Victorian style necklace

Silver clay and Mica shift spacers are combined to make this colourful necklace.
By Jema Hewitt

This amazing necklace came about when I was inspired to experiment with Mica shift after attending a class by Polyclay artist Alison Gallant. In this technique the tiny irridescent flakes of Mica in pearl clay, are bent in different directions by pressing with textured plates, some of the flakes still catch the light, others create shadows. When the texture is sliced off, only the pattern remains, looking like a hologram in the clay.

designer tips

This silver and polyclay spacer mixes darling little snowflakes and steampunk style cogs to make fabulous focal points, while the crystals add glamour for a Victorian style evening necklace

I’ve gone really over the top with the necklace but the technique would also work well for just one elegant pendant

To add a designer style patina, dip the silver in liver of sulphur solution until it turns black. Polish highlights, leaving dark shadows in the hollows of the texture

Tools & Materials

• 22oz kato pearl polymer clay tinted with concentrates
• 1oz scrap of polyclay for texture plate
• 40g Art Clay silver (I used slowdry lowfire 650)
• Silverclaypaste type (slow dry lowfire 650)
• 6mm crystals purple velvet
• 6mm crystals tanzanite
• 5mm crystals amythyst
• 5mm crystals indicolite
• 5mm crystals emerald
• 5mm silver pearls

• 1 multistrand clasp (5 or 3 strand)
• Crimps and crimp covers
• Acrylic brayer
• Playing cards
• Flexible clay blade
• Stencils
• Tiny cogs or stamps
• Scalpel blade
• Graph paper
• Long needle tool
• Pasta machine (optional)
• 2 part epoxy glue
• Patina (optional)
• Sanding paper 1500-6000

Step 1

Draw out your spacer shape on graph paper, bear in mind that the clay will shrink by up to 30% when fired. Tape three playing cards together and roll out the clay between them. Lay your template on the clay and cut out, I made one large spacer (2“ long) and two smaller ones (1 ¾” long).

Step 2

Cut your paper shape in half, I used a curving line, half will be silver, half polyclay. Lay the silver half on top of the clay rolled out six cards thick, now cut out the shape. Cut thin strips widthways from this shape, this is where the bead cord will go. I cut five strips at least 2.5mm wide. Glue these pieces to your main shape with silver clay paste.

Step 3

Cut out the top layer shape from three card thick clay. Allow to dry flat before attaching to the bottom and middle section with paste. When dry, file sand and trim the pendant to a perfect shape. Place stencils on top and gently dab paste type clay over the shape, allow it to dry then repeat three or four times. When it’s dry gently remove the stencil.

Step 4

Check over the spacer, fill any holes with paste type and allow it to dry. Re-shape and sand where necessary. Check the thread holes are clog free. The form should be hard and easy to work with. It’s worth getting a great finish at this stage as fired clay is harder to sand and file. Leave it to dry for at least twelve hours and then fire.

Step 5

When cool use a wire brush to remove the white layer. Don’t use silver polish at this stage as it can leave a coating that interferes with adding a patina. Start polishing with a fine grit paper (1500) and go gradually down the grades until you are polishing just with a cotton cloth. I also added a sulphur patina to make the stencils prominent.

Step 6

Make a texture plate from scrap clay by impressing shapes into it, I used cogs for a steampunk feel but any finely detailed object or rubber stamp would do. Bake and cool. To align the mica flakes in the polyclay, run it through the thickest setting of a pasta machine, fold and run through again, repeat twenty or so times until the clay is smooth and glossy.

Step 7

Spray the nine card thick pearlised clay with water and press the plate into it very firmly. Repeat all over the clay. Take your fine tissue blade and shave wafer thin layers from the surface of the clay till it is almost flat but you can still see the imprint of the texture. Go slowly and take off only a tiny bit each time.

Step 8

Create a template for the polyclay section from the spacer, the silver will have shrunk considerably so make sure the inside edges match well. Cut out shapes from the polymer clay try to get a pleasing arrangement of pattern showing. Leave .5mm on the outside edge to sand down later, now bake it.

Step 9

You will notice the mica shift has become more pronounced after baking and your pattern is becoming clearer – to get a really perfect image you need to sand and polish. Sand off until it is a perfect fit on all edges. Now, starting with 1500 grit paper and working down to 6000, shine the surface of the polyclay.

Step 10

Place the polyclay on the silver and press a pin through the silver holes. It will leave a mark on the polyclay which you can use as a guide to file out the bead thread channels. I use a tiny round needle file, check it is large enough for the thread to go through before gluing it to the silver part with epoxy.

Step 11

Thread a crimp onto the beadalon. Pass one end of the thread through the clasp hole and back down the crimp. Squeeze to close the crimp and neaten with a crimp cover. I placed two threads in the top and bottom loops of this clasp, turning a three into a five strand clasp.

Step 12

Thread on your crystals and spacers, I used (from top strand) 26 x 5m, 30 x 5mm, 33 x 5mm, 28 x 6mm, 34 x 6mm, then thread on the small spacer, 10 x 5mm, 12 x 5mm, 14 x 5mm, 15 x 6mm, 18 x 6mm. Finally thread on the large spacer then repeat in reverse for the other side.

fashion tips

This dramatic necklace will certainly turn heads. Wear it with an evening gown with a scooped neckline or a strapless bustier so that the pendants and crystals can sit flat against bare skin. As a special occasion piece wear it to the opera or theatre teamed with a flowing velvet or pure wool cape to further enhance the Victorian theme

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