Art Clay Silver

Today I wanted to talk about the materials that I use. Although I am a trained silversmith, I am currently using Silver Art Clay which is an amazing material, very similar to potters clay you can shape it, cut it and its very good for taking textures which is why I love it!

Originating from Japan it is made from recycled silver which is a win for me! It is basically just powdered silver and water, so you don’t have a lot of time to work with it before it dries out. But once you get used to it which took me a little while it’s a fabulous material to work with.

Once it is dry you can use a blow torch (crème brulee torch) a kiln (which is what I use) or a gas hob to fire it. Once fired you are left with Fine Silver 999. For polishing you can take it as far as you want but you can simply use a wire brush to bring up the shine and you are good to go!

The downside is the cost and a 50g packet which is the biggest pack you can get now is £246.95 (Cookson Gold.) which does make it slightly more expensive compared to using silver sheet and wire.

The reason I love silver clay is how well it takes texture, its flexible and it’s easier to make multiple pieces for busy periods like Christmas time. Having said this whilst I have loved using silver clay and I know it will always be a feature in my work, I am looking forward to traditional silversmithing, using gemstones again and learning new skills with the wax diploma I am starting in September.  

I hope you enjoyed learning about silver clay, if you would like to find out more visit the Art Clay website and if you are thinking of buying some and experimenting with it, I recommend buying it from Cooksons Gold or Metal Clay.

As always, any questions please get in touch.

Laura