Essential Bead Measurements
Frequently Asked Questions About Beads

Beading Wire Gauge

Beading wire gauge is the measure of beading wire diameter.  Increasing gauge numbers have decreasing wire diameters.  A 22 gauge wire is thinner than an 18 gauge wire.

Gauge	Diameter
	(in)	(mm)
16	0.0508	1.291
17	0.0453	1.150
18	0.0403	1.024
19	0.0359	0.9116
20	0.0320	0.8118
21	0.0285	0.7229
22	0.0253	0.6438
23	0.0226	0.5733
24	0.0201	0.5106
25	0.0179	0.4547
26	0.0159	0.4049
27	0.0142	0.3606
28	0.0126	0.3211