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Pardo is a German polymer clay from Viva Decor, and the thing that sets it apart is in the recipe: it is made with real beeswax. That is unusual among polymer clays and it is what gives Pardo its particular feel in the hand. It is odorless in the oven, and once cured it is sweat- and saliva-proof, which is why the range was built for jewelry and things that get worn.
It also bakes up genuinely tough. Ginger Davis Allman puts it plainly: Pardo is “very, very strong, even when paper-thin,” and “possibly the strongest clay that I’ve used when it’s baked hot.” That is the property that lets it carry thin, projecting detail which would snap off a more brittle clay.
Pardo Translucent is the line that made Pardo’s reputation. Ginger Davis Allman’s verdict is unqualified: it is “the clearest translucent polymer clay on the market,” and unlike its rivals it “doesn’t impart any yellowish color as it bakes.” Combined with Pardo’s strength, that is what lets it hold shapes other clays cannot — jellyfish tentacles, insect wings, leaf pendants thin enough to see light through.
Good for: faux glass and faux gemstone, backlit and layered work, petals, wings and fine projecting detail, and caning where clarity matters.
Worth knowing: it is a soft clay and it flows a little, so it tends to sag under its own weight in three-dimensional sculpting. It is at its best sheeted, caned and cut. Cured, the surface can carry a faint waxy film — a wipe with rubbing alcohol takes it straight off.
Baking. Viva Decor's instruction is a pre-heated oven at 248°F (120°C) for 30 minutes. That is cooler than Sculpey and cooler than Kato, so do not carry an oven setting over from another brand. As always, an oven thermometer is worth more than the dial on the front.
The clarity trick, and its hazard. Pardo gets clearer and stronger the hotter it is baked, and Ginger Davis Allman goes to 315°F for maximum clarity. Her own warning is worth repeating in full: that is “so close to the burning point of this clay that you really need to experiment in your own oven before you commit,” and burning polymer clay gives off irritating fumes. If you try it, use an oven thermometer, test on a scrap, and do not guess.
Discontinued. Viva Decor stopped making Pardo, and we can’t get any more of it. What we have is the last of it — so if you are planning a piece around a color, it is worth buying enough to finish the job while it is still here.
