Silver clay: application, properties, features

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

Can I make jewelry at home? Polymer clay produces white or transparent products, which then have to be painted. But with the help of a special composition called silver clay, you can feel like a real jeweler.

This composition is the smallest particles of real silver (or gold, copper, bronze) that are bound by a water-soluble polymer. The mass is similar to plasticine, you can mold anything from it. During the molding process, the water evaporates and the clay hardens. The final sealing of the form takes place at high temperature.

Introducing new material

Hearing an unusual name, people think: “What is this - silver clay?” In 1991, a valuable material based on nanotechnology was invented in Japan: the smallest dust particles of precious metals measuring 20 microns were mixed with an aqueous suspension of a plasticizer. The resulting dough can be modified as desired. After firing in a jewelry furnace, impurities turned into scale, and the output was pure precious metal - gold or silver.

The first sample of the material needed to be fired at very high temperatures and had a strong shrinkage. Therefore, there was no practical application for it. Two other samples were created - with a lower firing temperature and less shrinkage. The product was named "silver clay".

Then came golden clay, platinum, copper, brass, iron - about ten colors in total after baking. In addition to Japanese materials, there are American and Polish metal clays on the market.

Composition and properties, advantages and disadvantages

When Masaki Morikawa received his first unnamed piece, after firing it turned into 99.96% silver. But some technical characteristics of the novelty did not allow it to be widely used. Over time, silver polymer clay appeared with a lower percentage of the precious metal. And these products have gained popularity all over the world.

The benefits of working with metallic clay are obvious: it opens up almost limitless possibilities. You can sculpt, cut, work in stacks, dry, reduce, add, assemble a product from many parts - and at the same time without waste. The skills of a sculptor have been added to the skill of a jeweler accustomed to casting.

But the mass transition of jewelers to silver clay did not happen. Nevertheless, porous products are closer to ceramics than to metal. They have a lower threshold of response to chemical and mechanical influences. Therefore, clay is used for decoration, connecting with a silver ring madethe traditional way.

Silver Clay Art Kit

Setting up a small jewelry workshop at home is now easy. There are kits that include the original Japanese RMS clay. This kit is called STARTER KIT. In addition to clay, it contains a kiln torch, pattern shaping tools, original silver fittings, and tutorial materials. The size of the box is small, it can be ordered by mail: only 12 x 20 x 16cm.

The cost of the set ranges from six to eight thousand rubles and depends on the weight of the silver clay. A set can be selected by the amount of material (it is more profitable to buy the most expensive one - it contains the volume of clay as more than two cheap ones, while only a third more expensive than them). The burners are painted in different colors, you can match the interior.

Brands and Brands

Silver clay is produced either in powder, which is diluted with water, or ready for use. For the convenience of craftsmen, they produce quick-drying, medium-drying and slow-drying formulations. For simple forms, clays are purchased, which begin to solidify already in the process of working with them. For delicate work, complex patterns, such as flowers and veined leaves, it is better to choose compounds that are more plastic and obedient.

Japanese brand "Mitsubishi" produces a product under the PMC brand. There are several varieties of this clay. This is the most famous brand, the discoverer of metallic clay. The company's technologists are constantly trying new additives, plasticizers, mixing compounds.

Several products bear the name Sterling. American firm Metal Adventures Inc. produces FS999 compound, already prepared for work. The Polish brand Goldie Clay produces ten types of powder formulations, including gold. ART Clay is another established brand that has received recognition from the masters of arts and crafts.

PMC brand specifications

The name of the brand comes from the abbreviation Precious Metal Clay, which means "precious metal clay". From one sample, the products of this brand have grown to several advanced formulations used for a variety of tasks.

PMC Silver Clay is now available in the following versions:

1. Composition PMC3, which is characterized by increased strength after high temperature treatment. Suitable for making rings. The firing time is 10 minutes, this is an accelerated option. Dries quickly after being removed from the film. It is better not to experiment in order to have time to bring the idea to life. You can think in advance about what operations the wizard will perform. Suitable for setting stones, porcelain and other decorations.
2. Composition PMC+ which has a firing time of 20 minutes. Almost all of its characteristics are the same as RMC3, except for strength. For this reason, rings are not made from it.
3. PMC Flex composition, ideal for beginners. It has a very long working time. Thanks to this, you can finish the job, even if you have to redo something.
4. PMC Sterling is three times strongerthe rest, has a long curing time, it is suitable for the use of a drill and shape correction.
5. The PMC One Fire Sterling is very durable. It is suitable for making accessories, openwork patterns. The firing time is one hour. Shrinkage more than others.
6. The mass of RMS is easily formed with plastic cookie cutters. Craftsmen use household items to create the right texture.

