Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I have been on a silver clay course in the past, but this book went into greater depth about tools and techniques. Some lovely designs. I think this book is maybe for someone who has already tried the basic use of silver clay.

Loads of lovely ideas and different ways of shaping the clay. I really enjoy manipulating this clay into lovely shapes – it is almost like playing with plasticine as a child but more refined and exciting as you can make your pieces permanent by firing them.

Found the tip about using a mirror to check if a piece is ready to fire very useful as this was not included on the course I attended. Also extremely welcome are the tips about rehydrating the clay if it dries out.

Favourite designs from the book are those based on bees and honeycomb, the embossed flowers and the author’s Jurassic collection.

A very useful guide.

Read the full review here

GoodReads, Crystalrainbow

Nicely presented and would be a useful addition to any collection.

NetGalley, Heather B

As featured in

Devon Life

As featured in '12 December Reads'

Devon Life Magazine, December 2021

Essential reading for anyone who wants to get involved in crafting silver jewellery...

Books Monthly

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Having dabbled in making jewellery, I've also wanted to try my hand at making silver jewellery. This book has given me the confidence to take the next step. Clear lists of resources, instructions and a variety of techniques to help make your own beautiful silver jewellery to incorporate into your own designs. A very thorough and comprehensive guide.

NetGalley, Nerida Goodwin

I was trained as a gold-/silversmith (mostly traditional goldsmith) before PMC was really widely available. I can remember being excited by the amazing possibilities as a (relatively) young jeweler, but the constraints of family and production work meant that I didn't ever find the time to take a workshop. My second career as a medical bionerd meant that my jeweller days were relegated to hobby status and so this workshop-in-a-book was perfect for my needs.

The author proceeds logically and accessibly: a good safety and materials introduction leads into technique and design chapters with good overviews of theory of design, balance, and originality. In the tutorial chapters, the author emphasizes design and inspiration throughout instead of slavishly following instructions for cookie-cutter identical results. The designs presented here utilise premade findings and/or simple cold-forged connectors, jump rings, beads and other components for finished jewellery. The technique tutorial for using ferrules to make shaped clay cutters is really useful and probably worth the price of the book on its own.

There are techniques and finishings, projects, and design info shown in this book which are applicable to other crafts such as polymer clay, pottery, papercrafts, mixed-media, sculpture, and more. For making the projects as shown in this book with fine silver clay, readers should expect to expend some effort to first acquire the basic tools and materials. After acquiring (or borrowing) the minimum toolkit, the projects will be very cost effective.

Four and a half stars. This would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition, maker's groups, and home studios.

NetGalley, Annie Buchanan

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Super fascinating book on Silver Jewelry making. I loved the techniques presented in the book and it came with concise directions and a reference list of supplies and materials. The pictures are well done and truly showcase what I'm sure is just a fraction of what can be achieved using these methods.

I highly recommend it.

NetGalley, Richelle Rodarte

Make Your Own Silver Jewellery is a guide to crafting in Silver Clay (also known as PMC3 or Art Clay).

The opening section gives a detailed look at the tools, findings and essentials required for making silver jewellery, basic techniques, as well as insight into design practices and how to sell your work. Given that metal clay works with high temperatures, there is also a decent section on safety, too

The fun bits are the projects. From creating your own findings to making simple disc earrings or elaborate pendants and frames, they provide a step-by-step process to create stunning pieces., plus there is a gallery of of completed works, to inspire.

As a crafter, I've dabbled in silver jewellery making in the past. I have kept my old tools, and this book has inspired me to dust them off again!

NetGalley, Jen Shaw

An interesting, informative and clear guide to what is arguably a very delicate and tricky skill.
I am very much a visual learner so this book really appeals to me.

I find there are a lot of books on the topic of making silver jewellery but many are very prescriptive to a certain style and don't leave a lot of room for creativity. Monica Weber-Butler does an excellent job of staying informative and descriptive without squashing creativity and the chance for the maker to experiment here and there.

NetGalley, Ace Coggins

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

5 Stars! This is such an informative book. I can’t wait until my tools and silver clay arrive so I can try this out! The book has a ton of photos and the author explains everything in detail and gives tips to save money on tools, like using jumbo cards instead of specialty thickness slats. Highly recommend this book if you’re a newbie at silver jewelry making. The book even has an ‘inspiration gallery’ of photos of silver jewelry the author has made and sketches too!

NetGalley, Carey Hoy

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

As a reader and owner of multiple books on wire and silver jewelry, this book included many of the basic tips I would expect for the beginning jewelry crafter to get a background on the topic. I was pleased to see so many projects, techniques, and tips included by the author in this book. As someone who wants to enhance my jewelry techniques, this book offers great tutorials, references, and ideas for beginners through advanced jewelry smiths. It's definitely a book to have on your shelf!

