On Nov 23, 6:26=A0pm, "Rich" wrote:
"Peter W.. Rowe," wrote in messagenews
...

On Sat, 22 Nov 2008 23:11:05 -0800, in rec.crafts.jewelry
wrote:

This gimp is fine wire in a coil about 1.5mm diameter and 12mm long.

Amost sounds like a somewhat larger version of the "french wire" used
in bead and pearl stringing. That's also a coil of very fine wire, though
usually a bit less in diameter than what you've got. .....
(snip)
Peter

It comes from dad's stuff. He was a watch repairer, but did the odd bit
of jewellery mending. It's made by REGAL in the UK.

There's about 1 gross of those lengths.

I think it's what you said in your first paragraph. It's to be used in
stringing, it's ornimental thread used in the jewellery trade.

It is indeed the stuff used in stringing pearls, etc. It protects the
silk as it goes through a jump ring or part of the clasp, before the
silk returns back through the first few pearls/beads to be tied off.
It is finely coiled wire.

Helen Hill