Art Clay, sometimes called silver clay, gold clay, metal clay, or precious-metal clay, is made by Aida Chemical Industries in Japan: it's a composite material, made of fine silver or gold powder and a harmless water-based organic binder.

Straight from the packet, it looks and feels like plasticene: so you can shape it easily, using familiar modelling tools and similar techniques. Its flexibility makes it a versatile material, ideal for home and business jewellers, metalsmiths, craftworkers, modelmakers, glass studios, potteries, and art colleges.

Silver clay is available in two forms, Original and the newer 650: Original fires at 800°C and 650 at 650°C, held for 30 minutes. The fired metal is solid silver, which can be hallmarked as pure 999 silver.
Most people use 650, partly because a wider range of other materials can be combined with it before firing. The 650 comes in regular, slow dry, and slow tarnish.

Gold clay fires at 990°C, held for 60 minutes. The fired metal is a solid alloy made from 91.7% gold and 8.3% silver, which can be hallmarked as 22 carat gold.

If you want to learn more about using Art Clay, look at The Art Clay Club. It's a free resource, 24 7 52: you don't have to register, log on, or remember a password.

Although you can fire Art Clay 650 on a kitchen gas hob, on a camping gaz ring, or with a butane torch, it's more reliable to use a kiln. If you want to learn more about kilns, look at Paragon Kilns.

This water-based clay comes in a wrapper inside a foil packet. Take as much as you need, and rewrap the remainder. Knead the piece until it feels soft and malleable.

You can use almost anything to shape the clay: a modelling knife, a rubber clay shaper, a scriber, a texture tool, a shaped cutter, or a damp brush. As you shape the clay, or add more, you can use a little water to smooth the surface or optimise the adhesion.

Whilst working, don't let any clay dry on your tools: keep your brush tips in water and dab them on lint-free cloth just before use. Save scraps of clay in a small airtight container.

During firing, the organic binder vaporises and the metal powder sinters. The clay shrinks by about 8% in volume so, if the finished size is critical, make your piece that much larger.

When your piece is shaped, let it dry naturally for 24 hours or in a kiln programmed from cool to 150°C, then held for 10 minutes: although, with care, you can dry it with a hair drier or a hot air gun, on a central heating radiator, or in a kitchen oven.

After drying, silver clay is dull-white and gold clay is dull-yellow. They're strong enough for you to be able to refine the shape using a knife, a scriber, a file, a drill, and abrasives. However, at this stage, thin pieces are brittle, so may snap.

Fire Art Clay 650 Silver in a kiln programmed from cool to 650°C, then held for 30 minutes: although, with care, you can fire small silver pieces on a kitchen gas hob, on a camping gaz ring, or with a butane torch. Fire Gold Clay in a kiln programmed from cool to 990°C then held for 60 minutes.

If your piece doesn't include anything that will crack or melt at a higher temperature, Art Clay 650 Silver can be fired at 780°C for 5 minutes.

As it's heated, the organic binder vaporises, leaving solid metal which can be hallmarked as 999 silver or 22 carat gold. During firing, small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water vapour are released: so it's safe to use at home.

After firing, the clay still looks dull, but brushing off the powdery coating reveals bright metal. Your piece is now ready to reshape, drill, stain, polish, or burnish: or wear, sell, or give. Remember, it is metal: it doesn't just look like metal.

This water-based clay does what it says: you can work with it for about four times longer than the normal clay, so it's just right for beginners or anyone making thin, delicate, or intricate shapes.

This water-based clay does what it says: when fired, the surface is slower to tarnish. However, remember that all silver, not just Art Clay silver, tarnishes due to environmental oxidants or pollutants.