LJS tutors are metal clay stars

One for your Christmas lists, perhaps.

The Metal Clay Techniques Book by Sue Heaser is an encyclopedia of metal clay techniques from the basics through to ring making, bangles and bracelets, lockets and hinges, combined metal clays and mokume gane, sculpting, linking, and chain making.

And among its illustrations of great metal clay work are photographs of a number pieces by two London Jewellery School tutors Mary Ann Neilson and Julia Rai.

The book features techniques for embellishing metal clay jewellery from transfer techniques and polymer clay through to traditional enamelling, adding gold embellishments and combining metal clay with gemstones, glass and ceramics. It also looks at soldering for metal clay, forging the metal after firing and recycling your precious clay.