Stringing medium for heavy stones

Hi again. Now I'm looking for suggestions for stringing heavy stones. Although wire wrapping (links) would probably support it best, I am wondering if there is something strong enough that would give it a little better drape. It will probably weigh about half a pound.

Any suggestions?

I would use a good .019 beading wire. if you buy a 49strand it will have lots of good drape and the .019 should be able to carry the wieght. For extra security do a double crimp at the ends.

This is only suggestion that I have.  I am sure there will be other ideas from others on this forum.

Hope this helps

I work with a lot of heavy stones and I always use the thickest beading wire that will work with the beads I'm using, and double crimp. That method has never failed me, even on my heaviest (2 lbs) piece!

Good luck!

    A good rule of thumb is to use the largest wire that will fit through your bead channels once. This will ensure that you are using the strongest, most durable wire.

    If you are mixing and matching your heavy stones with smaller spacers and beads, using a .019 diameter will probably be the easiest to work with if the smaller beads have tiny channels. If your design is just going to be large, chunky stone - .024 would be ideal.

    Stone, like Turquoise, can be abrasive and rough on the wire, .024 is the wire we specifically manufacture for this kind of abuse. .024 has a test strength of 40 pounds, that is, it takes 40 pounds of snapping to break it. It is a very sturdy wire. We carry a line called Soft Touch if you are concerned about drape.

Happy Beading!

Thanks so much. This is just the information I needed. I appreciate everyone's help.