Precious Metal Clay (PMC) is a revolutionary material in the jewelry industry developed by Mitsubishi Materials in the early 1990's. Precious Metal Clay (PMC) is comprised of microscopically fine particles of pure silver or pure gold which are mixed with an organic, non toxic binder and water to form a wonderfully malleable material that can be rolled; molded and sculpted like earthen clay. The binder consists of water and organic plant-based materials which feels like a soft clay to the touch. After it dries (sometimes referred to as the “greenware” stage) metal clay can be sanded; carved and filed and separate elements can be joined together to create dimensional pieces. When fired at an appropriate temperature, the water evaporates, binders burn away and the metal particles fuse or “sinter” together creating a fine silver or 22K gold object which has been reduced in size, accentuating textural details.

This malleable metal material is a completely unique relatively new medium to the jewelry industry. It can be tooled, pushed, pulled, carved, molded, shaped with any variety of techniques and treated after firing with patinas, traditional fabrication and stone setting techniques.

.