Frequently Asked Questions

1) What's it made of?

All of my silver jewelry is made from a substance called Precious Metal Clay (PMC.)

2) What the heck is that?

PMC consists of microscopic particles of silver or gold suspended in an organic binder to create a pliable material with a consistency similar to modeling clay. When heated to a high temperature, the organic material burns away and the metal particles fuse to form solid metal.  After firing, the water and binder have completely burned away so what remains can be hallmarked as .999 silver or gold.  Fine silver is significantly less prone to tarnish than the sterling silver.

3) What do you use for textures?

Since PMC is moldable like any clay available textures are everywhere!  I like to capture genuine organic material such as leaves, lichen and flowers into my designs.   One of the unexpected pleasures about working with PMC is that I find myself looking at the world in a whole new way, appreciating it like I did when I was very young.  Everywhere I go I find myself thinking, "oooh, that could make a really cool texture."  I even have my kids hooked on looking for things I can squash into my PMC to make an unusual piece of jewelry.

4) Do you need a lot of tools?

Absolutely not!  I can fit all of the tools I need on a surface as small as a TV table.  The basic tools are very easy to find and don't cost a lot.  For example, one of the more important tools is a deck of playing cards!  They are used to enable you to roll the clay into a uniform thickness.

5) Can I learn how to do it?

Definitely!  There are many PMC classes held throughout the United States - and quite a number of other countries.  I teach classes in my hometown of Hillsborough, NC.  If you are interested in classes and you're close to me, look at my "classes" page for the schedule of upcoming workshops.  If you're far away, send me a message and I'll help you find a class near you.