Make your own jewellery!

Creating one-of-a-kind silver jewellery pieces is no longer something that needs to be left to silversmiths. Now you too can fashion your own delightful ring, pendant or earrings in just a short time simply by mastering nano silver clay techniques at Shannta.

Located in the shopping area on the third floor of Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, the shop demonstrates how to mould the nano silver clay – it looks like the plasticine we used to play with at school – into a flat pendant form or the more advanced shape of a ring. Silver clay is made of pure silver molecules mixed with water and nontoxic binders to form clay. It can be moulded by hand to form a desired shape then heated in a small kiln to remove the binder and fuse the metal powder into a solid form. The binders burn away when fired to leave 99.99 silver, which is almost pure silver.

“This silver clay makes creating jewellery easy and fun for the beginner,” says the shop’s jewellery designer Pornpimon Piyakuldumrong. “This type of clay is quite innovative because it allows precious metal jewellery to be formed and moulded into creative and detailed designs without the limitations of traditional jewellery making. You don’t have to rely on the complicated processes found in a silver casting factory. With this clay, you can make a distinctive pendant or earrings in just two hours. A ring, which is fired in a potter kiln or a small oven specially designed for this metal clay, takes a day.”

Shannta is under the umbrella of Thammasorn Nanosolutions, which produce bare nanoparticles for wastewater treatment systems for both households and industry.

The lump metal clay is sold in sealed packets to keep it moist and workable. The five-gram packet of clay is priced at Bt110 and is sufficient to make a ring or a pendant. When unwrapped, the clay looks like a strip of chewing gum. The process of turning silver into a piece of jewellery can be very satisfying and, with a little help from the shop’s jewellery designers, can be mastered by anyone. 

You roll, cut, shape and use metal clay on a slick surface in the same way ceramic clay is worked. It can be pressed into moulds, textured using texture plates or tools, made into three-dimensional work, or flat pieces. After making the pattern on the clay’s surface, the shop provides a specially designed small kiln in which you dry your clay for 10 minutes at 150 degrees Celsius. Once dry to the touch, surfaces can be refined with light sandpaper and sharp tools used for the carving.

“If you’re not satisfied with the result, you can spray water on it to moisten the clay and recreate the work,” Pornpimon says.

Then you fire your piece for 10 minutes at 400 degrees Celsius and again for 30 minutes at 800 degrees Celsius. Firing techniques may vary depending on the inclusion of materials, such as gemstones. After firing, the work will appear to be white. Polishing it with a wire brush will bring out the silver colour. A high polish can be achieved using a tumbler with steel shot or a polishing pad and plenty of elbow grease. 

“Without the combination of nickel and copper, the metal clay is not the best choice for items that get heavy wear such as a necklace and bracelet,” says Pornpimon.

The shop offers a DIY class for Bt2,300 inclusive of a 10g package of silver clay. The jewellery pieces created by the shop’s designers and other artists are also on sale ranging in prices from Bt700 to Bt1,200. With practice, you will be able to make beautiful pieces, suitable for gifts or to sell at the shop.

 

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Shannta shop is on the third floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre opposite MBK mall. It’s open daily (except Monday) from 10am to 9pm. Call (02) 214 3018.