Choosing the right polymer clay to use for jewelry can be a little difficult. There is quite an overwhelming number of options, but not all the polymer clay brands are as good as the others.
You need to ensure you choose the right polymer clay for your jewelry to ensure it turns out the way you want, and that it is easy enough to work with.
Which is the best polymer clay to use for jewelry? For both beginners and experts alike, the best polymer clay to use would be one that does not air dry and instead needs to be baked after you’ve designed your jewelry pieces. It is also a good idea to choose a clay that allows thin pieces to still be flexible and sewable to properly create fine pieces of jewelry.
Make your next jewelry project your best yet by choosing the polymer clay that suits you and your project perfectly.
The 6 Best Polymer Clays For Jewelry
To help you find the polymer clay which is right for your jewelry making, here are the best 6 on the market. They are all a little different, but overall they are great to work with and offer wonderful results.
Here are the best clays to use for making some incredible pieces of jewelry:
Rank | Product | Description |
---|---|---|
1. | Polyform Sculpey Original Clay | Best overall, soft and pliable until baked, paintable finish |
2. | Staedtler Fimo Effects Polymer Clay | Pliable oven-hardening clay in many different colors and effects, thinner pieces stay bendable after baking |
3. | Polyform Sculpey III Clay Mold Brights | Durable and colorful, bisque-type matte finish once baked |
4. | Activa Hearty Super Lightweight Air Dry | Dries to a firm consistency within 24 hours |
5. | Staedtler Leather Effect Modeling Clay | New and innovative, leather-like feel once hardened |
6. | Shuttle Art Polymer Clay | Best kit for beginners, 50 different colors of polymer clay plus accessories |
1. Polyform Sculpey Original Clay
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The Sculpey Polymer Clay is one of the best polymer clays you could use for jewelry making.
It is soft and pliable, and while it feels very similar to ceramic clay, and works like it as well, it does not dry out when exposed to air.
It is great to use for molded items like jewelry, but can also be used for ornaments and figurines as well.
Once the clay has been shaped, baked, and cooled, it will be strong and durable enough to be sanded, drilled, carved, inked, glued, and painted.
There is a wide variety of colors available in the Polyform Sculpey Original Clay, but it is a good option to choose white if you are unsure of the colors you need, as once the baked clay has been glazed, you can use any paint you would like to decorate the piece.
For beginners and experienced crafters alike, the Polyform Sculpey Original Clay is one of the best options around.
2. Staedtler Fimo Effects Polymer Clay
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The Staedtler Fimo Effects Polymer Clay comes in many different colors and effects, such as pastel and metallic, and you will definitely be able to find the right color and finish that you need for your jewelry making.
The Fimo art clay will stay pliable and workable right up until you bake it.
Even after baking, thinner pieces stay flexible, while solid pieces are break-resistant. All the oven-hardening FIMO clays can be mixed together to create unique pieces.
For anyone at any level of crafting, the Fimo sculpting clay will fill many different requirements and be fun to work with as well, with all the different finish and color varieties.
3. Polyform Sculpey III Clay Mold Brights
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The 12 piece multi-pack of brightly colored clay is the ideal set to have if you are wanting a variety of colors and options to use.
There are 44 vibrant colors available, so you can choose the set which contains the colors that you would use most.
The clay bakes hard once molded and takes a bisque type, matte-finish. Once the clay has been shaped, baked, and cooled, you can sand it, drill, carve and finish it with a glaze.
The baked clay is very durable and easy to work with, and you have quite a bit of freedom to what you want to do.
It is a soft and pliable clay to work with, and it feels like ceramic clay, but unlike ceramic clay, it does not dry out when exposed to air.
The Polyform Sculpey III Brights is a good polymer clay range to use to create bright and wonderful pieces.
4. Activa Hearty Super Lightweight Air Dry
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The Activa Hearty Super Lightweight Air Dry clay is wonderfully easy to work with, and it dries to a firm consistency within 24 hours.
You can use the clay to mold even the most intricate of jewelry pieces.
The clay will not stick to your fingers while you work with it, but it does stick well to core materials such as wire, paper, plastic, wood, and glass.
Once the clay dries, it remains flexible but still firm and is extremely lightweight. The clay can also be painted and sealed once it dries.
The white clay is so true, that when it is mixed with different color pigments, it adopts the bright and beautiful colors and tones of the pigments. You can mix the pigments together in the clay to create almost any color you could want.
5. Staedtler Leather Effect Modeling Clay
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This new and innovative oven-hardening modeling clay is delightful to work with and is exceptional for different modeling techniques.
It maintains a single-leather-like feel after hardening, so it is suited to more rustic jewelry pieces.
The box of the Leather Effect Clay contains 12 Fimo leather-effect half blocks in colors such as ivory, saffron yellow, berry, indigo, and other stunning tones.
Thinly baked pieces are bendable, cuttable, punchable, and sewable, allowing you to really create unique pieces without too much effort.
Staedtler polymer clay, in all forms, is a wonderful choice for jewelry making, and the Leather Effect clay is perfect for earthy, rustic pieces of jewelry.
6. Shuttle Art Polymer Clay
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This ultimate set of polymer clay from Shuttle Art contains absolutely everything you might need to make all the jewelry you could ever imagine.
The set contains 50 different clay colors, 19 tools, 10 accessories, and a convenient carry case.
The clays themselves are easy to work with and are non-stick and non-toxic.
It is a great set to purchase for beginners, to get them started with everything they could need to start making jewelry and other clay projects.
Every single block of clay weighs 35g, which is bigger than most regular clay blocks.
Being non-stick, the clay works well with the gem mold included in the kit, which is a great way for kids to practice polymer clay jewelry making.
The only other thing you might need to make jewelry is your oven at home, as the kit contains everything else! The container has three different transparent plastic layers to keep all the tools safe and easily visible when stored away.
Related Questions
Which is the best polymer clay for beginners?
For beginners, the best polymer clay to use would be one that is easy to sculpt and work with, and which will not air dry. This lets the beginner practice their skill in their own time, without the rush of having to finish before the clay starts to dry off.
It is always a good idea to stick to a name brand such as Fimo or Staedtler as a beginner, as there will be lots of tools online to help you learn how to properly work with these particular polymer clays.
Should you paint polymer clay before or after baking?
When painting polymer clay, acrylic paint is best. Acrylic paints can be used directly onto polymer clay and can be painted on either before or after baking the clay.
For beginners, it is advised to do the painting after baking, as this can help you cover up any mistakes that you did not notice before.
Be sure to check the label of the polymer clay you are using to understand the full use and any limitations it might have when it comes to painting before or after baking.
The Best Polymer Clay For Jewelry
When using polymer clay to create jewelry, you need to choose a polymer clay that is easy to work with, which is not sticky, and which does not air dry.
The above 6 polymer clays are great to use to make jewelry, whether you choose a white-colored clay which could be pigmented to form any color you could want or colored clay with metallic or pastel finishes, there are so many options to choose from.
Whether you are dipping your toes into polymer clay jewelry making, or have been in the craft for many years, the above 6 polymer clays will be great to work with and will give you some incredible results.
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