Polymer Clay Jewelry Set Reflects Costa Rican Bird Colors

by Anna Garner.
(Northern California USA)

When an artisan friend of mine saw this set of polymer clay jewelry that I had made, she said the bracelet and necklace reminded her of the colorful birds in the forests of Costa Rica.

Stacked Bangle Bracelet and Necklace in Polymer Clay

I was very happy to think of my jewelry creations reflecting the colors of bird feathers. I like to make most of my polymer clay creations in the organic style, allowing them to choose the shape and designs within the clay. I supply the stack of colored sheets of clay and as I am rolling, punching, twisting and sculpting, I like to follow the direction the ball, log or cane of clay to see where it leads.

I made the bracelet first, using the method I just described. I was pleasantly surprised that the colors I had custom blended ahead of time worked so well together. And I was especially pleased when they did not run into each other and make muddied or grayed spots in the design.

Brilliant Bird Feather Colors in Polymer Clay Jewelry

As with nearly all my polymer clay creations, this jewelry set began as a stack of sheets of my own custom blending of colors.

You will notice that the green is not just green, but shades from yellow green to deep indigo blue. In order to prevent the blended rainbow colors from fading to gray while I manipulate the color arrangements, I avoid stacking complementary colors too close to each other.

I use a professional jeweler’s art clay with a high content of mica particles in order to achieve the brilliance. Then I maintain that brilliance by stacking and shaping my pieces with the least amount of kneading and twisting and rolling the polymer clay.

I made the bracelet from a long round roll of clay cut into 3 equal lengths of about 8.5 inches. I tapered the ends and pinched them gently together and made a stack of three circles. I pressed them together gently and baked the bracelet and beads made from the extra length of the roll from which I had cut the bracelet pieces.

The larger pendant bead and the smaller columnar beads I combined with pearl and gold glass beads and made my jewelry set to match Costa Rican bird feathers.

Anna Garner
Anna’s Faire Antique and Modern Adornment