If you are looking for a piece of Malachite jewelry but aren't sure where to find it, or simply aren't finding the type of piece you're looking for, making your own faux malachite jewelry is a great option. With the right tools and a little imagination you can create your very own Malachite stones out of polymer clay.
Instructions
Caning the Polymer
1. Find pictures of malachite as a reference tool. One of the distinguishing elements of malachite is the layered appearance in varying shades of green. Crystallized malachite images are not as helpful because they do not show the inner rings of malachite.
2. Start with a ball of basic green polymer about half an inch in diameter. Pinch a very small amount of blue and mix it into the green polymer to give the green color a slightly teal hue. Mix in blue until you feel you have a color close to that of the darkest color in the malachite reference image you would like to mimic.
3. Tear off a small amount from your mixed green polymer ball. Using the cane method, roll lengthwise into a long thin snake about 3 inches long. This is your center color.
4. Split your ball of polymer clay in half. Take one half and mix some white polymer clay into the whole ball. Be sure to go up at least a few shades from the original shade of green. Split the lighter ball into two and repeat the process about 5 more times creating balls of green that become lighter as you add more white. These polymer balls will vary in size, but the goal is to have different shades of the original green color.
5. Feed these balls into a pasta machine or flatten them with a polymer clay roller, making long rectangular sheets that can be sliced and wrapped for using the cane method.
6. Wrap the original snake of dark green with a thin sheet of one of the lighter shades of green. Once wrapped, roll the snake of polymer of against a surface without pressing too hard. The goal is to press the new layer of color into the original snake of color without squashing the new color into the old one.
7. Continue repeating the previous step, alternating between darker shades and lighter shades. For a realistic appearance, alternate the shades of green so that they match the rings on the image of malachite you are using as a reference tool. Do this until your roll is about 1/2-inch thick.
Finish your Malachite Piece
8. Slice the roll into three 1-inch sections. The cross section should look like rings of green in alternating shades. Group these three sections together so that the rings are facing out, and you have a 1-inch long grouping of three separate canes. Taking any remaining thin sheets wide enough to wrap around the three grouped canes and continue wrapping in alternating thin sheets of green. Repeat this step multiple times.
9. Roll the new layers and the three combined canes so they form a wide roll. Do not press hard, but allow the heat of your hands to allow each layer to adhere to the one next to it.
10. Form the newly created malachite roll into the shape you would like to create. Use your utility knife to cut sections of your malachite roll, and use your fingers to soften edges so your malachite appears to have rounded and polished edges.
11. Bake the polymer according to the instructions on the packaging according to thickness of the pieces you have created.
12. Allow the polymer to cool. Polish your piece going from a harsher grit sandpaper to a finger grit. This will give your polymer creation an authentic feel by mimicking the appearance of polished rock. Buff using a clean soft cloth.
