| Measurements and Gauge ©
2001 Unimax
|
| mm |
gauge |
inch |
| 0.0912mm |
19G |
.0359 |
| 1.024mm |
18g |
.0403 |
| 1.15mm |
17G |
.0453 |
| 1.291mm |
16G |
.0508 |
| 1.628mm |
14G |
.0641 |
| 1.828mm |
13G |
.072 |
| 2.053mm |
12G |
.0808 |
| 2.305mm |
11G |
.0907 |
| 2.588mm |
10G |
.1019 |
| 3.264mm |
8G |
1/8" (.1285) |
| 3.665mm |
7G |
.1443 |
| 4.115mm |
6G |
5/32" (1.62) |
| 4.621mm |
5G |
.1819 |
| 5.189mm |
4G |
3/16" (.2043) |
| 5.827mm |
3G |
.2294 |
| 6.544mm |
2G |
7/32" (.2576) |
| 7.348mm |
1G |
1/4" (.2893) |
| 8.251mm |
0G |
5/16" (.3249) |
| 9mm |
|
|
| 10mm |
00G |
3/8" |
| 11mm |
|
|
| 12mm |
|
15/32" |
| 13mm |
|
1/2" |
| 14mm |
|
9/16" |
| 15mm |
|
|
| 16mm |
|
5/8" |
| 17mm |
|
|
| 18mm |
|
|
| 19mm |
|
3/4 |
| 20mm |
|
|
| 21mm |
|
|
| 22mm |
|
7/8 (22.5mm) |
| 26mm |
|
1" |
|
| The gauge sizes of American Jewelry are the result of
availability of product rather than a pre thought-out scheme of what would
be suitable for piercing. We use even numbered gauge sizes (14-12-10-8,
etc.)
because odd numbered gauge sizes (13-11-9, etc.) are not normally used in wire
applications so not generally available for purchase. For jewelry manufacturing what was available became the sizes
used rather than what made sense for piercing jewelry. |
| AWG = B&S, One "mil" = 1/1000 of an inch |
| Historically the US has used the American Wire Gauge (AWG)
system, also known as Brown & Sharpe (B&S) Gauge system which is
based on the division of an inch into 1000 units (thousands of an
inch). The division of the inch (a standard unit of measurement in
US) is required because very small sizes
need to be measured and calculated with accuracy and a base of 10 is much
easier to calculate with than a base of 12. A shorthand unit
is used to refer to "one one thousand of an inch" (a mouthful) and is called a "mil." Use of this term is
similar to other very familiar terms; like foot, acre and pound. It is
easier to talk, write and think about 2 "miles" than to calculate and use
how many feet this would be once you approach larger numbers. Consider the
difficulty of measuring gas usage expressed in feet or inches.
Because calculations in electronics deal with numbers that can be 18
digits long and more, it is much easier to use smaller representational
units and limit the number to three digits followed by the
"shorthand" unit unless greater accuracy is
needed. |
In AWG the bigger (larger) the number,
the smaller the size. |
| In the AWG system the larger the number, the smaller the
size. For example, a # 2 wire (2 Gauge) is nearly as large as a pencil. A # 44
wire is about the thickness of a human hair. A 22 gauge wire can be
used for electrical circuits; 16 and 18 gauges are common lamp cord sizes;
and 14 gauge is the smallest size permissible for permanent wire
installation. |
| Wires larger than 0-gauge are labeled 00 (2/0-twice
the cm of 0), 000 (3/0-three times the cm of 0)
and 0000 (4/0-four times the cm of 0). Larger than this they are classified by their
actual cross-sectional area (cm = "circular mil"). |
| Looking at your gauge wheel the gauge size or number
appears on one side, e.g. 14G. On the other size is the corresponding size
in thousands of an inch, .064", and is 64 thousands of an inch or in
shorthand speak: 64 mils. |
| The European system is Metric, based on dividing a
unit of length into divisions of 10. It is clear to see this would
be an advantage for easy calculation. The Metric System will be the
universal standard and we should convert as soon as possible not only
because it is easier mathematically but because it would serve our jewelry
sizes more logically. Our industry is becoming mature and requires
re-evaluation and systemization based on what is good for piercing not
what is just available.
Our efforts at Unimax have been focused on providing the leading edge of
thinking and promotion of the science of piercing. |