My expertise in the jewelry industry is limited to what I've managed to learn in the past 4 years. Mostly I braid or weave 18 gauge wire into bracelets, using 14K gold-filled or sterling silver with 14K GF accents. The retirement community where I live has an active silversmith group and workshop, which puts on demos and classes of all kinds, so I'm lucky to be able to take part in them and learn new things. I've also been reading the postings from this group and delving into the archives for info... VERY helpful, I might add!!!