Jesmonite-A sustainable material

Hi there!

I have recently started experimenting with a material called Jesmonite. You may have seen items made from this but didn't realise that's what it was made from. I am quickly becoming

obsessed with this product.

So firstly a little background on what Jesmonite actually is. Jesmonite is a composite material (which basically means its made from several elements) Gypsum and water based resin.

Jesmonite is often used in fine arts,

crafts and even construction. It's an eco-friendly sustainable resin. The popularity of Jesmonite has recently soared but it was actually discovered about 50 years ago, for the construction industry but because of its adaptability its now used in home decor too. You may still find some industries using it for

table tops, floor tiles but I am using it at

the moment for smaller pieces. So the product is fairly easy to use itsbasically 1 part liquid to 2.5 parts powder. After experimenting I have

found adding colour pigment to the liquid before adding the powder much easier. Once you add the powder it starts to cure so by putting it in the liquid first you have no time restraints.

I have been using pre made bought silicone moulds, you can find these online. After mixing the liquid and powder together I sieve the Jemonite, just to remove any lumps.

Everyone has different ways of doing this, from

whisking to vibrating plate. Then make sure there are no air bubbles by tapping the sides and leave to air dry in the mould. Curing is fairly quick, I leave mine in the mould for roughly 20 - 30 minutes and then once out of the

mould leave to fully cure for 24 hours.

Above are a few of the pieces I have made recently. I have also started experimenting with mixing colours, terrazzo and gold leaf too.

After your piece has fully cured for 24 hours the iesmonite needs to be sanded, and then sealed. I have recently started using a soy and

coconut wax. Which is vegan and the results have been beautiful - below is a picture which shows the difference to waxing a piece.

This is a material I will continue to experiment with and will document my results in the blog, so please pop back or subscribe if you want to stay in touch. If you want to ask me any

questions there is a comment section

and I will try my best to answer

Kelly