Precious Metal Clay-An Introduction

摘要

I'd like to first dispel a myth about Precious Metal Clay. Precious Metal Clay (PMC) is NOT some magical clay material that mysteriously turns into silver. In fact, it is quite the opposite. This material was developed in Japan in the early 1990s, by Dr. Morikawa of the Mitsubishi Company. Pottery has been an important art form throughout the history of the Japanese culture. In an effort to join the art of jewelry making with the art of ceramics, Dr. Morikawa, along with a team of scientists, developed Precious Metal Clay. It is silver and gold in a form that is very unique from the conventional hard sheet and wire that metal workers have used for centuries. During the manufacturing process of PMC, tiny particles of silver and gold are mixed with an organic binder and water. This is how the pliable, clay-like consistency is achieved, and where the name Precious Metal Clay comes from. The basic process for working with it is as follows. A piece is created with PMC, and is set aside to dry. After the piece is completely dry, it is fired in a kiln. During the firing process the binder burns away, and what remains is pure metal; fine silver, and high karat gold. After firing, the piece is cooled and can be finished in a variety of ways.