Niobium Round Wire, 10-ft. Coil, 18-Ga., Soft

This soft niobium round wire, the bread-&-butter of jewelry making, is ideal for creating jump rings, pendant bails, ear wires, loops and a myriad of components that embellish other findings as well as a wide variety of techniques. Soft wire is easy to bend, shape and hammer; it is an ideal starting point for forming, shaping and wire-wrapping. Keep in mind that hardness is changeable (by annealing or heat-hardening) and is relative among metal types (each temper will feel and handle differently from one metal to another). When finishing your pieces, also keep in mind that the harder the metal is, the brighter a finish it will take.This pre-measured coil contains 10 ft. of wire.Niobium is a lustrous, gray metal with low toxicity (so low that it is safe even for those with extreme sensitivities to metal jewelry) and virtually no susceptibility to tarnish. Its unique properties as a reactive metal cause niobium to take on a controllable, repeatable range of colors when exposed to various voltages in an electrically charged bath, a process called anodizaton. The colors produced will not rust and cannot be rubbed off, although, over time, its luster may dull somewhat.Niobium is very slow to work-harden and is remarkably easy to work with. Cut with a jeweler's saw, hand-form, dap, chase or forge the metal easily. In cold working (rolling, forming, etc.), niobium can be reduced as much as 90% before requiring annealing.