In addition to these compositions, there are also silver paper from which you can fold origami, liquid paste for copying natural textures, liquid gold and silver in a syringe.

Master class: silver clay ring

To work with metal clay, you will need to think in advance how to prepare the workplace: the time to work will be reduced due to the search for the right stack or suitable stamp. The working surface should be perfectly flat, clay should not stick to it. Suitable glass or ceramic tiles. Craftsmen work on a special mat for modeling polymer clay.

They put a spray bottle with water and a glass with a brush nearby. During operation, the product is moistened. It is good if you can work in thin gloves - they prevent leaving fingerprints. For rolling, you will need rolling pins, which can be made from a piece of polyethylene pipe, a round pencil, a brush case. Toothpicks and manicure sticks can serve as stacks. You will also need round and flat needle files and sandpaper, which is used to grind silver clay after firing. Master Classmaking a simple original ring is shown in the video.

The texture that the master puts on the plate can be done not only with the help of synthetic lace. Any natural material that has a fairly expressive texture will do. The imprints of leaves, acorns, walnuts, patterns on crystal look interesting.

Professional use of silver clay

Jewelers have all the tools to create a work of art. Silver clay jewelry can cover heavy candlesticks, airy pendants, weightless rings. For products that are constantly subjected to friction, pressure, which are often taken off and put on, in general, for those that are subjected to mechanical stress, the jeweler will take the usual 925 sterling silver.

And it's not just that its price is lower. The strength of a solid cast ring is much higher than that made of powdered metal. But decorating the latter with a pattern, modeling, complex ornament is easier and simpler than in the traditional way. Pastes, compositions in syringes are indispensable helpers for fixing stones or repairing products.

Artworks

The production of figurines has become a separate direction. It became possible to create clear drawings of faces, imitate various surfaces. This expanded the possibilities of jewelry works of art. Since silver clay cannot be used to create three-dimensional structures, the base is made of cast silver. And already small ones are attached to it with the help of silverpasta.

Tips for beginners

Not everyone has a dedicated kiln. Some have adapted to use a household gas stove: they put the product on a special grid and place it on the burner. But this method is quite tedious - during the whole time you need to control the process of firing silver clay.

How to fire with a gas burner, see below:

1. Prepare firebrick, burner and long tweezers.
2. Place the item on the brick.
3. Light the burner and heat the product evenly, turning it over with tweezers.

The beginner's kit includes a ceramic stove that allows you to fire small items. There is also a microwave oven - it allows you to burn products in 800WT conditions. It is convenient to use a muffle furnace, in which ceramics can also be fired.

Pro Reviews

After testing several brands, the artists prefer PMC3 material. This silver clay, reviews of which are only positive, has a lot of advantages. It does not stick to the skin, quickly and easily formed. Keeps working texture for a long time.

For comparison: Art Clay Silver 650 starts to dry out as soon as it is released from the film. Photographing the stages of work is very problematic - you may not have time to complete the planned operations. With PMC3, it's a completely different matter: you can wash your hands, calmly take a picture of a fragment and continue working.

Reviews from newcomers

Not everyone succeeds in making an evenand a beautiful ring. This is understandable - special skills are needed for such work. But even a simple plate, it turns out, is not so easy to make. Reviews about silver clay for beginners warn against prematurely removing the stamp - it can "lead" the plate, and it will become uneven. When using a plastic die, you have to apply more pressure to it than a metal one, and this leads to too much thinning of the plate.

When firing some buyers in the oven from "Mitsubishi" the mesh is bent, on which the product is placed. True, it can be straightened after, but with the help of a vice. After firing, scale is obtained, which is removed with needles or knitting needles. Here, too, there is a delicate moment: for some, the product breaks from working too hard with a needle or sandpaper.

Many regret that from the very beginning they did not acquire clay for a long drying, and they had to dilute the hardened pieces with water. After dilution several times, the material was no longer formed, as stated according to the instructions - apparently, it could not withstand such an execution.

In general, everyone is satisfied with the experience gained and is advised to try to make a pendant for themselves, which no one else has.

Conclusion

It's always nice to have something made with love at home. If you quickly get tired of cones and paper crafts, then the noble shine of the precious metal will be the highlight of your home, a unique decoration and a wonderful gift. You can finally make yourself a family jewel by decorating it with stones!

Everyone who tried to fashion metal jewelry,They say they won't stop there. Working with silver clay is a fascinating process. There are more and more new compositions, the technology for making jewelry from them is being modernized. Maybe this is your calling?