Question:
I have a question (or two) for you. I am making gemstone bead necklaces, and would like to make sterling silver extension chains (about 2" long) for each one. I am looking for sterling silver chain (not plated) that has links large enough and open enough to hook a 12mm lobster claw clasp into anywhere along the length. It has to be sturdy enough to support the weight of a 17" strand of 4mm to 10mm (diameter) stones. I'm not sure what gauge I should be looking for, but I figure the diameter of the links should be about 4 or 5 mm.

I am interested in purchasing the chain by the foot. So far, I haven't had much luck on eBay. Can you tell me where I can purchase it online, please(available to Canada), and what gauge, style and link I should be looking for?
Deb

Answer from Kay:
Here is some information that I have researched concerning your inquiry for Sterling Silver chain. One of the sources I use from time to time is RIO GRANDE. They have an extensive catalog of lots of findings & jewelry making components. The web site to access Rio Grande is www.riogrande.com. You could maybe order the GEMS & FINDINGS CATELOG from them and they will assign you a customer number. I believe that they will ship to international destinations, but I am not 100% sure.

CHAIN STYLES
The style of chain I have found to work the most successfully are these listed below:

CURB Chain: You can use 3 to 3.8mm x 6 to 6.5mm oval with a wire gauge of approximately 18ga or .98- 100mm. A 20ga /or 80mm also works fine even though it is a bit smaller.

DIAMOND CUT FIGARO: You can use the same sizes as mentioned above and 2.2 to 2.7mm for light to med weight projects.

FLAT CABLE, AND A ROLO You can use Flat Cable Chain size 3 to 3.8mm or ROLO 3 to 3.8mm W/ OVAL LINK of 6 to 7mm long.

Any one of these chains should work for what you want to do. I hope this helps to narrow down the choices of purchasing the right chain for your projects, especially when style choices can be so overwhelming.