Metal clay (Precious Metal Clay / PMC and Art Clay Silver and Gold) is an amazing material that lets you create pure silver (.999 fine silver) or 22k gold jewelry and other items, without a lot of costly tools, and even if you don't have any prior metalsmithing or jewelry making experience.
Metal clay is made of microscopic particles of precious metal - pure silver and/or pure gold - mixed with organic binders and water to create a clay-like material that can be molded, folded, cut, extruded, stamped, rolled, carved, painted, filed, sanded, etc., to form nearly any shape, design or texture your mind can conceive. After it dries completely and is fired at high temperatures in a kiln, with a torch, or over a woodburning or gas stove, the organic binders burn away and any remaining moisture evaporates, leaving behind just the pure silver or gold precious metal.
You can learn more about getting started with PMC (Precious Metal Clay) and Art Clay on my Squidoo lens, Metal Clay - Precious Metal Clay / PMC and Art Clay Silver and Gold. It's a great source of information about metal clay guilds and professional organizations, educational resources, artists, instructors, projects, recommended books, instructional videos, and much more.
PMC (AKA Precious Metal Clay) and Art Clay are the two major brands of metal clay. Both offer silver metal clay in different formulas, each of which has different characteristics, and a single formula of gold metal clay. (For more information about the key characteristics of each formula, please visit my Metal Clay Brands and Formulas Squidoo lens.)
PMC silver metal clay products and Art Clay Silver products are available in four basic forms: lump, paste, syringe, and paper-thin sheets (PMC+ Sheet and Art Clay Silver Paper Type). So far, gold metal clay products are available only in two forms: lump clay and paste.
This lens will focus on the properties and applications of each of the four types of metal clay.
Metal Clay Types: Quick Links to the Contents
Lump Clay
- It can be shaped by hand as desired.
- It can be rolled out with a roller (e.g., a piece of PVC pipe) and cut into the desired shape with aspic cutters, a tissue or clay blade, a needle tool, a craft knife, a straw, or nearly any other cutting implement you can come up with.
- It can be textured easily by pressing a textured object into it (anything from a piece of lace to a toothpaste cap to a custom photopolymer plate texture), or by rolling it out onto a texture plate/mat/tile.
- It can be pressed into a mold, such as one made from a 2-part molding compound or a polymer clay "push mold."
- When dry, it can be carved (preferably with wood carving tools).
- It can be rolled into "snakes" (long, thin cylinders) or balls.
- It can be thinned with water to make slip.
Paste Clay
- It can be painted on leaves in many thin layers to create metal leaves (the organic leaf burns off in the kiln).
- It can be used as "glue" to join metal clay pieces together before firing, or to attach elements (like metal clay balls) to unfired metal clay.
- It can be used to fill in cracks in unfired clay.
- It can be painted on thickly with a brush or palette knife to create stucco-like or other textures (as you might do with cake frosting).
- Art Clay makes a special Overlay Silver Paste (OSP) for decorating porcelain, ceramic and glass with silver accents, and a fantastic Oil Paste product for making very secure attachments or repairs to fine silver (including fired silver metal clay).
Syringe Clay
- Use syringe to create a lacy "filigree" of metal clay.
- Use a coil or nest of syringe to create a bezel for a stone that can be fired in place.
- Use syringe to create latticework or netting designs.
- Use syringe to create an outline of clay for freeform openwork designs.
- Use syringe to create dots and lines.
- Storing metal clay syringe tips: The tip of the clay must always be stored in water. You can stand the syringe point down in your water jar while you're working. After you're through working for the day, you can remove the tip and store it in water, either in the bottom of the water jar or in a capped "syringe keeper" tube (florist's water tube for cut flower stems). Or stuff a piece of sponge inside a syringe keeper tube, saturate it with water. After removing the syringe tip from the syringe (and replacing the cap on the syringe), place the point of the syringe tip on the wet sponge, cap the tube, and seal the whole thing tightly in plastic wrap, a zipped plastic bag or an airtight container.
- Use low-fire syringe clay to loosely but completely encircle a dichroic cabochon before firing. Continue the loop to create a bail, if desired.
Paper Clay / Sheet Clay
- Create appliqués by cutting out shapes with a sharp scissor or craft knife or using craft punches or paper punches. Attach them to your design by lifting the underside of each appliqué with a barely damp brush, carefully sliding it off the brush exactly where you want it and pressing the dry top of the appliqué firmly.
