Second only to rings in the “sustain wear and tear” department, bracelets are not necessarily the best jewelry candidates for fine-silver metal clay designs. Another factor to consider when making bracelets with metal clay is the sizing issue — metal clay shrinks. To get around these challenges, we used a commercially available sterling silver tube bangle as an armature for our bracelets. The armature is durable and lightweight and takes the guesswork out of sizing. With the infrastructure taken care of, you’ll have more time for the fun part: making textured metal clay strips to embellish your bangle.
SUPPLIES
- Sterling silver premade tube bangle
- Cork clay (optional)
- Metal clay: silver, low-fire formula, 30 g
- Metal clay overlay paste
- Metal clay syringe clay
- Jeweler’s saw frame, 2/0 blades (optional)
- Cotton pad, denatured alcohol
- Two-part silicone molding compound (optional)
- Liver of sulfur
- Steel shot cleaner
INSTRUCTIONS
Part 1: Prepare the tube bangle armature