Measurements, Gauges & Jewelry Terms

Wire Gauge (also used for Sheet)

Q:   How do you read wire gauge sizes?
A:   The main thing to remember with wire gauge is that the larger the gauge, the smaller the size.

Wire Gauge Conversion Chart Sizes listed are AWG (American Wire Gauge)
Wire Gauge	Inches	Millimeters
6	0.162	4.11
8	0.129	3.27
9	0.114	2.91
10	0.102	2.56
12	0.081	2.05
14	0.064	1.63
15	0.057	1.45
16	0.051	1.30
17	0.045	1.14
18	0.040	1.02
19	0.036	0.914
20	0.032	0.813
21	0.029	0.737
22	0.025	0.635
24	0.020	0.508
25	0.018	0.455
26	0.016	0.406
28	0.013	0.320
30	0.010	0.254
32	0.008	0.203

Precious metal sheet and wire are sold by the troy ounce (abbreviated ozt). There are 31.1 grams per troy ounce, compared to 28.3 grams per conventional ounce. Why? The troy ounce originated in the Middle Ages, in Troyes, France, and became the traditional unit for weighing precious metals. The majority of our precious metal sheet and wire are cut by hand, so you may receive a bit over or under the number of troy ounces that you order, but rest assured, we do a final verification of the weight, and charge for the actual amount that is shipped to you.

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Quick References for Round Beads

Typical Number of Round Beads per Strand
Size	16" strand	20" strand	24" strand	36" strand
3mm	136	169	203	305
4mm	102	127	153	229
5mm	81	102	122	183
6mm	67	85	102	152
8mm	50	64	76	114
10mm	40	51	61	92
12mm	33	42	51	76

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Findings

Q:   What are "findings"?
A:   "Findings" is the generic industry term for metal jewelry components: charms, bar pins, ear wires, jump rings, etc.

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General Definitions

Define: Flush
A flush cut is a precise straight, 90-degree cut.

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Measurements

Q:   Are the beads measured any special way?
A:   Generally, our beads are measured HxWxT, as strung (unless otherwise noted). In other words, the given measurement is taken with the bead threaded along a horizontal string, then listed as height by width by thickness. This means top-drilled beads (hearts, crosses, etc.) that you likely would hang vertically, will be measured on their "side."

Size Conversions
1 millimeter (mm)	0.04" (a bit less than 1/16")
1 inch (")	2.54 centimeter (cm), or 25.4mm

More on converting inches to mm

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Weight

How do you count all those little bits & pieces?
Most findings are packaged by weight. Although we use very accurate counting scales and trays, small variations in each item mean the actual count might vary slightly over or under the marked quantity. We strive to put the exact amount in each bag, although +/- 5% is the standard in the jewelry supply industry.

At 5%, a 1-gross bag could vary over or under by seven pieces. Smaller quantities will be exact; you can expect a bag marked "1 dozen" to contain exactly 1 dozen pieces.

Weight Conversions
1 ounce (oz)	28.35 grams (gm)
1 troy ounce (ozt)	31.1gm (ozt are used for precious metals)
1 kilo	1,000gm (twenty 50gm bags)

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Quantities

Q:     What is a gross?
A:     A gross (GR) is 144 pieces

Quantity	Pieces	Pairs	Dozen
1 gross (GR)	144	72	12
½ gross (½GR)	72	36	6

Q:     What is a mass?
A:     A mass is 1,200 beads of a single style and color. It is the standard unit of measure for many glass bead manufacturers. Since little or no repackaging is needed, we can offer a substantial discount for masses of many Czech beads. Partial masses are not available at the mass price. When full masses are backordered, they are generally shipped in 3 to 6 weeks. Mass discounts are available for 1,200 of one color of one bead (not for assortments).

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Other Units of Measure

For a complete list and description of all units of measure used in our Showroom, catalog and online store, see: www.rings-things.com/Learn/Units/