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PMC3 Precious Metal Clay Silver

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What is metal clay and PMC3?

Precious Metal Clay is an easy-to-shape clay, that when burned transforms into a pure silver piece. PMC3 is the most recent version of the PMC clays. PMC3 shrinks less than original PMC, is easier to manipulate than PMC and gives a stronger finished piece than either PMC or PMC . Since PMC3 can be fired at lower temperatures it allows you to fire it with a butane torch, stove or kiln.

The low temperature also makes it possible for you to include sterling silver findings or gemstones with the PMC3 clay before you fire it. That gives you endless opportunities in your jewelry making, and this is why I use the PMC3 clay, when I make all my silver metal clay jewelry!

These silver pieces makes stunning jewelry components like pendants, beads connectors and more. PMC3 is very strong and smooth to work with, it's also the clay I use when I make all my metal clay silver jewelry components. It has smaller refined particle shapes and less binder. This makes it stronger than standard PMC.

Metal clay consisting of three elements: metal particles, binder and water. After a firing process the metal clay is heated to a certain temperature the organic binder burns off and the metal particles fuse together. Now you have a piece of solid metal made from 99,9 % pure silver. More on the history of Precious metal clay here.

Why PMC3 in Jewelry making?

PMC3 is a good metal clay for making earrings, brooches, pendants, beads and charms. It is the best product for making rings because it is denser after firing and can withstand heavy wear.

Precious Metal Clay 3 can be fired with enamel, glass, or cork clay, just as PMC+ can be. However, PMC3 can be fired at lower temperatures than the other types of PMC. Being able to fire it at temperatures as low as 1200° F allows you to fire cubic zirconias, and some jewelry gemstones that will not survive the firing temperatures required of other types of metal clay.

With PMC3 you can include real sterling silver findings that would become brittle if fired at higher temperatures. This is just marvelous because there is so much beautiful findings out there to compliment your silver metal clay jewelry! It's a good idea to have pure silver in the whole piece, so that it will also look authentic.

And of course the best feature with PMC3: You can hand fire it with a butane torch! Here is a guide on how you do the firing of PMC3 with a torch. The shrinkage is 10-12 % for PMC3. Here you can also see a PMC3 firing chart for butane torch.

It's fun to see the whole process right in front of you, seeing the binder burn of and seeing it glow in bright orange when the particles fuse together. Makes you feel like a real metal smith! Give PMC3 a chance to help you to create what you dream of! It's a fantastic material.