How to Make Artificial Stones for Jewelry

Making artificial stones for jewelry can be fun and rewarding. Not only can you put your own personal stamp on the jewelry item you have made, but the stones will be original creations, too. This is a skill that can be used as a hobby or profitable business venture.

Instructions

1. Use a metal edge ruler to grind pieces of colored chalk into a fine powder. Unless you have access to powdered chalk, this is the method you need to use to get powdered chalk. Once you have the desired amount, mix in baby powder, or other powder containing talc, at a 2:3 ratio.

2. Pinch off a ball of paper clay one-sixth of the size of the powder mixture. Make slip by dissolving the clay in water. It should make a thick milky liquid. Dissolve some of the acrylic paint into the liquid, in the color you want the stone to be. The color will lighten as the rock dries, so keep this in mind when adding the paint to the slip.

3. Mix the powder mixture with a portion of the slip. Knead the mixture. If it is too crumbly, add slip. If it is too wet, allow it to dry for a bit. You are looking for the consistency of bread dough. It needs to be pliable, and the color needs to be evenly distributed. Mold the mixture into the desired shape and set it to dry in a warm place that doesn't have direct sunlight or extreme heat.

4. Shape the rock by grinding, chiseling or using other shaping methods. Polish the stone by rubbing it on paper. At first it will produce a dust, but after a while it will start to shine and darken a bit. Use this method until you get the desired shine and look of the stone. Then use the artificial stone in a piece of jewelry, as you would a real piece of stone.