Where does ELES jewelry come from?

All jewelry that you will find in the catalog is handmade using a method called Metal clay. The production of jewelry from M etal clay has become very popular among professional jewelers and enthusiasts of handmade products in recent years. This method is known mainly abroad, in the Czech Republic it is only just gaining its place in jewelry making.

This material, which looks like regular clay, contains tiny particles of metal mixed with an organic binder and water. After drying and firing in a kiln or gas burner, the binders evaporate, leaving pure metal. The most commonly used types of metal clay include silver, copper, and bronze clay .

In this article, we will focus on making bronze jewelry , which brings unique design possibilities, beautiful warm shades of the metal, and a relatively affordable price compared to precious metals such as silver or gold.

What is bronze clay?

(bronze clay)?

Bronze metal clay contains a mixture of copper and tin, the traditional composition of bronze. This material is cheaper than silver clay and allows you to experiment with different techniques. For our jewelry, we use a special golden bronze, which is very similar in appearance and color to gold with a subtle rose gold touch.

Bronze clay jewelry making process

The entire production process is very time-consuming, involving several steps, from clay production to final mirror polishing.

• Modeling and shaping

Bronze clay can be shaped similarly to ceramic clay. Each single piece is modeled separately by hand, so it is common that when you put 2 of the same products from our range next to each other, they will not be exactly identical, which makes them unique.

• Drying

After shaping, the piece of jewelry must be thoroughly dried. Drying takes several hours, preferably 24-48 hours. After drying, the entire piece of jewelry is sanded and shaped into the desired shape.

• Firing in the kiln

Bronze clay requires firing in an industrial kiln that reaches very high temperatures. The firing process can take several hours, including gradual heating and cooling.

• Grinding and polishing

After firing, the jewelry is solid and metallic. We most often polish our jewelry to a mirror polishing appearance so that it is beautifully shiny and smooth. When the jewelry has an organic structure, we always make sure that the polishing is as precise as possible.