ParaWire 18 Gauge Blue Steel Silver-Plated Copper Craft Wire – 25 ft Roll

Add a cool Blue Steel metallic finish to jewelry, wire art, and decorative projects with ParaWire Silver-Plated Copper Craft Wire. This substantial 18 gauge wire features a 99% pure copper core plated with 99% pure fine silver and finished with ParaWire's protective non-tarnish color coating.

At approximately .040" in diameter, 18 gauge provides more body and structure than the finer gauges in the ParaWire line. Its soft temper keeps it workable for hand forming, making it an excellent choice for frames, larger loops and links, pendant structures, substantial coils, and other formed components.

Features & Benefits

• 18 gauge silver-plated copper craft wire

• Blue Steel color finish

• 99% pure copper core

• Plated with 99% pure fine silver

• Protective non-tarnish color coating

• Soft temper for easier forming

• Heavier gauge for structured wirework

• Lead-free and nickel-free

• 25-foot roll

• Made in the USA

Specifications

Heavier 18 Gauge for Formed Components

18 gauge is one of the heavier sizes in the ParaWire craft-wire range. Its approximately .040" diameter gives finished components more substance than finer 20, 22, 24, or 26 gauge wire.

It's a useful choice for:

• Jewelry frames

• Larger loops and links

• Pendant structures

• Substantial coils and spirals

• Decorative shapes

• Wire sculpture

• Ornaments

• Formed components

• Mixed-media projects

• Structural elements in multi-gauge designs

The heavier diameter makes 18 gauge particularly useful when the wire needs to contribute to the shape and structure of the finished piece rather than simply wrap around another component.

Silver-Plated Copper Construction

ParaWire Silver Plated Craft Wire begins with a 99% pure copper core.

The copper is plated with 99% pure fine silver, followed by a tinted protective coating that creates the Blue Steel color and helps protect the wire from tarnishing.

This is silver-plated copper craft wire, not solid silver or silver-filled wire.

Blue Steel Finish

Blue Steel provides a cool, dark metallic color that offers an alternative to traditional silver, gold, and copper tones.

Its subdued blue-gray appearance works well for contemporary jewelry, wire art, ornaments, and mixed-media designs and can be paired with beads, stones, silver-tone components, or contrasting wire colors.

Blue Steel describes the color of the finish. The wire itself is not steel.

Soft Temper for Easier Forming

Despite its heavier 18 gauge diameter, ParaWire's colored craft wire is soft temper.

This makes it easier to bend, coil, and shape than a harder-temper wire of the same diameter, making it well suited to hand-formed jewelry and decorative wirework.

18 Gauge vs. 20 Gauge

Choose between 18 and 20 gauge according to how much body you want the wire to provide.

18 gauge is thicker and better suited to larger loops, frames, pendant structures, substantial coils, and components where more rigidity and visual weight are desired.

20 gauge is finer and easier to manipulate, making it a more versatile general-purpose choice for loops, links, connectors, wrapping, and medium-size formed components.

Combine with Finer Wire

18 gauge Blue Steel wire can serve as the framework for designs that incorporate finer wire.

Form the primary shape with 18 gauge wire, then use a smaller gauge to:

• Bind wires together

• Wrap around the frame

• Add beads

• Create woven details

• Attach decorative components

• Add fine embellishments

This combination allows the 18 gauge wire to provide structure while finer wire handles the detailed work.

Protective Non-Tarnish Coating

ParaWire applies a tinted, flexible coating over the fine-silver plating to create the Blue Steel color and help protect the wire from tarnishing.

The coating is designed to withstand normal wear and manipulation. Smooth, undamaged pliers and forming tools are recommended to minimize scratching or abrasion while working with the wire.

Extended exposure to direct sunlight, water, or high humidity can eventually weaken, fade, or discolor the coating.

Ideal For

• Jewelry making

• Wire forming

• Pendant frames

• Larger loops and links

• Coils and spirals

• Decorative frames

• Wire sculpture

• Ornaments

• Formed components

• Wire art

• Mixed-media designs

• Multi-gauge wire projects

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Blue Steel the metal used to make this wire?
No. Blue Steel is the name of the color finish. The wire has a copper core with fine-silver plating and a protective colored coating.

Is this steel wire?
No. It is silver-plated copper craft wire.

What is underneath the Blue Steel finish?
The wire has a 99% pure copper core plated with 99% pure fine silver before the Blue Steel color coating is applied.

How thick is 18 gauge wire?
18 gauge ParaWire is approximately .040" in diameter.

How much wire is included?
Each roll contains 25 feet of 18 gauge Blue Steel wire.

What is 18 gauge wire best used for?
Its heavier diameter makes it useful for frames, larger loops and links, pendant structures, substantial coils, decorative shapes, and other components that need more body.

Can I use it for wire wrapping?
Yes, particularly when you want the wire itself to contribute structure to the design. For intricate wrapping, binding, or weaving, a finer gauge is generally easier to work with.

Is 18 gauge heavier than 20 gauge?
Yes. 18 gauge is thicker and provides more body and structure than 20 gauge.

Can I combine it with finer wire?
Yes. 18 gauge works well for the primary framework of a design, with finer gauges used for wrapping, weaving, binding, and embellishment.

Is the wire soft temper?
Yes. ParaWire specifies its colored craft wire as soft temper.

Is it lead-free and nickel-free?
Yes. ParaWire specifies its colored craft wire as lead-free and nickel-free.

Does it have a protective coating?
Yes. ParaWire applies a non-tarnish color coating over the fine-silver plating.

Where is it made?
It is made in the USA.

Micro-Tools makes every attempt to provide accurate information for each item. Actual packaging and/or specifications may be slightly different from the information and picture provided.