American Wire Gauges
This is a list of American Wire Gauges (AWG)
Copper wire can be found at just about every hardware store in the US that there is. This list tells you what gauge STRANDED wire to buy, and what the strands inside the insulation comprise of. You will have to strip off the insulation to use the wire, but this can be a real money saver as you are getting more than one strand per foot.
14 gauge stranded wire contains 19 bare strands of 26 gauge wire.
12 gauge stranded wire contains 6 bare strands of 26 gauge wire and 13 strands of 24 gauge wire.
10 gauge stranded wire contains 6 strands of 24 gauge wire and 3 strands of 22 gauge wire.
8 gauge stranded wire (19 strands) contains 19 strands of 20 gauge wire.
8 gauge stranded wire (7 strands) contains 7 strands of 14 gauge wire. (100 amp ground wire).
6 gauge stranded wire contains 6 strands of 20 gauge wire and 13 strands of 18 gauge wire.
6 gauge stranded wire (7 strands) contains 7 strands of 12 gauge wire. (200 amp ground wire).
4 gauge stranded wire contains 6 strands of 18 gauge wire and 13 strands of 16 gauge wire.
2 gauge stranded wire contains 6 strands of 16 gauge wire and 13 strands of 14 gauge wire.
0/1 (called one aught, or aught one) stranded wire contains 6 strands of 14 gauge wire and 13 strands of 12 gauge wire.
0/2 (called 2 aught, or aught 2) gauge wire contains 6 strands of 14 gauge wire, 12 strands of 11 gauge wire, and one strand of 10 gauge wire.
03/ (called 3 aught, or aught 3) gauge wire contains 6 strands of 12 gauge wire and 13 strands of 10 gauge wire.
There are bigger wire gauges still, but they are too large to use for jewelry for most purposes, and costs.