The first type of metal that was used in this way was for pure (24k) gold clay. This was followed with pure (.999) silver and marketed to the Japanese craft community as Precious Metal Clay (PMC) - a brand name. Soon another company, Aida Chemical Industries, developed a similar product called Art Clay Silver (ACS).
In 2006 Metal Adventures debuted a bronze version called BronzClay and soon after followed with CopprClay. Since then many more manufacturers have entered the metal clay landscape to offer a variety of base metal clays including rose bronze, steel, and brass. Base metal clays are different from fine silver clay in that they need to be fired in an oxygen free atmosphere with carbon to sinter correctly.
All metal clays can be worked wet or dry using a combination of techniques which include pressing or rolling a texture into the moist clay, carving dry clay, and forming 3 dimensional shapes in either stage. During the firing process, work shrinks anywhere between 8 and 30% depending on the type of clay and specific firing process used. Gold and silver metal clays may be fired with a butane torch or in a kiln, base metal clays must be fired in a kiln. PMC carries a sterling silver clay (.925) alloy which must be fired in a manner similar to base metal clays.
Some metal clay companies offer powdered metal pre-mixed with
binder that the end user combines with water to create a malleable material. Others sell ready-made clay. There
are also some alloys that one can blend in the studio. One of these is .960
sterling, which is an equal combination of .925 Sterling clay and PMC3. This
alloy is stronger than fine silver alone, and while not quite as strong as .925 Sterling, can be fired on an open shelf with no carbon.
The possibilities of creating jewelry and small scale
sculpture with metal clay is endless, and as such a young art form – new designs
and ideas are being developed every day.
For more information please see:
Wikipedia
PMC Guild
Art Clay World
Hadar Jacobson
Margaret Schindel
