What do the references to wire/ring size mean?
In the descriptions of some of my jewelry pieces, you will see terms like “18 gauge” (or 18 ga) and “4mm I.D.” The gauge refers to the diameter of the wire I use to make the rings (links) which make up my jewelry designs. There are 2 standards in use around the world for determining gauge: AWG (American Wire Gauge) and SWG (Standard Wire Gauge). My suppliers use AWG and therefore, I do too. I use mostly 18 ga and 16 ga wire in my jewelry pieces. 18 gauge wire is 0.040 inches in diameter; 16 ga wire is 0.051 inches in diameter. Ring size is a reference to the size of the individual links in my chain designs. The ring sizes I use most often are 3mm, 3.5mm, 4mm, 5mm & 6mm. A 4mm ring will have 4 millimeter inside diameter (I.D.). The outside diameter (O.D) would depend on the gauge of wire used to make the ring.
