Good uses for Nickel wire

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi All,

Can anyone suggest some good uses for nickel wire? I have inherited
quite a bit and am looking for some good ways to use it up safely. I
understand that people can be allergic to it and that it can leave
rub marks on the skin as well. That seems to preclude necklaces,
rings and earrings. Any thoughts would be welcome.

Thanks,
Vanessa N Weber

2

How about Xmas ornaments or mobiles?

M’lou

3

You can use it for the drops on the earrings. They won’t touch the
body. You can use it to make stuff, just be sure to mark it as
nickel, or let people know it is nickel. I am sensitive to nickel and
know that it can cause severe rashes. Some people can wear it without
any problem. “Nickel Silver” is not silver, though. It is just called
that. It has no silver in it.

You can also use it for craft type items if you are into that…

4

Vanessa, do you have pure nickel wire, or is it nickel-silver wire
(i.e., basically a nickel-brass alloy)? If it’s nickel-silver (also
called German silver and other names, although it contains no silver
whatever), I enjoy using it as a jewelry metal. People who have an
allergy to nickel just don’t buy this kind of thing (I always label
my price tags with the metal content of my pieces). In 30 years, I
have not run across any problems with customers, regarding this kind
of thing.

It solders nicely and invisibly with silver solders. Its limitation
is that it is basically a little stiffer/harder than copper or brass
– no amount of annealing will change that (i.e., you can anneal
nickel-silver, and it will get flexible again, just not as flexible
as copper or brass). It polishes nicely, and when worn constantly,
nickel-silver jewelry can develop a shine that is close to that of
sterling silver. I wear wide-shank nickel-silver rings that do not
leave any marks at all on my skin or clothing.

I can’t speak for pure nickel wire. It is unfortunate that
references to the nickel-silver alloy have sometimes been shortened
to “nickel.”

HTH,
Judy Bjorkman

5

I have a friend that uses nickel silver wire for her crystal & wire
sun catchers (hanging window decorations). Have fun!

Kim

6 
I can't speak for pure nickel wire. It is unfortunate that
references to the nickel-silver alloy have sometimes been
shortened to "nickel."

If you have pure nickel, trade it with a knife maker, it’s used to
put highlights in pattern welded steel.

Regards Charles A.