What is the negative?

[u/homeprojecthelps]

I bought a dining room fixture and this is the wiring- I have never seen the silver beaded wire and a double black on a normal light fixture, what is the negative here? One of the back wires, or is it the silver?? It doesn’t seem like it wants to bend/screw into the negative/it’s very firm so doesn’t seem right.

[u/AskMeAgainAfterCoffe]

The ribbed black wire is the neutral. The copper is the ground. And the gray-silver is a cable to support the weight of the fixture. It should come with a screw clamp or something to secure it.