Metal Clay
Is it clay or metal?
I have heard some people say that jewelry made from metal clay is not a real precious metal . Well I am here to assure you, they are wrong. The entire process is truly amazing when you think about it. Basically what it is is a precious metal in particulate form mixed with an organic material, here being a clay. This creates endless possibilities when you think about it. You can use texture sheets and cutters to imprint and shape any design with the clay that you can dream up! You then fire it and during the firing process, the organic material fires away leaving your design forever created in the precious metal that's been left behind. There are even certain gemstones both natural and synthetic (CZ's) that can withstand the high tempuratures and be allowed to fire embedded in the metal clay. (check out the earrings in the photo with CZ's embedded in the design)
I cannot deny that working with this medium has at times driven me to create an entirely new list of cuss words but in the end, it's all worth it when the piece comes out of the kiln and it looks just how you pictured it!
Below are some of my favorite Tools and supplies that I use when creating my pieces. If there is one you might be interested in purchasing just click on the image or link. Included in some of the images and links are affiliate links to places where I have purchased them from. I do receive a small percentage from your purchase through those affiliate companies at no additional cost to you. If you do purchase through one of the links below, thank you! I greatly appreciate your support, but I will always encourage you to shop around to find the best price that works for you.
Great Sources for Tools & Supplies
Metal Clay
Cool Tools - This is pretty much my main go to for most of my metal clay needs. They carry all the different brands of clay, the kilns and many of the molds and tools needed to make working with the clay a little easier! They also have a youtube channel that you can go to for techniques and tutorials on many of the items they carry and how to work with the different metal clays.
misc Tools, molds
Metal Clay Studio located on Etsy is another go to for the many texture sheets that I use. His company is out of Russia so it takes a bit to get the product but he is great to work with and if you send him a design, he can even creat a custom texture sheet for you!
Some Tools of My Trade
