Embossing precious metal clay

View PDF | Print View
by: Adam Hunter
Total views: 44
Word Count: 539
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 2011 Time: 6:19 PM
0 comments

Precious metal clay has the same look and feel as ordinary sculpting or porcelain clay. The clay is made up of fine particles of silver or gold metal. These extremely fine particles are joined together by a non-toxic organic binder. During firing the binder burns away to leave you with a piece that is made up of pure gold or silver.

Embossing is a technique which creates an impression on a surface. In regular printing, patterned moulds are pressed against a surface to leave an imprint. However, in embossing the pattern raises the surface of the piece, adding a new dimension to the object.

When used with precious metal clay, embossing can give a piece of jewellery a new dimension. More often than not this technique can elevate the standard and quality of a piece.

To emboss a pattern on a piece of clay, carve a pattern on one side of a white plastic eraser. Experiment with a number of patterns including crosshatching, weave patterns and select your favourite, but remember to keep it simple. Bolos are a popular piece of jewellery which usually involves the technique of embossing.

To make a bolo, roll out your precious metal clay on a flexible worksheet to the thickness of a mat board. Press your carved eraser firmly into the clay to make a deep impression. More than one pattern can be pressed on your clay depending on your bolo design.

Use a metal clay syringe to glue the four edges together to make a hollow box. Place a line of the syringe down the edge of each piece, before holding the pieces together for 10 seconds. The pieces should sit for five minutes and then be transferred to a hot plate to finish drying. Repeat until all four walls are constructed. Give each side a nice finish by sanding off the ends with a coarse emery board.

To make the end pieces of the bolo, roll out more precious metal clay to the same thickness as the sides. Cut two squares to fit the top and place them texture side down onto a hot plate. When they are dry glue them in place with the syringe.

So that the bolo can be worn, use the tip of a craft knife to cut a hole in the top and the bottom of the box. The hole should be slightly larger than the cord because the clay will shrink once fired.
For the doughnut-shaped caps for the end of the cord holes, roll out a marble-sized ball of clay to the thickness of three playing cards, and cut two circles and cut the centres. Moisten with a brush of water around the holes and attach the donut shapes to the end by pressing lightly with your finger.

Mould the clay around a drinking star to make the metal covers of the bolo cord. Fire all three pieces in a terra-cotta saucer filled with vermiculite at 900oC. Once the pieces have cooled, give them a satin finish by using a brass brush with soap and water. To emphasize the texture dip the pieces in a liver-of-sulphur solution.

About the Author

Adam Hunter - E-commerce Marketing Manager of cooksongold.com. Cookson Precious Metals offer a choice of supplies from over 10,000 products including gold and silver wire, jewellery findings, tools, precious metal clay, art clay and silver art clay - gold, silver, platinum and palladium plus technical information for jewellers, jobbers, designer, craftsmen, artisans and students.