16 gauge steel wire I find at Ace hardware, most hardware stores should have something similar. It’s typically used for small rivets so it’s soft, similar to working platinum but a bit springier. It may not be as dark as you’re looking for (almost a gunmetal color, comes unpolished) but a quick oil quench will turn it near black. Just make sure you quench after doing all your shaping.