Learning new techniques now

Some weeks have passed and some of the basics of working with the clay have become familiar.

Time to try something new. This little pendant is hollow to keep it light and made using a simple mold made from polymer clay. I love to add some little beads and dangles to the silver, this time clear and white and this starts the Purity range of simple designs and simple crystals.

Recycled silver - eco-friendly jewellery

So I'm hooked on silver clay. After my first couple of pieces of jewellery I couldn't stop making beautiful things in silver. I researched more about the origins of the silver product I was using.

There are two main brands - Art Clay Silver (ACS) and Precious Metal Clay (PMC). Both appear to be very much the same although some jewellery makers prefer one brand over another. I

started off with ACS and am happy with it so this is the product I use.

The product was ''invented'' in Japan by Aida Industries, a metals recycling company. The silver is reclaimed from old photographic products and old film. Silver was used in the developing process.

When Art Clay Silver is taken out of the package, it is a slightly moist lump of 'clay. The clay is composed of 1-20 micron sized silver particles, organic binders, and water . The clay is then molded into its desired shape, and dried. Once the clay is completely dry it can then be filed, carved, and sanded; after which it is fired with a butane torch, or kiln.

During the firing process, the organic binders burn away and the resulting silver particles "sinter", becoming denser and stronger. The burning away of binders and sintering of metal causes the piece to shrink 8-10% in overall size while retaining the original form. Once completely fired, the remaining piece is composed of 99.9% pure silver.

I love the eco recycled nature of this product. Taking something that has no longer any use these days and turning it into a product for people to express their artist sides to bring that product right up-to-date and modern again.

I make a pendant to match the earrings

Filled with hope following the successful completion of my first project with the little earrings shown below, I rush to open a second larger packet of silver and attempt a matching pendant.

It's round again, although this time with my confidence growing its slightly larger and uses more silver. I impress a similar rings and dots design, add some pretty yellow 3mm cubic zirconia stones pressed into the silver, and make holes top and bottom.

Then I fire it and watch in horror as it appears to catch on fire and turn brown, but then as the metal sinters and the binders burn away, I am left with almost pure silver. Fine silver in fact, 99.9% solid silver.

My first attempt at silver jewellery making over with, I have a pretty pendant to match my earrings. I'm exhausted!

My newest hobby

It all started with a visit to our local charity shop.  The Humane Society here in the Cayman Islands undertakes animal welfare work and is very well supported.  They have a second hand book store.  You donate books, they sell them.  You then buy the books, they get money.  You read the book, give it back and they sell it again.  You get a regular supply of cheap books, they get lots of money.  Everyone is happy, especially the kittens and puppies!

I was browsing through the reference section looking for books on photography when I came across a book on jewellery making.  Hmm, always wanted to give that a go.  Read the book, twice.  Did lots of internet research and decided to give it a go.  But jewellery making equipment and supplies just aren’t available here in the Cayman Islands.  So I ordered and imported.  Packages started to arrive and I was a regular visitor at the customs department handing over my 30% import duty (or more!).

To start with, I stuck with the one colour.  Blue.  Or more precisely aquamarine or turquoise blues, the same colours as the shallow seas around the Cayman Islands.  I made some beaded things and they were pretty.  Then my silver supplies arrived in a container all the way from the USA.

Beading is easy, some ‘string’, some beads, a clasps of sorts and you are done.  But metal working in silver is a whole different matter.  There are lots of pieces of specialist equipment needed to work in silver.  So I spent a LOT of money on the making and tooling equipment, the firing equipment, the finishing equipment and of course the raw silver itself and other components to go with it such as gemstones, glass etc.

I laid it all out on the table and looked at the first batch of silver.  I was a depressingly small piece to work with and too expensive to be able to make a mistake.  In the raw, the silver costs about $1.50 - $2 per gram, and of course some of this is ‘wasted’ in the manufacturing.

I sat and considered for quite a long time before being brave enough to get started.  I opened the package, considered the design I had in mind……and made it!  Everything went smoothly and I made a fabulous pair of earrings including little CZ stones and some glass sea-foam dangles, hung on sterling silver ear wires.  Big sigh of relief.

Here is my initial effort at jewellery making from scratch.  Not bad I think for my first try.

I’ve since done more – other posts to follow on how a beginner starts out in jewellery design and making.