Precious Metal Clay Pendant Necklace Design Idea

by Maria Andrianakis
(Drapanos,Hania,Crete,Greece)

Enjoy making this precious metal clay pendant necklace design idea. Precious metal clay is also known as PMC®.

When I first saw the use of PMC, I thought that I had never seen something more amazing. Turning clay to pure fine silver!

It was so grand that I said to my self, "this is what I wanted to do for the rest of my art years"...

So once I had the material in my hands I started to think of what I wanted to do and it had to be great!

I ended up with a design for a pendent that originally would be combined with a turquoise cabochon and beads.

But as I was a bit...well totally inexperienced with the clay, I ended up with a disaster, as I thought at first.

Bob Ross popped into my mind with a saying he used a lot when he painted: "in painting there are no big mistakes but only happy accidents".

So I let my imagination run wild and I ended up with this beautiful piece. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Jewelry Making Supplies

12gr PMC3®
27 peacock rondelle freshwater pearls 6mm
5 black Akoya pearls 8mm
18 dark sapphire Swarovski 4mm beads
39 silver sterling jump rings 7mm
3 silver sterling round headpins
10 silver sterling eye pins
1 silver sterling claps

Jewelry Making Tools

mat
roller
6 deck cards
blade
small glass of water
small paint brush
olive oil
pattern mold
round file
steel brush
sand papers
3M® Polishing Papers
drill
polishing cloth
cup of warm water with 2 teaspoons of baking soda
cup of hot water with a piece of Liver of Sulfur
firing torch
tripod and stainless steel mesh screen for firing metal clay
cement glue
flat nose pliers
round nose pliers
wire cutter
tweezers
towel
coffee warmer

Jewelry Making Instructions

Start by making your pendent. Oil your work surface, tools and hands with a bit of oil. PMC is very sticky.

Step 1
Take out your clay, and roll it out with your roller 3 cards thick.

Step 2
Put you pattern on top of your clay and press down lightly till pattern shows on clay.

Step 3
Cut out a shape you are happy with, using your blade a few mm bigger then the size you have decided on (mine was cut out 45mm x 35mm x 25mm). PMC3 when fried has a shrinkage of 10-12%.

Step 4
Make a ring shape-circle and put on top of pendent as you like.Add a little water circle with your paint brush before setting it down so it can stick better.

Step 5
Set it aside to dry or place it on a coffee warmer to dry quicker.

Step 6
When dry, sand the sides to smooth them, with file add shape to the round setting and with a drill make holes were wanted (I made 2 at top and 3 at bottom). Be gentle because the pendant is thin might break.

The holes must be big enough as shrinkage might make them really small to fit the jump rings. Also make sure they are not too close to the edge of the pendant, again shrinkage might damage or break the pendant.

Step 7
Place pendent on tripod and stainless steel mesh screen and fire with torch till pendent turns red(3-5min)Let it cool or drop in glass of cold water.

Step 8
Burnish your piece with steel the brush, polish with sand paper and 3M Polishing Papers

Step 9
Prepare to patina your piece by cleaning it with soap water and drying with towel. Do not touch the pendent after cleaning as the oil on your hands will not help the patina process.

Hang the piece on a wire or use tweezers and dip it in the cup of hot water with a piece of Liver of Sulfur and stop the process when satisfied by dipping the piece in the cup of warm water with 2 teaspoons of baking soda. Dry with a towel.

Step 10
Polish again all high lights with 3M Polishing Papers and finish of with polishing cloth. Your pendent is now ready to assemble into a necklace.

How to Assemble Your Necklace

Step 1
Glue with cement glue 1 Akoya pearl in the center of the pendant's circle and 9 rondelle freshwater pearls to make a flower shape. Let it dry over night.

Step 2
Assemble the rest of your pearls and Swarovski beads on headpins and eye pins and a wire loop with round nose pliers. Cut where necessary the extra wire.

On headpins string:
2 Swarovski®, rondelle pearls
1 Swarovski®, rondelle pearl

On eye pins string:
6 Swarovski®, rondelle pearl
4 rondelle pearls, Akoya

Step 3
Assemble the 3 finished headpins at the bottom of pendent and the finished jump rings and finished eye pins to make the necklace chain by using your flat nose pillar.

Step 4
Last attach your clasp.

Your PMC® and pearl necklace is ready!

Hope you enjoy making it as much as I did!