This is a question which is frequently asked with polymer clay and it has a couple of answers. What is the best polymer clay for earrings?
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A lot of the time this is down to personal preference, I have written a guide here which goes into a little bit more detail regarding each clay and it’s intended function.
There is also a guide here regarding the weight of polymer clay earrings, Are they too heavy?
You don’t want one which is too hard and will break if it’s dropped, It needs a bit of flex to it. Also do you really want to paint the pieces you have made? If this is for earrings and/or other jewellery, then probably not.
Out of all the various clays on the market though, this question boils down to FIMO vs Sculpey?
FIMO seems to be firmer and a lot of people like the amount of details you can put in it. Yet you can put a large amount of detail into Sculpey as well.
Sculpey has a larger range of colours and ‘Accents’ available (Dare I mention Soufflé for that matte type finish as well?). Whereas FIMO has all the primary colours available to mix together and a decent range of ‘Effects’ .
In strength after baking, FIMO seems to be stronger and more durable in tests.
But testing hardened clay and wearing it are two different things. If in a moment of anger you want to take a hammer to a hardened piece, FIMO will probably hold up better than Sculpey.
So, what is the best polymer clay for earrings? (And Jewellery)
Like I’ve mentioned, this is down to personal preference. I would say Sculpey Primo and Accents range would take the top spot on this list. And that’s down to the amount of colours which are readily available for this product. It’s strong enough for its intended purposes, and in this case that would be jewellery. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve knocked a baked piece off a table onto a hard floor and not even had a scratch on it. Not only this but rather than spending time mixing up colours, I get to just craft with the clay itself.
A close second would be the FIMO Professional and Effects range. While Sculpey in my eyes has taken the top spot, FIMO is a very close second. I find if I need a wafer thin piece of clay, FIMO seems to be a lot more resilient. Occasionally I do mix the clays up a bit and have a part Sculpey part FIMO baked,
As they both have a baking temperature of 130’C and baking time of around 15 – 30 minutes, you can use both together without any adverse effects.
They both have their pros and cons, but both can be used effectively for jewellery of all kinds. And in the end you can mix them together and have the best of both worlds!
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