Gemstones are beautiful additions to jewelry, but they can be pricey. One way to create the same look without using real gems is to craft faux gemstones out of polymer clay.
With the versatility of polymer clay, you can make various unique gemstones for all your jewelry needs. We’ve compiled a list of the most popular tips and styles to make your polymer clay look like gems.
3 Tips for Making Polymer Clay Gems
There are many ways to sculpt polymer gems for jewelry. You can make all kinds of designs using different techniques. If you’re looking to design one-of-a-kind polymer clay gems, consider combining all the methods below or trying them out individually.
Marbling
If you want the beautiful marble effect that some gemstones have, you can easily recreate it using multiple colors of polymer clay.
Choose two or more colors that complement each other and combine them to start the marbling process. Knead the clay and compress it to fit in a conditioning machine or use a rolling pin to reroll and fold multiple times to mix the colors.
The key to making a marble design is knowing when to stop. Make sure you don’t over-knead the clay so it keeps its marble design.
You can use this technique to make beautiful faux gems inspired by natural stones you can find outside.
Embedding
Embedding is a simple technique that leads to stunning results. You can use stamps for the embedding process to make intricate designs on faux gems. One way to use the embedding technique is to create faux ceramic tiles. The tiles would make a special addition to any piece of jewelry.
Using Sand
Sand is an excellent addition to polymer clay when you’re looking to create something with texture. You can make real-looking gems when you include sand in your clay. To incorporate sand, use the same process as marbling to mix it into the clay. If you want the sand to be a different color, mix it with paint before putting it in the clay.
Adding sand is perfect if you’re creating a gem such as turquoise, which has some texture to it.
Bring Your Gems to Life With Sculpey®
Polymer clay is a great way to make faux gems for jewelry. Using various techniques and products, you can turn your clay into beautifully designed gems. Explore our products today to start your gem collection.
