Silver Mesh Suppliers

Jewelry Discussion
1

Hi all, novice silver worker here and have taken a few local classes
and a few in high school, so my thanks goes out to all of you in
helping us hobbyists with your informative posts. I have been
searching the net over for Sterling Silver screen or mesh and can
not seem to find any suppliers. I would be using it for Tea Ball
Infusers, so it would have to be a fine mesh/ screen. Does anyone
know of a supplier that carries it? Can this be cast from a cloth
screen? I would prefer a supplier as I am taking a casting class in
April and have yet to purchase the equipment so would be unable to
cast it myself.

Also, thanks to those who answered my first post regarding heat
resistant stones… One more question, Would heat affect a faceted
stone differently as opposed to a cabochon of the same material?

Thanks, Mike in Michigan

2

Rio Grande has some SS mesh in their catalog, but I don’t know if it
would be fine enough to serve your purpose. You might take a look.

Sojourner

3

Rio Grand is a supplier for mesh. I have ordered the fine mesh for
design recently, and found it to be too flimsy for wearable jewelry.
This could be just what you are hunting for.

4

Dear Mike and all,

We carry fine silver mesh in a cross hatch pattern in two different
mesh sizes. The fine mesh (100-101) has spacing about every 1mm or
10 per centimeter and is .010" thick (30 gauge). The medium
(100-103) has spacing of 6 per centimeter and is .022" thick (a hair
thicker than 24 gauge). They both come in packs of 4 and are 6
centimeters square (2.38"). You can find these on pg 41 of our gems
and findings catalog. Really fun stuff to work with.

All the best,

Thackeray Taylor
Rio Grande Technical Support
800-545-6566 ex 13903

5

Rio also has a micro mesh in fine silver. Looks great, I haven’t
done anything with mine yet.

Elaine

Elaine Luther
Metalsmith, Certified PMC Instructor

Hard to Find Tools for Metal Clay

6

The following are web sites for companies that carry various metal
mesh, screen, or “woven cloth”.

  http://www.newarkwire.com/ 
  http://www.camwire.com/ 
  http://www.uniquewire.com/ 
  http://www.comax.uk.com/productinfo/wire_mesh_cloth.htm

–Noel

7

I know someone who has been using this stuff to make beads, but
possibly he was using the courser grade? What type of jewelry did
you find it to be too flimsy for?

Sojourner

8

The fine grade is great for small coverage. It crimps very easily in
a whole. Eventhough it has a great appearance as a larger item. But
with proper support anything is possible. I have never met a person
who can wear a delicate piece of jewelry. This might be My opinion
only, and I should start to look at art open-mindedly.

A bead also has a structure. A sphere or a box gives it dimensional
strength. But as a flat object it bends like paper. If the edges were
supported like a picture frame it changes everything. So like it says
in the book " FINE." Thanks for your perspective on the subject. I
would like to hear more