Gemstones are a great way to add something extra to your jewellery designs. But if your preferred method of jewellery making is using metal clay, you might be wondering, ‘what are the gemstones that can be fired?’. Some stones can become damaged when exposed to high temperatures, which could ruin the work you’ve spent time and effort on. To avoid this happening, use our straightforward guide to get to grips with the gemstones that can and can’t be fired with your metal clay designs, below.
What stones can be fired with metal clay jewellery?
To get you started, we’ll run through some of the best and most versatile gemstones that can be fired with metal clay. One of the easiest options? CZ or synthetic gemstones. Man-made gemstones are perfect for adding a special touch to your work, without the risk of melting, cracking or changing in colour. Fancy giving it a go? Check out our collection of fireable gemstones for clay at Cooksongold.
However, if you’d rather use the real deal – don’t fear. There are plenty of gemstones that can be fired, you’ll just have to take all the necessary precautions (using the right temperature and timing) to ensure that you don’t damage them.
Gemstones that can be fired
Gemstones can be fired in different ways, which means that it could have a different effect on how they turn out. We took two of the quickest and easiest ways to fire a gemstone, which is by using a hand torch or by using carbon in a kiln.
| Gemstone | Can it be fired with a butane torch? | Can it be fired with carbon? | Firing Temperature | Hold time for torch | Hold time for kiln |
| Peridot | Yes | Yes | 799°C | 2 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Sapphire | Yes | Yes | 899°C | 2 minutes | 2 hours |
| Ruby | Yes | Yes | 899°C | 2 minutes | 2 hours |
| Labradorite | No | Yes | 649°C | 2 minutes | 30 minutes |
| Hematite | Yes | Yes | 899°C | 2 minutes | 2 hours |
| Moonstone | No | Yes | 599°C or 649°C for Grey Moonstone | 2 minutes | 30 minutes |
Setting stones in metal clay after firing
Do you have a particular gem in mind that doesn’t work with firing? Don’t worry, you can still add it to your design. To create a bezel setting in metal clay without damaging the stone, use a fine bezel wire and solder it into the bezel as normal.
Not sure how?
Check out our blog on how to make a bezel setting. Once done, set the soldered bezel in place while the clay is raw, fire the whole design and then set the stone afterwards once it has cooled down.
Now you know what stones can be fired with metal clay, it’s time to get creative. For more inspiration on gemstone settings, view our Advanced Gemstone Setting Techniques visual guide below.
Make sure you have all the jewellery tools, gemstones and Art Clay you need for your jewellery making projects, from Cooksongold.
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