What is Art Clay Silver

Download gebruikershandleiding Regular-ACS-CLAY-TYPE.pdf (eng)

of de Beknopte handleiding (NL)

Silver Clay: An Artistic Worldwide Phenomenon
Are you looking for a versatile and user-friendly material to make beautiful jewelry? Meet Art Clay Silver 999 Regular - the ultimate silver clay that opens up a world of creative possibilities.
Silver clay originally comes from Japan and has captured the hearts of artists, goldsmiths, hobbyists and others worldwide. Along with variants such as bronze, copper and gold clay, it is known as "metallic clay".

This malleable form of silver consists of fine silver powder mixed with a binder and water. This results in a flexible clay that is easy to roll, knead and work with. Be careful, because the clay dries out when exposed to air.

To keep the clay flexible during the working process, a jar of distilled water with a brush is an essential tool, together with a damp cloth it ensures that the clay can be worked for longer.

Once dried, the clay offers new possibilities to shape jewelry by filing, sanding, repairing, touching up and even bonding with silver clay paste. It can also be decorated with spray clay or other fine silver ornaments and haberdashery. Even sterling silver can be baked, but at a maximum of 700°C.

Various methods are possible for firering, including using a rack on the gas stove, a (soldering) burner or a special oven, at temperatures varying between 650°C and 900°C. This makes it suitable for beginners and experienced makers. However, it is important that the clay is completely dry before it is fired.

After firing, the piece is usually white in color. The silver is "cleaned" by carefully brushing with a polishing brush, after which further finishing is possible with sanding cloths, polishing needle, agate pen or other materials used, for example, with a dremel.

The special property of silver clay as a malleable material lies in its extraordinary formability. After firing, the silver clay undergoes a transformation and the end product consists of 99.9% pure silver. In the process from clay to final product, the water evaporates and the binder is burned, resulting in a shrinkage of approximately ~10%. The result of this is that the final piece of jewelry will be slightly smaller than the original clay you started with. The final product will be smaller by approximately 1mm all around.

This shrinkage of the silver clay after firing is an essential aspect to keep in mind while designing and shaping your jewelry. It is a natural consequence of the baking process and should be considered when planning the sizes and shapes of your creations. Especially when making a ring, it is important to calculate the shrinkage so that the ring also has the correct size as a final product.

With a wide range of materials and tools, such as stamps, rollers, ring sticks, molds, templates, setting boxes, beads, fine silver wire, eyes, hooks, chains, silk ribbons, molds, cubic zirconias and much more, you can create beautiful jewelry. All these products are available in our store, giving you the freedom to create unique jewelry.