Hello Orchid,
I’m working on a series of woven silver rings, and I’m curious if
anyone knows whether or not gold pmc can be used in combination with
sterling. I’m hoping to do gold bezels on woven silver rings. seems
simple enough but gold pmc is so spendy I’m hesitant to do it without
asking around here. I checked out the archives and could only find a
thread that digressed into a gold vs. silver debate… So, if
anyone knows whether or not I can mash a bit of gold pmc around a
woven silver thing, and not have it crack,wrinkle or explode in the
kiln, please let me know. Maybe I’ll try it myself and tell you what
happens.
Thanks,
D.
The gold clay itself fires at a higher temp, Art Clay Gold at 1830F
for 1 hour, and I believe PMC gold fires for 2 hours. This is above
the melting point of silver, which is at 1761F. The only way we
metal clay artists can fire gold on silver is to use the gold paints,
either Aura 22 or Accent Gold for Silver. Both can be painted onto
fine silver after firing, but the temperatures they’re fired at
would firescale sterling to a degree that, I believe, would negate
their use in your case.
We also use Art Clay Gold as a paste onto Art Clay Silver unfired to
be torch fired and burnished in a manner similar to keum bu. So,
based on what you seem to want to do with it, it doesn’t look like
it will work for you.
Jackie Truty
Art Clay World, USA, Inc.
I don’t have much experience with PMC but I think that the sterling
may melt before the gold fuses. I know that it is better to combine
fine silver with silver PMC for this reason. If you find out
otherwise, let us know.
marilyn