What Is Mixed Media Jewellery?

If you've come across jewellery described as "mixed media" and weren't quite sure what it meant, you're not alone. It's a term that gets used across art, craft, and fashion — but in the context of jewellery, it has a fairly specific meaning.

The short answer

Mixed media jewellery is any piece that intentionally combines two or more different materials. Rather than being made entirely from metal, or entirely from resin, or entirely from clay, a mixed media piece brings those materials together — often in ways that create contrast, texture, or visual interest that a single material couldn't achieve on its own.

Common material combinations

• Polymer clay + metal — clay forms or pendants set into or alongside metal findings or chain
• Resin + dried botanicals — flowers, leaves, or pigments suspended in clear or tinted resin
• Fibre + metal — textile elements (thread, cord, woven fabric) combined with metal components
• Clay + resin — layered or combined to create depth and translucency
• Metal + stone + textile — more traditional mixed media, common in statement pieces

Why makers choose mixed media

For many independent jewellery makers, working across materials is both a creative and a practical choice. Different materials have different properties — weight, texture, light response, flexibility — and combining them allows for results that are genuinely hard to achieve any other way.

It also tends to produce pieces that are more distinctive. Mass production favours single materials because they're easier to replicate at scale. Mixed media work is inherently harder to copy, which is part of why it's become associated with independent and handmade jewellery.

What to expect from mixed media pieces

Because they combine materials with different properties, mixed media pieces sometimes require a little more care than single-material jewellery. Resin can be sensitive to prolonged UV exposure. Clay can chip if treated roughly. Fibre elements may need to be kept away from water. A good maker will always tell you how to care for their work — if they don't, ask.

Created By Lau and mixed media

At Created By Lau, mixed media sits at the heart of much of the work — but it's not the only approach. Pieces range from single-material designs in polymer clay, resin, or fibre through to combinations of all three alongside metal. When materials are combined, it's to create texture, depth, and contrast that a single material couldn't achieve alone. The approach is rooted in no-waste principles: offcuts and remnants from one piece often find their way into another.

The result is jewellery that doesn't look like anything else, because it genuinely isn't made like anything else.

Is mixed media jewellery durable?

Yes — when made well. The key is in the construction: how materials are joined, sealed, and finished. Poorly made mixed media pieces can delaminate or deteriorate quickly. Well-made ones last for years. As with most things, the maker's skill and care matters more than the materials themselves.