TIPS / What resin should I use?

Starting to delve into resin jewellery making but don't know what resin to use? This blog post is for you!

Jewellery Supplies Co. currently offer 4 different types of resins, all which can be used slightly different. You need to make sure you select the right one for your project.

Epoxycast resin is ideal for casting resin [casting is when you fill a mould with resin]. If you have nabbed yo'self some of the Jewellery Supplies Co. silicone moulds, Epoxycast resin is the way to go. Here are some of the benefits of using this resin:

• Cures at room temperature
• Anti-yellowing additives [because no one wants their "clear resin" to have a yellow tinge]
• FDA approved, 'cos safety first 
• All of the Jewellery Supplies Co. pigment powders and pastes can be mixed into the resin to give it a glorious colour
• Only $33 for 375g, and trust us when we say that a *little* bit of resin goes a *very long way* [we learnt the hard way, haha]!

If you make polymer clay earrings and want to coat/dome them in resin to give them an *oh so lovely* shine, DiamondCote, ArtCast or UV resin will be your best friend. Here is a run down on them all...

DiamontCote is designed for coating applications such as polymer clay, resin art, acrylic pours, mosaics, photographs, prints, timber surfaces, sculptures and more. The benefits of this resin are:

• 12 hour cure time [you can touch it after this period of time]. Full cure after 7 days
• Heat is *not* essential to for top coats to remove bubbles, meaning you don't have to invest in additional heat torch equipment - bingo!
• This resin is made in Australia - who doesn't love supporting local?
• $55 for a 1L kit [aka a *lot* of resin for an extremely reasonable price]

ArtCast can be used for both resin casting & doming [double whammy]. It is ideal for applications such as jewellery creation, doming, embedding, casting and filling timber voids. The benefits of this resin are:

• Low to no odour [it is still really important to wear a mask though]
• Touch dry and de-mould at 24 hours
• You can pour up to 20mm deep 
• 400mL kit for $24

Finally, UV resin is a secret weapon used by many polymer clay makers who like to dome their creations *quickly*. When we say quickly, we mean less than 10 minutes - I know, mind blowing! Here are the benefits of this resin:

• Fast curing, within 1-5 mins, depending on light source and depth
• It comes with an easy applicator tube, with a screw on cap & small opening point for accuracy [ideal for the delicate polymer clay earrings you make]
• Superb transparency and hardness 
• The small catch - for it to cure, it requires UV light [hence the name of the product]. Under a UV light or torch, resin depths of 1-2cm [which is more than plenty for coating polymer clay pieces], it will take up to 5 minutes to cure. Under direct sunlight [pop it beside a window on a really sunny day], it can take up to 10 minutes to cure. The stronger the UV light source, the quicker it will cure - makes sense right?

Have a better idea on what resin you need to use for your project now? We hope so!

If not [that's okay], you are more than welcome to send us an email or DM on Instagram or Facebook to ask us what resin we recommend you use on your project.