Metal Casting Zone Info Blog

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Precious metal clay (brand names are PMC and Art Clay) is modern-day alchemy. PMC is a clay base with tiny pieces of silver suspended within it that, when heated, burns off the clay leaving a solid silver residue. The clay base acts as a binder for the metal particles. Once this has been removed, the remaining silver particles bind together, giving you the finished product.

The real beauty of precious metal clay is that it can be manipulated like any ordinary modelling clay, making it perfect for jewellery making. The modern precious metal clay can be using a jeweller’s torch, as the firing temperature is much lower than the early versions of this clay. However, a small kiln will produce a much more constant temperature range and can be controlled exactly, meaning that the results will be more consistent.

Precious Metal Clay once had a very bad reputation for shrinkage, making it unsuitable for fine work or detail. Modern precious metal clays have a much lower shrinkage rate (around 10-15%), but you still need to factor this into the final piece to ensure that really fine detail is not lost in the firing process.

Once fired, the silver piece will seem very lacklustre and dull, so it will need finishing. The dull matt surface hides the real beauty underneath, so finishing and polishing will reveal the shining silver below. When soldering finished precious metal clay pieces it is essential to remember that the surface will be more porous than standard sterling silver, so it is best to burnish the piece prior to soldering. But because it is almost pure silver there is little risk of fire stain on the surface and the final results are almost indistinguishable from sterling silver.

Because precious metal clay is a clay, it takes impressions very well. A design can be pressed onto the surface of the clay and be revealed in the final silver piece. Patterned rollers, lace or even leaves can be used to create unique effects that are difficult to reproduce in ordinary silver unless it has been cast. Precious metal clay is a popular way of making silver beads. The clay can be formed into beads, decorated with a surface pattern and then fired in a kiln quickly and easily, producing high quality silver beads.

Safety considerations have to be taken into account when working with precious metal clay because of the high temperatures required to fire the clay. A small enamelling kiln allows you to safely achieve the temperatures required for optimum results, but ensure that you have all the correct equipment such as tongs with heat resistant handles to extract work from the kiln safely and a heat-proof surface upon which to work.

Precious metal clay is an ideal medium to work in if you want to create pieces of silver jewellery that are unique to you. The only thing that limits you is your imagination. Precious metal silver clay is widely available from good jewellery equipment suppliers. There are two main brands – Precious Metal Clay and Art Clay Silver. The clay is also available in other metals including gold, but the cost is significantly higher than the silver clay.

Like any other craft, jewellery making has a list of essential tools that will make your hobby much more enjoyable and your results much more professional. For the beginner it can be confusing as the huge selection of tools available range from the basic to the specialist. However, there are certain jewellery making tools that should have a place in everyone’s studio.

The first thing to look at is your surroundings. Tools don’t just include pliers and cutters – the definition also incorporates things such as adequate lighting, a suitable working area and good storage facilities. Ask any jewellery maker or craftsperson which is the most essential tool of all and they will all tell you the same thing: good lighting. Without adequate lighting you will find it harder to do fine work and you risk straining your eyes. If you have directional lighting make sure that it doesn’t come from behind you, as you will end up casting your own shadow across your work, making it difficult to see fine details.

Once you start making jewellery you will be surprised how quickly you start to accumulate equipment, so apart from having a good working area make sure you have plenty of storage facilities. Findings or bead storage boxes are ideal. They’re strong and compartmentalised, meaning there are plenty of separate sections to keep findings and beads stored safely.

There are three basic types of pliers used for jewellery making; round nose, snipe nose and crimping pliers. Round nose pliers (also known as rosary pliers) have rounded jaws that taper to a point. They are used for bending wire and for making loops, coils and spirals. Snipe nose pliers are semi-round with the inside of the jaws being flat. They are used for bending and wrapping wire, making loops and opening and closing jump rings. Crimping pliers have specially notched jaws that are used to fold and crimp metal crimp beads.

