This wire is soft and easy to work with. The price is the best I've ever found; Here we hope it stays that way. The coil itself is much larger than that used for bare copper wire. This wire sometimes looks light, but it is darker and not as shiny as in the picture. The color is warm and goes well with different types of patina. Before this arrived I had 22 gauge and 18 gauge copper. Caliber 20 combines the best of both and is great for jewelry making. I will definitely buy this again.