Precious Metal Clay

Duration: 2 days

Precious metal clay can be sculpted like ordinary clay and then, amazingly, transformed into Fine Silver through a firing process! This course, which is suitable for beginners and the experienced alike, will teach you all aspects of working with this fantastic substance in a variety of ways.

Lecturer:

Teresa Speer, who holds a BA (hons) in Jewellery, is a qualified teacher who has been in the jewellery trade for over a quarter of a century and has been teaching jewellery making for over 18 years.

Skills you will learn:

  • Precious metal clay techniques including handling, shaping and forming the clay
  • Precious metal clay syringe techniques
  • Precious metal clay paste techniques
  • How to set stones in the clay
  • How to add texture
  • Correctly drying the clay
  • How to torch fire
  • How to program the kiln for kiln firing
  • Using cork or wood clay to create hollow forms
  • How to make rings
  • Creating a fine silver replica of a natural leaf
  • How to give your pieces a professional finish after firing
  • Oxidising your work

Jewellery you will create:

  • You will create a collection of fine silver pieces:
  • A beautiful natural leaf pendant
  • A You will create a textured, syringed and stone set piece to be used as a pendant, ring top or earrings
  • A hollow pendant
  • A syringed pendant
  • Two rings

Materials costs:

All the materials needed for this course will be provided for £100. This includes:

  • 21 grams of silver Art Clay
  • 20 grams of Art Clay silver paste
  • 10 grams of syringe silver
  • A variety of CZ stones

Day 1:

You begin by creating a leaf pendant

You will then create a piece using texturing, syringe and stone setting techniques

This is followed by a hollow form piece using cork or wood clay

You then a create piece using syringe techniques

You will learn different ways of firing your work

Day 2:

On the second day you will make 2 rings using different methods.

You will learn to finish your work to a high standard, both while it is still clay, and then after it has been fired into fine silver.

You will also learn how to oxidise your jewellery.

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