Note: If you get water on the top of the paper, it will turn mushy and be ruined. Also, be very precise when sliding each appliqué off the brush, as you generally can't move it successfully once it touches the clay to which it's being applied. - Use the leftover PMC Sheet or Art Clay Paper Type from which you cut or punched out shapes previously to create negative space appliqués. Barely moisten a sheet of plain metal clay paper (or rolled out lump clay). On top of it, add the punched or cut out PMC Sheet or Art Clay Silver Paper (or cut or punch out shapes specifically for this purpose, then use the cutouts as appliqués on this or a different project). Press this new layer onto the backing sheet evenly, starting at the center and working out towards the edges, making sure not to trap any air bubbles. After firing, use the recessed areas for patina, enamels, or keum-boo accents.
- Weave strips to create a fine silver "fabric" effect. Make sure to attach the loose ends of all the strips securely on both sides with a tiny bit of water. Roll out a backing sheet from lump clay to stabilize the woven paper "fabric." Tip: Use PMC Original for the backing sheet to create a domed effect. See my step-by-step tutorial on weaving with PMC Sheet or Art Clay Silver Paper Type.
- Create a bezel for stones that can't be fired in place with a strip of PMC Sheet or Art Clay Silver Paper. See "Recommended Links," below, for the link to order a reprint of Jennifer Kahn's "Metal Clay Bezel" article in the May 2005 Lapidary Journal. Better yet, order the book "PMC Technic" (see "Books about metal clay on Amazon," below) which includes an entire chapter that Jen wrote about her metal clay bezel technique.
- Create fine silver origami by cutting and folding PMC Sheet or Art Clay Silver Paper.
- Braid strips to use as decorative accents.
Recommended Links
- Jennifer Kahn's "Metal Clay Bezel" Article (Lapidary Journal May 2005)
- Jennifer Kahn - Celie Fago's apprentice and a wonderful metal clay artist in her own right - developed a terrific technique for making accurately-sized bezels from PMC+ paper type clay for cabochons that can't be fired in place. Her excellent step-by-step instructions was published in the May 2005 issue of Lapidary Journal. Unfortunately, LJ no longer sells reprints of the individual article, but this link will take you to the magazine's online store for back issues and you can order the May 2005 back issue as long as they still have copies available. Better yet, get a copy of the superb book, "PMC Technic" and read the entire chapter she wrote about her metal clay bezel technique!
- Metal Clay "Master Lens"
- This is my core lens metal clay - artists, suppliers, general information and education links, projects, instructors and more. Eventually some of these sections will grow large enough to merit their own lenses.
- Metal Clay Tools and Supplies
- My recommendations for a great basic toolkit, and the additional items I can't live without. Also links to some excellent lists and articles by top metal clay instructors on what they use and recommend to their students.
- PMC Guild
- The premier organization for Precious Metal Clay. A superb source of information about the clay itself, tips and techniques (including video demo clips), artists, instructors, suppliers and much more. There's a wonderful Search for a Class feature that lets you search by location, instructor, date and/or type of class. Join the Guild and your annual fee will entitle you to their outstanding print magazine, Studio PMC.
- Art Clay World USA
- As the name implies, this is the place for all things Art Clay-related: product information, techniques, classes, a gallery, distributors/suppliers that sell Art Clay, and much more. You also can shop for a huge assortment of Art Clay products and metal clay-related tools and supplies, from kilns to fine silver findings to books and videos.
Recommended Metal Clay Suppliers
- Artique (Linda Bernstein)
- Artique is owned by Linda Bernstein, one of the first Senior Instructors to be certified by PMC Connection who also serves as its current Educational Coordinator and Editor of its Metal Clay Connections quarterly online newsletter. Linda sells a selection of PMC products on Artique, including PMC3 lump, paste and syringe type clays, PMC+ sheet (paper) type, and a PMC product bundle that includes PMC3 lump, paste and syringe clays plus a package of PMC+ sheet (paper) type, all sold together at a terrific value. Artique also carries Linda's popular instructional video series about PMC, "Silver In No Time." You can purchase individual programs or buy her first five videos together at a discounted price that also includes free shipping.
Books about metal clay on Amazon
PMC Technic: A Collection of Techniques for Precious Metal Clay
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $30.00 (as of 07/25/2008)
List Price: $30.00
PMC Guild Annual, Volume 1
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $15.00 (as of 07/25/2008)
List Price: $15.00
PMC Decade
Release Date: 12/12/2006
Avg. Customer Rating: 
Amazon Price: $35.00 (as of 07/25/2008)
List Price: $35.00
Art Clay Silver & Gold: 18 Unique Jewelry Pieces to Make in a Day
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $14.95 (as of 07/25/2008)
List Price: $21.99
Metal Clay Beyond the Basics
Release Date: 04/01/2008
Avg. Customer Rating:
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 07/25/2008)
List Price: $19.95
eBay Auctions for Metal Clay-Related Items
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