NetGalley, Lauri Rebar

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The book covers the basics in great detail. There are lengthy chapters covering the tools you will need and the basic techniques you will need to learn. There are plenty of clear photographs to help you. I particularly loved the section on design which includes photos of sketchbooks and ideas boards. I often find craft books of this kind focus solely on the practical side of crafting and don't discuss the design process at all. There is also a chapter on selling your jewellery which has some fantastic advice in it.
The second half of the book features some project tutorials that allow you to put your new skills into practice. I loved these as the instructions are clear and easy to follow. I also love the author's designs and I think they will appeal to a lot of people. The last section of the book is filled with photos of metal clay jewellery made by different jewellery designers. I enjoyed seeing the variety of styles of jewellery that can be made with metal clay.
I do thoroughly recommend this book as it is both practical and inspirational. I have read a few metal clay books and I found these instructions were the easiest to follow. The designs are also stunning. I do just wish the title and cover of the book made it clear that this is a metal clay jewellery book.

NetGalley, Laura Starling

If you are looking to make jewelry with silver clay this is a fantastic book on how to do it. The steps are very thorough, it's full of photos, and it's incredibly in depth. The projects shown are gorgeous (though most would be completely out of my depth). This seems to be the product that most small scale jewelry designers are using to sell on platforms like etsy these days, and it even gives you tips on things like making sales.

NetGalley, Alicia Bayer

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I’ve made a few jewellery items before and have been looking at how to increase my skills and learn new techniques. This book is perfect for that.

The first third of the book offers a history of silver, tools needed and the various different things you could use to add to your work. You then learn about the different types of clay and some basic techniques as well as a lot of information about design and selling (if that’s a next step for someone)

I really enjoyed the book. I read it as an arc from netgalley and so on my kindle. I’m never fond of reading craft books via kindle as when you use them you want to be able to move around easily with the book so I will definitely be buying the published paper version when it is out in September.

It’s easy to follow, doesn’t talk down to you as a beginner and there’s plenty of pictures for extra support. Overall loved this book.

NetGalley, Kirsty White

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Reading this book was fascinating and fun. If you don't know anything about using a butane torch, practice on scrap (non precious) metal first. If you do, all the better! All of these steps are easy to follow and will teach you what you need to know as a beginner, and give you a basis for advancing your skills!

NetGalley, Carolyn Bragg

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I learnt some valuable information that will help me with my future endeavours.

NetGalley, Leanne Pawley

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

The subtitle is a promise kept: "Using Everyday Tools and Easy to Obtain Materials." Weber-Butler uses silver metal clay and pays attention to safety with each step. She provides great overviews of findings, tools, and other components for the beginner jewelry-maker. All instructions are clear and easy to follow and the book is well-organized. Though a British publication, temps are listed in Celsius and Fahrenheit and US resources are listed at the end as well as UK and several other countries'. Pro-tips on keeping a design/technical journal and pricing pieces for sale. Bonus: discovering an alternate use for the food dehydrator taking up space in my pantry!

NetGalley, Mardi Durham

As a beginner to jewellery making this book gives me all the information I need to start a project.
With a list of materials, tools and detailed instructions on how to follow projects.
I’m sure that this book will be a great resource for me.

NetGalley, Pauline Sim

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is a comprehensive book on using fine silver clay to make fine silver jewelry. This is a great book for beginners, and features step-by-step instructions with full color pictures for each step. The author explains the history and materials needed, and she goes in depth in how to create your own fine silver jewelry pieces. I thought it would be too much, since you have to use a bow torch. However, she makes it look simple as long as you follow safety guidelines. I wasn't aware that they had a clay available to work with until I read this book, and I'm excited to try it!

NetGalley, Cropperhopper Noble

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars


I strongly recommend this book if you wish to develop new techniques!

I truly enjoyed discovering the new jewelry techniques explained in Monica Weber-Butler's book Make Your Own Silver Jewellery! I was given a copy from Pen & Sword through NetGalley. My opinion is my own and honest.

This book will offer you new techniques to create silver jewelry, often using everyday tools. The instructions are well explained and easy to understand. This book focuses on safety while working with certain elements. It offers you basic aspects to improve your style. Many projects help to develop your own techniques. This is a book of reference that you forever keep!

NetGalley, Nicole Laverdure

The opportunity to read this came at just the right time, as I have just gotten in to jewellery making.
This book is so comprehensive and indepth.
I will 100% be purchasing a hard copy to refer to in the future.
Lots of reference pictures, and highly detailed advice.

NetGalley, Laura Fayle