A guest post from our good friend Wally.
Don’t know what to get the missus for Valentine’s Day? Lost for Mother’s Day gift ideas? Don’t want to buy servo flowers again? Maybe you just want to treat yourself! Whatever the reason, you must consider buying polymer clay jewellery! This article considers the many benefits of polymer clay jewellery, how to care for them, and where to buy. Read on to learn all you need to know about purchasing beautiful, unique jewellery at an affordable price. Become a gift-giving legend today!
Introduction
I hate buying gifts, especially for the women in my life. Between my wife, mother, grandmother, and mother-in-law, I feel like I am constantly searching for new gift ideas. All the while trying to protect my wallet from the perils of buying expensive jewellery. That was, until I came across Amy from Glow Vibes, a local jewellery maker in my hometown who specialises in polymer clay jewellery; and a whole new world opened up!
At Glow Vibes, I was able to purchase beautiful, hand-made earrings for a fraction of the price I was used to paying for regular gold jewellery. And far be it for me to keep this secret to myself, I wanted to share it with the world! Read on to discover the reasons why you should consider buying polymer clay jewellery too.
Affordable Jewellery
Polymer Clay jewellery has exploded in popularity in recent years, for many reasons. But let’s be honest, the main reason people are turning to polymer clay is the price tag! Compared with their metallic cousins, polymer clay jewellery costs much less in raw materials. The creating process is also relatively simple, as the clay can be moulded by hand without expensive equipment. Because the whole procedure is very efficient, the jewellery maker is able to pass on the savings to the buyer, you and I!
Unique Jewellery
Most jewellery that you can buy in department stores and jewellers has been made in bulk. No matter how pricey, every time you buy from these big box stores, you run the risk of wearing the same jewellery as someone else! With polymer clay jewellery from a small business, each piece is carefully hand-crafted by a skilled clay artisan. There is no chance that you will clash with anyone else.
If you view jewellery marketplaces such as Etsy, you will find many people selling beautiful clay polymer pieces for you to choose from. But you may not be aware that most sellers are willing to create completely bespoke pieces, just for you! In fact, most clay polymer makers are thrilled to be asked to bring your jewellery dreams to life. While the cost of bespoke jewellery will be slightly more than ‘buy it now’ pieces, it still comes in at a fraction of the price of traditional, metal jewellery.
Polymer clay is also extremely pliable before the baking process, which means that the jewellery creator has much more freedom and flexibility with their creations. Compare this with metallic jewellery such as gold or platinum, polymer clay gives the artist (and buyer) a very customisable medium, at an awesome price! What other type of jewellery offers you the chance to buy unique pieces for under $30?
Lightweight Jewellery
Another benefit of polymer clay jewellery is that it is lightweight. It turns out, normal jewellery can be really uncomfortable to wear, especially when they’re yanking down on your earlobes. When compared to more standard jewellery of similar size and style, polymer clay jewellery is so much lighter, and as a result, much more comfortable to wear! You won’t feel like your earlobes are being constantly stretched, and you’ll barely even notice you’re wearing them.
Hypo allergenic earrings
Did you know that some people are allergic to jewellery? I didn’t! But lots of people can’t wear normal pieces of jewellery, including my wife. Nickel and cobalt are two of the biggest offenders here, causing something called ‘jewellery allergy’. These metals are often used as the base metal in jewellery, and because jewellery isn’t food (obviously), it doesn’t come with a long list of allergy information. This means that buying jewellery for others (or yourself) can be risky business. Most big jewellery stores won’t disclose all the metals that go into their jewellery, which means that you might be giving your Mum useless, expensive jewellery.
Because each piece of polymer clay jewellery is hand-crafted, the creators must ensure its suitability for everyone. Glow Vibes’ own clay polymer creator uses surgical stainless steel, which is a hypo allergenic material. In my opinion, the best hypo allergenic earrings and necklaces are the ones created by private jewellery creators, because their reputation is on the line with every piece they create.
Looking for the best jewellery for kids? Consider buying hypo allergenic earrings for the younglings, because no-one wants to be the reason their little nieces’ ears are red raw!
Durable Jewellery
We all had fun making clay creations at school, right? I remember spending weeks perfecting my third-grade coffee mug, decked out in Geelong Cats colours; only to get it home and have it leak scalding hot Milo onto my leg. It soon became an awesome pencil holder on my desk, until my cat bumped it onto the floor. Mate, this thing didn’t just break, it exploded into a cloud of dust! That clay mug was a piece of garbage because clay is brittle!
So why on earth would you go and buy polymer clay jewellery for someone? Well, the clue is in the name, polymer! Polymer clay is a synthetic material created from a plastic base, which means that it isn’t brittle like regular clay, yet it doesn’t look like cheap plastic rubbish! It won’t weaken, crack, or shatter over time, any many clays used by jewellery makers maintain a little flexibility even after baking, so they are even less likely to break.
Where to Buy Polymer Clay Jewellery?
Because polymer clay is affordable to buy and easy to work with, there is a myriad of people trying their hand at jewellery creation. This is a great thing for you, dear reader, as there is no shortage of places to find high-quality, hand-made jewellery at an affordable price. And whenever you’re buying a gift for a special someone, you always get prestige points when you buy something through Etsy.
Even if you could have gotten the same thing from another retailer, you can never go wrong telling someone their gift came from an Etsy. So, that is our first recommendation on where to buy polymer clay jewellery. Click here to see the Glow Vibes Etsy store. If their selection isn’t to your liking, there are plenty of other Etsy sellers to check out!
There are some polymer clay jewellery sellers on eBay, but this space is mostly geared towards those who want to try their hand at jewellery creation. A noble cause, but not one that is fit for my purposes. Depending on your location, there is likely to be someone in your area selling jewellery on Facebook marketplace, or your local Farmer’s Market.
Personally, I like the added protection of buying from Etsy. Most sellers accept PayPal and other electronic forms of payment, and gift cards are also available.
How to Care for your Polymer Clay Jewellery?
When you buy polymer clay jewellery, you should be given instructions on how to care for your new bling. However, in case the instructions weren’t included, (you lost them, didn’t you?) here is a quick rundown on how to care for your polymer clay jewellery.
-Store jewellery in a cool, dry box when not in use.
-Don’t dip jewellery into alcohol. It doesn’t taste nice, and it can dissolve the clay!
-Use a lint-free jewellery cloth to clean your jewellery.
-Try not to let it touch makeup or perfume, as it may stain the clay.
And that’s it! If you need more help, feel free to contact Glow Vibes. Otherwise, websites such as Polly Collective have a more extensive set of instructions ready to go.
Conclusion
So, there you have it! Polymer clay jewellery is the ultimate gift for your wife, girlfriend, mother, cousin, or anyone else who loves jewellery. It is affordable, unique, lightweight, durable, and easy to clean. Turn yourself into a gift-giving legend by turning to polymer clay jewellery, save yourself a bunch of cash, and support local businesses in the process.