Ways of firing fine silver clay

Fine silver clay (the 999 variety) is the best for beginners because it can be fired in a variety of ways. And no, you do NOT need an expensive kiln to start making with silver clay! In this post, I will tell you what they are, starting with budget-friendly options and moving on to more 'investment' options.

Note: this post is about fine silver clays that can be torch fired (my tool guide specifies which ones). It does not apply to sterling silver or most bronze clays.

If your home has a gas hob, you are lucky! Because you can use it to fire fine silver clays. You will just need to get a steel mesh to rest your piece above the flames. Keep the room ventilated (open some windows). Place your dried piece on a stainless steel mesh over the burner, turn it on. You'll see the binder burn off first, a brief flame or slight smoking from the piece itself, and then it will settle. As the temperature climbs, the piece will begin to glow. Watch for that salmon-pink glow, and hold it there for a few minutes.

Do you happen to be a camper and have a portable stove? That will work too! The same principles as with the gas stove apply if you're working with a camping stove. You will need a mesh to rest your piece on, turn the flame on, wait for the binder burn off. Then watch for the salmon-pink glow and hold for a few minutes. You can get one for about $30

This is the method I used when I started. You will need a butane torch that is easy to get in any DIY store. Think torches that chefs use for creme brulee or BBQ - one of those! You can get one for as little as $10 and the firing surface will cost you about the same.

You will also need a safe firing surface, such as a firebrick, soldering block, or a ceramic fibre block (more on this in my tool guide). Make sure that you have some space where you can clear out everything flammable - exercise caution here!

Place your piece on a firing surface, start heating up your piece. Watch the binder burn off, and then wait for the salmon-pink glow. Fire for a few minutes and you are done!

Another option worth knowing about is the small ceramic mini kiln, the kind that's popular in Japan and can be found on Etsy or Amazon. It's a compact ceramic chamber that sits over a burning fuel tablet (a waxed alcohol tablet, sold separately), heats up to around 800°C over roughly 20 minutes, and can sinter small pieces of fine silver clay without any electricity involved. It's a neat middle ground between hob firing and investing in a full electric kiln, but it is very tiny. Price - about $80

A cheaper alternative to a mini kiln. It is very small, and works with electricity. You need to plug it in, wait for it to heat up, put your pieces inside and fire for 45mins to an hour. This kiln will not take up any space, but it is not recommended to fire multidimensional pieces in this type of kiln - flatter designs will work better! Price: about $200.

If you're serious about silver clay, these kilns are the one for you, although it is a bit of an investment. A small tabletop kiln gives you precise temperature control and consistent results that none of the flame-based methods can quite match. You're not watching for a colour change or guessing whether the piece has held temperature long enough; you set it, let it fire, and come back to a fully sintered piece. It also opens up a much wider range of clays: sterling silver clay, copper clay, bronze clay. You can also fire more gem options inside a kiln, as well as more complex 3D silver clay objects.

The entry-level options, kilns like the Prometheus Pro 1 (I have this one) or similar small chamber designs are compact enough to sit on a table and don't require any special installation. The cost of these kilns is from $500. They're an investment upfront, but over time the cost per firing is low, and the reliability pays for itself if you're making pieces to sell or teach from.

Microwave kilns are worth a mention: it is a special kiln that goes inside a microwave, do not attempt to fire your silver clay just with a microwave - it is metal!! It is a small ceramic chamber that sits inside a domestic microwave and uses its energy to generate heat. They're cheap, require no fuel, and take up almost no space. BUT: use a separate microwave for this, NOT the one you use for food.

For silver clay, results can be mixed. Heat distribution can be uneven and hard to control, sintering can be incomplete, and microwave output varies enough between models that there's no reliable rule of thumb. Some makers have had success with small, flat, simple pieces, but it's not a method I can fully recommend, especially since you need a separate microwave for this. As a low-cost way to experiment before investing in anything further, fine. Just go in with realistic expectations! They start from around $40

If you happen to have a gas stove - this is the cheapest option for you to try out silver clay. If you don't - I believe a butane torch set up is the best way! I have fired many pieces with a torch and when done properly, the pieces will be strong! I wear my torch fired jewellery daily. Start with that, see how you like silver clay, before you invest in more expensive options. In my beginner course, I teach how to fire your pieces correctly without melting or underfiring them! So check it out if you want to start with silver clay

If you already love silver clay and planning to sell your work, I cannot recommend getting a mini kiln enough!! It produces the best results, perfect sintering every tine so you do not have to worry about your pieces. It also allows you to work with other metal clay types and fire multiple pieces at the same time!

If you want to shop some of these firing options, check out my tool guide below: