Art Clay water-based silver clay paper, sometimes called metal clay or precious-metal clay, is made by Aida Chemical Industries in Japan: it's a composite clay-like material, made of 92% fine silver powder and 8% harmless organic binder. It comes in regular, but not slow-dry or slow-tarnish.

New clay paper looks and feels like thick soft aluminium foil, and can be cut easily with a modelling knife or a shaped cutter.

The water-based silver paper has two main uses: to create flat, folded, curved, or hollow shapes; or to add shape to existing unfired silver clay. Although it can be used for origami-like shapes, it's thicker than ordinary paper so can't be folded and refolded neatly.

As silver clay is fired, the binder vapourises and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid silver which can be hallmarked as pure 999 silver: real metal, not something that just looks like metal. The chemical symbol for silver is Ag, an abbreviation for the Latin argentum.

Silver clay can be combined with a wide range of materials, before firing: beads, copper, dichroic glass, pearls, porcelain, polymer clay, semiprecious gems, and fine silver findings.
It can also be combined with sterling silver findings, provided that the firing temperature is 650°C: much higher, and the sterling silver discolours and becomes brittle.
Its easy-to-use flexibility makes it a versatile material, ideal for art colleges, home and business jewellers, ceramic cafes, craftworkers, glass studios, metalsmiths, modelmakers, and potteries.

This water-based paper comes in a paper envelope inside a retail box. Cut off as much as you need, using a modelling knife or a cutter, and repack the box. As you apply the paper, you can use a little water to smooth the surface and paste to optimise the adhesion.

The paper type looks and feels like thick soft aluminium foil, and can be cut easily with a modelling knife or a shaped cutter. It has two main uses: to create flat, folded, curved, or hollow shapes; or to build up, or add shape to, an existing clay piece. It's 96% real silver powder, and 4% harmless water-based binder.

Keep any scraps, as you can bond decorative shapes to clay using water-based paste on dried clay or oil-based paste on fired clay. Unlike the clay type, you can't mix scraps with water to make re-useable clay.

The simplest way to make a shape is to use a modelling knife. Alternatively, hobby shops have a range of stamps and cutters. Cutting or stamping shapes from Art Clay paper needs care as, unlike the clay, you can't repair a little cut or uneven edge with more clay and a wet brush.

If you fold the paper, be very careful. If you make a mistake, or the folding-tool edge leaves a mark, it will dent the surface. Fingernails do the same.

Whilst you're working, keep syringes and sable brushes in water, removing excess water on lint-free cloth just before use. If you leave syringes for a few days, check that the water hasn't evaporated. Don't use a pot of water as a permanent home for brushes: it will soon ruin them.
Don't let clay dry on your work area or tools: wipe them with a damp cloth or wash them. Drill bits, files, and abrasives will clog up, so tap them occasionally, or rinse and dry them.

When your piece is shaped, it doesn't need drying before firing: so don't use a hair drier, a hot air gun, a kitchen oven, or a kiln, as the piece may crack or distort.

When your piece is dry, it needs to be fired to become solid metal. If you don't dry it completely, the water will turn to steam during firing and the pressure increase may crack the clay, or shatter it: it's unlikely, but it could explode as you remove it from the kiln, so always wear safety glasses when opening your kiln door.

There are four ways to fire silver clay: in a kiln, on your kitchen gas hob, on a gamping gaz ring, or with a butane gas torch. The first is controlled by the kiln programmer. The others need your full attention, so that you don't underfire it and break it, or overfire it and melt it. Although Aida says it must be fired in a kiln, it seemed to work perfectly well on a gas-hob mesh.

The simplest and most reliable way to fire silver clay is in a kiln programmed from cool to 800°C over at least 10 minutes, then held for 30 minutes. However, most metal clay artists recommend that you use the highest possible temperature and time combination, for maximum strength.

As it's fired, the binder vapourises and the metal powder sinters, leaving solid silver which can be hallmarked as pure 999 silver: real metal, not something that just looks like metal. The chemical symbol for gold is Ag, an abbreviation for the Latin argentum.
There's an important difference between sintering and fusing. During sintering, metal powders bond to produce solid metal, but they don't melt. During fusing, metals melt and lose their shape. Silver powder sinters at 650°C, but melts at 961°C so, if you experiment, keep below about 900°C.
The binder is an organic cellulose derivative, made from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen. As it burns away, it releases small amounts of non-toxic carbon dioxide and water vapour: so it's safe to use at home.

In a kiln, rest your piece on a kiln shelf, a ceramic fibre block, or a ceramic fibre cloth: never on the floor of the firing chamber. Complex or fragile shapes can be supported on vermiculite chips or a ceramic fibre cloth. On a kitchen gas hob or a camping gaz ring, put it on a metal mesh. If you're using a butane torch, put it on a ceramic fibre block.

If your piece doesn't include anything that will crack or melt at a higher temperature, it can be fired from cool to 780°C then held for 5 minutes.

Although you can fire lots of pieces at the same time, on one shelf or on stacked shelves, make sure that they don't touch each other or roll about as you put the shelf in: if they're round or cylindrical, put them on a ceramic fibre cloth.

Once firing is over, let the kiln cool naturally, especially if you've combined your Art Clay with glass or stones. If you've just fired Art Clay, you can open the kiln door slightly to shorten the cooling time. If you're going to fire some more pieces, don't put them in a kiln hotter than 500°C.

To learn more about firing, look at the start page, then tools, then firing, and read the instructions that come in the Art Clay packet.