Wire cutters, preferably flushing cutting, are essential for making clean, precise cuts on wire, beading wire, eyepins and headpins. It may be tempting to use a pair of ordinary wire cutters to try and save money, but jewellery wire cutters are designed specifically for use with the different types of wire used in jewellery making. A pair of good wire cutters is an investment that will keep their sharp cutting edge for far longer than a cheaper alternative.

Because you are using tools, safety must be a consideration. A good pair of safety glasses is a wise investment and although you won’t need them for simple projects such as stringing beads, cutting wire can produce small chips that can damage the eyes very easily. You will also need to consider other safety measures if you are using glues and adhesives, so ensure that your working area is well ventilated. If you are using any heat (such as kilns or gas burners) then ensure that your jewellery making equipment includes a heatproof surface to stand hot objects on.

Finding a good supplier is your next task. There are plenty of jewellery equipment suppliers, so the first thing is to find one that has a reputation not just for supplying the hobby market, but for supplying the professionals as well. You can be certain that the equipment they supply will be of the highest standard. It is a case of paying for quality, but the bare essentials such as the three basic pliers and a pair of wire cutters will give you a good starting point. From then you can add equipment as you go along, including magnifying work lights, speciality pliers, reamers and, of course, plenty of books on jewellery making!

Metal clay is a suspension of tiny particles of metal in a clay binder, which can be used to make jewellery, beads and small findings. The beauty of metal clay is that it can be manipulated in the same way as any modelling clay, but once fired the binding agents are burnt off leaving the metal form intact. Although there is a certain amount of shrinkage (between 10-15% for the more modern versions), very fine detail can be achieved, including impressions that would require casting in any other method of metalwork.

Silver metal clay results in objects containing almost pure silver (also known as fine silver) which is ideal for enamelling. There are two popular brands available – Precious Metal Clay (also known as PMC) and Art Clay Silver (ACS). Precious Metal Clay was developed in the early 1990′s in Japan and consists of microscopic particles of pure silver (or fine gold powder) and a water-soluble binder which burns off during firing. The original formula of PMC (now called ‘Standard’) has to be fired in a kiln at a temperature of 1650F and has a high shrinkage rate of around 30%. Two additional versions were later developed called PMC+, which can be fired at 1490F and PMC3, which can be fired at temperatures as low as 1100F. Both of these later versions of PMC have much lower shrinkage rates, allowing much finer detail to be worked into designs.

Art Clay Silver (ACS) was also developed in Japan and is similar in consistency to PMC+. The main difference with ACS is that it can be fired using a hand-held torch or gas oven. Because of subtle differences in the binder components and the longer firing times, ACS benefited from having a considerably lower shrinkage percentage – only 8-10%. This means that ACS can be worked in more detail without any loss of definition in fine work. Art Clay Slow Dry was introduced soon after, which has a much longer working time before requiring firing, allowing intricate work to be moulded into the clay with no loss of malleability.

Art Clay 650 and Art Clay 650 Slow Dry are now becoming increasingly popular, as not only do they have a longer working time but can be fired at temperatures as low as 650C/1200F. This allows jewellers to incorporate glass and Sterling Silver into the designs without fear of damaging the components. AIDA, the manufacturers of ACS have also introduced Oil Paste, a product only used on fired metal clay or milled fine silver, and Overlay Paste which is designed for drawing designs onto glass and porcelain. These two products have allowed the use of metal clay products to be incorporated into a whole new range of designs and mediums, expanding the potential of this product.

Metal clays allow jewellers to work with a material that is as malleable as ordinary modelling clay but produces fine (almost pure) silver jewellery of exquisite intricacy and beauty. Once polished it has a lustre and shine that is easily comparable to cast silver and because of the development of the products over the last few years shrinkage is now no longer an issue. The type used depends on personal preference as both types have their advantages, but incorporating metal clays into your jewellery design gives you a new medium to explore with beautiful results.