Art Clay NZ - About Art Clay

About Art Clay®

What is Art Clay®

Art Clay is water-based clay made of pure silver powder, water and non-toxic organic binder (bonding agent.) Once Art Clay Silver is dried, it becomes hard like plaster, enabling you to carve it, engrave it, file it and sand it to a perfect finish before firing. Even after drying, Art Clay Silver may be changed back to clay with the addition of water. Leftover pieces and powder resulting from filing may be recycled, leaving no waste. During heating (firing) the non toxic binder burns away and the silver particles combine together to form a solid 99.9% pure silver object which can be hallmarked Heating can be performed over a simple kitchen gas hob, camp cooker, blow torch or kiln.

How Art Clay Becomes Pure Silver

The basic process is simple and in 5 steps


1. Shaping Model the wet clay into your desired shape.	2. Drying Dry completely using a hair dryer or in a slow oven	3. Refining File and sand the piece to remove any blemishes and carve decorations.

4. Firing Fire the piece on a gas hob, with a blow torch or in a kiln.	5. Finishing Polish the fired piece with a stainless steel brush, sandpaper and burnisher	The resulting pure silver pieces can be hallmarked as fine silver.

Art Clay® comes in various forms

Art Clay Silver 650
This is the basic product of Art Clay which is fired at 650°C(1200°F). It models easily just like ordinary water-based clay. It is important to add water as you work because it dries quickly. Once dried, it becomes as hard as plaster, making it possible to carve and fine tune the design with files, carving tools and sandpaper. This type of Art Clay shrinks less than 8-9% with firing. It can also be fired on a gas hob or with a blow torch >firing).

Firing: 650C for 30 minutes or 780C for 5 minutes.

Available in 7g, 10g, 20g and 50g packs

Art Clay Silver 650 Paste Type
This paste is Art Clay Silver 650 with added water mixed to a smooth paste consistency. Firing as for Art Clay Silver 650 Clay Type. It has many uses:

Bonding two dried pieces of Art Clay Silver together

Repairing cracks in clay pieces

Drawing patterns on clay pieces

Coating leaves and origami to make silver replicas after firing

Available packs: 10g and 20g

Art Clay Silver 650 Syringe Type
This is Art Clay Silver 650 in a paste form which comes in a syringe. Three different tips are available to fit onto the syringe so that the clay can be extruded in lines of varying thickness to create piped designs, filigree and other delicate forms which are not possible with the clay type. Firing as for Art Clay Silver 650 Clay Type.

Available packs:

10g with a single medium nozzle.

10g with three different nozzles: fine, medium and thick.

10g without nozzles for refill purposes.

Art Clay Silver Paper Type
silver clay in paper form! This product consists of a sheet of precious metal material that turns into pure 99.9% silver after firing. It can be folded, bent, cut with scissors and punched with paper punches just like ordinary paper. Used for origami designs and delicate overlays. Kiln fire only.
Firing: 800°C(1470°F) for 30 minutes.

Available in 10g packs - single sheet 75 x 75mm (3in x 3in).

Available in:
7gms, 10gms, 20gms and 50 gms

Art Clay Silver Slow Dry
This product is similar to the Clay Type but it retains moisture and dries much slower than the other products. This means that you can spend more time moulding your piece into intricate shapes before it begins to dry out. It is also less sticky, making it possible to create more clay-like impressions, such as rolling the product very thin to make weaving patterns or create thin flower petals and plaits.
Firing: 800°C(1470°F) for 30 minutes or 870°C(1600°F) for 10 minutes.

Available in 10g, 20g, 50g and 100g packs.

Art Clay Silver Oil Paste
An oil-based silver paste that comes with a bottle of diluent (for thinning the paste as necessary). It is used to attach fired silver pieces together and for attaching silver findings to fired silver pieces. Also useful for repairing cracks or breakages in fired items.
Firing: 800°C(1470°F) for 30 minutes or 850°C(1560°F) for 10 minutes.

Available in 10g packs

Art Clay Silver 650 Overlay Silver Paste
A low-fire silver clay in paste form, formulated specially to use on glazed porcelain, glass or ceramic. It is in a viscous liquid form and water soluble so that you can create relief drawings on these surfaces.
Firing: 650°C(1200°F) to 800°C(1470°F) - no hold time needed.

Available in 15g pots.

Art Clay Gold K22 Clay Type
Pure gold powder (22K) mixed with water and a binder. This pure gold clay can be modelled like any water-based clay. After firing, the binder burns away leaving pure 22K gold. Shrinkage is 15%.
Firing: 990°C(1814°F) for 60 minutes.

Available in 5g and 10g packs.