To capture the texture of granite, I made a silicone mold of a granite rock. I pressed Precious Metal Clay (a clay made from tiny particles of silver and an organic binding agent) into the mold to impress the texture onto the clay. I affixed small balls of the PMC and into each of the larger balls, I pressed s pink CZ stone. Cubic Zirconia is able to withstand high heats and can be fired into the clay. I then put the piece into a very hot kiln which burned off the binder leaving a pure silver piece. Since the PMC shrinks slightly when it’s fired, it effectively grips and ‘sets’ the stones in place. At this point, the piece can be worked in traditional ways, as if it was pure metal originally. I gave them a high polish to match the sparkle of the CZ’s and added handmade ear wires.