Does anyone have long term experience with precious metal clay (PMC)?
January 30, 2019 10:06 AM   Subscribe

I'm interested in making my wedding ring. There's a class coming up near me that's teaching ring making with silver metal clay. I haven't heard of PMC before, and every search result seems to be from someone selling it.

So does anyone here have experience with it? Questions have been easier to find than answers so far. But I'd like to know how it compares to traditional silver. Does it look the same in the end? Are there issues with porosity from the binder? Will it hold up to long term wear? What if it needs to be adjusted later? Any help you can give me is appreciated.
posted by Wembly to Media & Arts (7 answers total)
 
I have had some minor experience with Precious Metal Clay, but the folks at the Alliance for Metal Clay Arts Worldwide (sorry, my phone is just not cooperating with creating a link) will be able to answer your questions about longevity and durability. I found that it looked the same as regular silver and did not notice any issues with porosity because the binder burns away and the silver particles fuse, which also means that your piece shrinks as it is fired.

PMC is an amazing medium but there is a definite learning curve and the clay itself is not cheap, which you probably know already. The class sounds like a great idea!
posted by corey flood at 10:21 AM on January 30, 2019 [4 favorites]


I took a class a few years ago, probably similar to what you're looking at, only for pendants. I'm fairly crafty, but not in the "clay" arts - so I found that it was harder to make something look like "metal" and less like a kid's clay art class project. That said, the instructor had two methods of burning out the binder - hand blow torches (like for creme brulee) and a kiln. The pendant I did in the kiln definitely looks better, but I think that's my inexperience showing.

It is very sensitive to pattern as well - a lot of the ladies in my class were taking it with their children, and doing fingerprint pendants of the kids. So I guess keep that in mind as you plan your design.

(None of that really answers your questions other than I went into it thinking it would be a lot easier than I found it to be. But also it's addictive and I'd love to take more classes were the learning curve less expensive.)
posted by librarianamy at 10:25 AM on January 30, 2019


Best answer: I've used PMC in a couple jewelry making classes, and have separately worked extensively with silver. PMC Sterling is straight-up 925 silver and a ring will wear and perform just like a sterling silver ring you buy in a shop. After you make a piece and burn away the binder, you could melt it into a lump just like sterling, can size it just like sterling - it's no different. People who work in this clay frequently do so because they like the ability to cut/shape/incise/pattern it with clay tools (there are hundreds of tools, and lots of artists make their own). Fingerprints look awesome in this medium!

If you're looking for a simpler band and just want the handmade aspect, that's a fairly straightforward class to take, too - there's lots of sterling half round "wire" that is wide enough to just form, size and solder, and a basic class to learn casting would be straightforward too.
posted by ersatzkat at 10:49 AM on January 30, 2019 [2 favorites]


There are a bunch of different types/grades of PMC metal clay, though once you bake/fire any of them, it's just silver that's left. The .925 sterling will be hardier than the .999% pure silver, I believe, so check to see which clay you'll be working with, or if you have the option to choose.
posted by rachaelfaith at 2:14 PM on January 30, 2019


Best answer: Short answer- designing a wax ring and having that cast would be more durable. I have done what you want to do, made rings out of sintered silver, and my work has even been featured in instructional books. I’ve used both types of silver clay on the market- PMC and Art Clay (but previous versions - this was years ago), and have traditional silversmithing experience and training. Both of the sintered clays are ok for rings and steps can be taken to strengthen a ring to make it more suitable for daily wear and abuse.

Keep in mind that all sintered metals are weaker, less dense and more pourus than other methods of metal formation and a ring worn daily would end up with nicks, dents and a richer visible history. A good instructor would be able to walk you through using a silver wire as a base ring to build your design and I would suggest a burnished finish which remains uncommon in the sintered clay circles because it involves a significant amount of hand work. A burnished finish involves essentially compressing the entire surface of the ring with a hard round burnishing tool, and any voids or less dense areas of the work could be magnified. The result is a ring that has been both work hardened and compressed. Proper quenching would also improve the durability of a sintered ring.

One of the highlights of working with sintered clay is the ability to incorporate made made gemstones directly in the work - provided that can survive the treatment (these would also limit your quenching options) and this allows for very impressive and unique works.

Of the two brands I preferred the results of the Art Clay.
posted by zenon at 3:36 PM on January 30, 2019 [5 favorites]


Everything xenon said, except I like PMC better. Have worked with it since 2005. The newer 960 and sterling clays are strong, the sterling one has to be fired in carbon, to the best of my knowledge.
Good luck!
posted by antiquated at 7:52 AM on January 31, 2019


Response by poster: Alright. I feel like I have a better idea of what to expect now, and am much more prepared (mentally, at least).
Thanks everyone for your help!
posted by Wembly at 11:57 AM on January 31, 2019


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