Presentation: Heat Resistant Cultured Opals Bust Open New Creative Possibilities for Jewelers
As the winner of the AMCAW Innovation Grant Award for Holly’s groundbreaking work in developing firing techniques for Fire in Place Cultured Opals in jewelry,
Holly has a lot to share about using them in Metal Clay and also using Metal Clay scrap to cast these Cultured Opals in Place. Jewelers have been told Natural Opals cannot be cast in place in molten metal or fired in place in Metal Clay, and they need to be set traditionally with bezels or prongs for inclusion in their jewelry.
This is because it will become mere dust if you put extreme heat on it. This all changed when we discovered a Cultured Opal that can take heat up to 1650ºF / 900ºC. She will give you how-to information on practices for using Opals in both Metal Clay and Sand Casting.
Holly Gage, the founder of Gage Designs, is a celebrated jewelry designer. She has been honored with the Saul Bell Design Award for her distinction in jewelry design and the AMCAW Innovation Grant Award for her groundbreaking work in developing firing techniques for Fire in Place Cultured Opals in jewelry.
Holly is a pioneer in the Metal Clay community, specializing in creating contemporary jewelry and sharing her unique techniques through a blend of design instruction and technical proficiency. She is dedicated to fostering innovation, creativity, and helping others find their artistic voice through her classes, mentoring programs, master workshops, and retreats, which are available live online, at her studio in PA, in the US, and internationally.
Holly holds a BS in Fine Art and Education and is a full-time jewelry artist, Certified Metal Clay Instructor, author, and conference speaker. Her jewelry and articles on techniques and design have been featured in over 80 publications.
She is the recipient of the 2025 Lis-el Crowley Vision Award from the Alliance for Metal Clay Arts Worldwide (AMCAW). This award recognizes leaders in the Metal Clay community for their spirit of generosity, support for the advancement of Metal Clay artistry, and efforts to promote Metal Clay beyond its traditional boundaries.
Website: hollygage.com
Facebook: holly.g.gage
Instagram: gagedesigns
