Making Solid Silver Bracelets

Pure silver bracelets match almost any outfit in your closet.

To make a solid silver bracelet with very little equipment, use precious metal clay (PMC), also known as silver clay, to create a bracelet that is 99.9 percent silver. PMC is a clay made of tiny silver granules bound together by organic compounds. You can shape this versatile clay into almost anything. During the firing process the organic compounds that bind the silver together burn off, leaving you with just the pure silver piece.

Things You'll Need

• Precious metal clay
• Shaping/etching tools
• File
• Metal mesh
• Butane torch
• Polishing cloth

Instructions

1. Purchase the necessary quantity of PMC from a local craft store or an online jewelry supplier. You will probably have to look online for PMC or PMC starter kits, since craft stores do not usually carry these items. For a solid silver bracelet, you will probably need at least 20 grams of PMC.

2. Shape and mold the PMC into whatever shape that you want. You can use etching tools (or a small screwdriver) to engrave patterns onto your bracelet, or you can use tiny dots of extra PMC to embellish the bracelet base and add texture. Remember, PMC shrinks by about eight to nine percent when you fire it, so make sure that you take that into account when deciding how large to make your bracelet.

3. Allow your bracelet to dry for 24 to 48 hours. Make sure that you do not move your piece before it is dry. Otherwise, your bracelet may crack when you fire it.

4. Pre-finish your bracelet by using a file to scrape off any rough edges and smooth out areas that need a little work. You can still etch words or designs on your bracelet at this point.

5. Fire your bracelet. You can do this at home with very little equipment by simply placing your bracelet on top of a metal rack set above a gas burner. You can put an oven rack on top of the gas burner in your kitchen for this. If you want to use slightly more professional equipment and technique without a huge investment, you can use a butane torch to fire your bracelet. You will have to check with a PMC book or guide to decide exactly how long to fire your piece.

6. Finish your piece by using a soft cloth to polish it and a brush to sweep off any tiny imperfections. You now have a solid silver handmade bracelet that is ready to wear.

References

• Basic Steps in Using Art Clay Silver
• Metal Clay Academy: Metal Clay Beginners Page