[Jewelry making - Article 00255] - Re: [Orchid] Article: Minimal Metalsmithing

[Laura H. Hastings]

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    I'm coming into this discussion a bit late, but feel I must say
    something, because unfortunately, the information on Metal Clay
    (there are two brands, not just PMC but also Art Clay) is incorrect
    and I hate  to see that happen. 

    My first venture into jewelry fabrication was traditional
    "silversmithing". However, the cost of the equipment and the room
    necessary to house it was daunting. Silversmithing, or more
    correctly goldsmithing was not my first career and is more of an
    avocation, due to my already having a successful business with which
    I earn my living. 

    At any rate, I discovered metal clay a couple of years ago and was
    just overjoyed. I was like many people and thought that metal clay
    was some type of clay, polymer, I guess that looked like metal but
    that was not really metal. When I learned that metal clay is real
    metal, fine silver and at the time 24K gold in powder dispersed in a
    binder to create a clay-like substance, I was very excited to think
    that I could create things I wanted to create, but didn't have the
    equipment to create in my home studio. 

    One forms the object they want to create, which is NOT easy, btw,
    and then fires it at a high temperature which burns off the binder
    leaving the pure metal behind. 

    If the clay is fired at a sufficiently high temperature, the binder
    totally burns away and the metal sinters. At this point the metal is
    not porous or weak. I have created tons of rings, including 22K gold
    rings, with metal clay and they are VERY strong. I wear at least one
    of them everyday and they have stood up admirably. Once the fine
    silver is fired you can use any technique with it you want that you
    would use in traditional silversmithing. You may apply 24K gold for
    Keum Boo, you can bend it, you can hammer it, drill it, solder it,
    etc. All you need to keep in mind is that you need to anneal the
    metal, just like regular silver or gold. 

    I see that someone called it "goop". Nothing could be further from
    the truth. It is a material that is delicate and interesting to work
    with. It has absolutely nothing to do with pottery. 

    It is in fact a new way to create metal objects of fine silver and
    (now) 22K gold objects. 

    I agree that there are folks who use metal clay in a craft like way,
    but I have seen plenty of "crafts" made with traditional
    metalsmithing as well. 

    There are truly great artists creating wonderful pieces of wearable
    art using metal clay. 

    I continue to increase my supply of metal working tools and my
    skills in the traditional metalsmithing arts, but I use metal clay
    often and enjoy it and have created some pieces that I think are
    quite beautiful. I like to combine both traditional goldsmithing and
    metal clay elements. 

    I really think you should look into the work created by out modern
    metal clay artists before you decide to throw over this new
    material. 

    You can do some fantastic things with metal clay and there are new
    innovations and techniques being discovered all the time for its
    use. I think as jewelry artists, one should keep their minds open to
    new materials and this is a fantastic one you ought to look in to. 

My opinion,

Laura

Laura H. Hastings
Certified Artisan
Rio Rewards-PMC
ACS Level I Instructor
Eclectica Jewelry
Tucson, Arizona
USA
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