Jewelry Wire Weight & Length Calculator
Calculate jewelry wire weight from length and gauge, or find how much wire you need for a project.
Supports copper, silver, gold, and brass.
Wire Calculation
Jewelry wire calculations rely on two things: the wire’s gauge (which determines its diameter and cross-section) and the metal’s density.
Wire gauge systems:
- AWG (American Wire Gauge): Most common in North America. Lower number = thicker wire. 20 AWG is common for frames; 26–28 AWG for wrapping.
- SWG (Standard Wire Gauge): Used in UK and some other countries.
Wire diameter by AWG gauge:
- 18 AWG: 1.02 mm (strong frames, bangles)
- 20 AWG: 0.81 mm (rings, pendants, clasps)
- 22 AWG: 0.64 mm (general wrapping)
- 24 AWG: 0.51 mm (fine detail wrapping)
- 26 AWG: 0.40 mm (coiling, weaving)
- 28 AWG: 0.32 mm (very fine weaving, finishing)
Weight formula: Weight = π × (diameter/2)² × length × density
Metal densities:
- Copper: 8.96 g/cm³
- Fine silver: 10.49 g/cm³
- Sterling silver: 10.36 g/cm³
- Yellow gold (14k): 13.07 g/cm³
- Yellow gold (18k): 15.58 g/cm³
- Brass: 8.50 g/cm³
- Aluminum: 2.70 g/cm³
Practical tips:
- Always buy 10–15% more wire than calculated — waste from cutting and mistakes is inevitable
- Dead-soft wire is easiest to shape; half-hard holds shape better for clasps and ear wires
- Sterling silver work-hardens as you manipulate it — anneal (heat) it to soften again
- 20 AWG is the most versatile gauge for most beginner wire-wrapping projects
How we build and check this calculator
This calculator runs entirely in your browser, so the numbers you enter stay on your device. The math behind it is written by hand and tested against worked examples and standard references before the page goes live.
SuperGlobalCalculator is independently built and maintained. See how we build and verify our calculators.