in making my various chains, i have used from 24ga to 20ga
wire…depending on who i’m making the chain for…sometimes, the
physical frame of the customer determines the weight of the
piece…other times, it’s the customers’ choice, whether they might
want something bulky looking or not–in which case, weight is not even
a factor. if it looks big and heavy, and actually isn’t, it may win
someone’s heart as well. hm…i wonder how much of a consensus there
might be that the latter is indeed a common view! erhard.
I’m a proponent of heavier jewelry, myself. My wedding ring is made
with a 1.5mm thick piece of 18k bar stock, with a 1.5mm high
half-round platinum wire on top of that, so it’s 5mm wide, 3mm thick
all the way around and somewhat heavy. My other pieces tend to use
heavier weight metal as well. I do consider the weight of the entire
piece, and the bigger the piece is the thinner the metal. I certainly
don’t want size and/or weight to impact its wearability, but I like
jewelry to look and feel substantial. To me, instead of seeming
delicate, thinner and lighter pieces often just seem cheaper. Also,
at six feet tall, I’m not a small woman, and many of my customers are
larger than “normal” in one way or another, and they like jewelry that
matches their stature. Just my little foggy corner of the world, ~kara