Silver clay jewellery making at Lark!

Let’s make silver clay!

What is silver clay?

Art clay silver is an ecological product made from recycled silver, which turns into pure silver when fired. You can shape it just like modelling clay, and once fired, you are left with real silver. Put its magic!

Is it difficult to use?

Silver clay is easy to mould and shape as it is soft, and therefore, you’re able to easily make more intricate designs than you would in regular silver.

How much will you make?

In the workshop you will each get 10 grams of silver clay. This can make anywhere from 1 to 6 pieces depending on size and design. During the firing process, the clay will shrink 8 to 10 percent, so you will need to bear that in mind before designing.

What do I need to prepare in advance for a silver clay workshop?

It would be great if you came with a few design ideas. Here is a Pinterest board to give you an idea of the kind of things you can make:

As silver clay can dry out, we spend the first part of the workshop designing our pieces in polymer clay. This gives us plenty of time to finalise our designs before opening the silver clay. Simple designs are often more effective!

What is the firing process?

For the firing process, each person fires their own pieces under supervision of the tutor. To turn the clay into silver, it needs to be fired using a butane torch. Before it turns into silver, the binding from the clay burns away and the transformation begins. This takes anywhere from 2 to 4 minutes.

How are the pieces finished?

You will sand and refine your designs both before and after firing.

There’s also an option to oxidise your finished piece with liver of sulphur. Finally, when you book a silver clay workshop, you will have the option to choose whether you would like to pay extra for sterling silver findings. This will include a silver chain and a pair of silver earring hooks.

So, if you’re interested in crafting your own silver clay jewellery, book a session and come to Lark, which is based on Cathays, near the Cardiff city centre in South Wales.

Gemma & the Lark team hope to see you at one of Lark’s craft workshops in Cardiff soon!