Art Clay Silver packaging and products can be intimidating for the new user. Things like slow dry, low fire, standard plus the different coloring of the packages can in itself be an enigma. Art Clay has done some recent packaging changes & this guide will show you the old packaging verses the new packaging. Remember that when you are buying clay it is best to buy the newest packaged product as this is the freshest. Hopefully, after you read this brief guide you will better understand which clay will suit you and your specific needs.

Art clay is broken up into 3 catagories:

1. First is the Standard clay 

This is the very first formulation that Aida Chemical invented of Art Clay Silver . This clay is being discontinued and is now only available in 20g and 50 gr packaging. ALL STANDARD CLAY is packaged in a box, with either a pink, blue or magenta swirl going through it. Some of the BOXED standard clay says slow dry, but it still dries MUCH QUICKER than the other 2 types of clay that I will discuss later on. Most of the metal clay artists that use this clay like it because this is what they learned on. For first time users, it can dry super fast on them & be quite frustrating. Furthermore, this clay must be fired at 1472 degrees farenheit or 800 degrees celcius. A kiln is recommended because you should fire the standard clay for a min. of 1472 for 30 minutes. It is very hard to know what temperature you have when using a torch.

2.  The Second Type is Low Fire Clay

Low fire clay is the second type of metal clay developed by Aida Chemical & is packaged in a yellow zip lock package. It is available in 7gr, 10 gr, 20gr & 50 gr. Because it fires at 1200 degrees farenheit or 650 degrees celcius it is perfect for torching. As long as you piece is thoroughly dry and you fire it up to a salmon colour a couple of times; it will work perfectly. Also, if you live in a very HUMID climate or if you want your clay to dry quickly, than the low fire clay is perfect for you. This clay can still be kilned at 1472 degrees farenheit, with no worries. The original packaging is in yellow see below. But the new packaging is a Dark Blue. Be sure you are buying the newest clay out there

OLD PACKAGING                                NEW PACKAGING

All of the syringes and pastes will also have this packaging:

3. The Third Type is Low Fire/Slow Dry Clay

This is the 3rd hybrid of Art Clay Silver & is a favorite of extremely dry climates. It gives you anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes of play time EVEN if your air is extremely dry. It fires at the 1200 degrees farenheit/650 celcius like the above low fire clay. So it still has those wonderful benefits. It also comes in 7gr, 10 gr, 20 gr & 50 gr. You can still use the low fire paste & syringe with the low fire/slow dry.The zip lock packet is perfect for storing your clay. Just wrap unused portion in the plastic wrap that up in a damp piece of paper towel, put it back into the packaging and zip it up. The original packaging is in blue, see below. HOWEVER, as Aida chemical runs out of the original packaging they have introduced a new packaging which is white with colored strip at the bottom.

OLD PACKAGING                                      NEW PACKAGING 

Well I hope this helps you to chose the correct clay for your needs. Please contact us if you have any questions about Art Clay Silver. We have 3 senior instructors on staff, ready to serve you.

Art Clay Canada - Formerly Spirit of the Rock