Fimo is material that is held in high regard by many jewellery makers. As such it has also been used in the design and production of an array of types of jewellery. However, this material was not initially used in jewellery making; instead it was used to help doll makers craft the heads of their dolls.

In 1939 Kaethe Kruse began using Fimo to produce the heads of her dolls. The use of Fimo in the production of dolls wasn't all that successful though. A later breakthrough showed that mixing Fimo with paste could actually make it into an incredibly versatile craft material - one which was also much easier to knead and shape.

After this breakthrough Fimo was used in a significant amount of pieces of artwork - in particular mosaics - and decorative household items - such as vases and figurines.

The first Fimo modeling clay kit was manufactured in 1954 and sold under the brand name Fimoik. The name of the brand came from Kruse's daughter Sophie, whose nickname was Fi, whilst the Mo part of the name was derived from one of her favorite art creations - mosaics.

Due to Kruse's previous success within the toy industry - with her dolls - the Fimo art clay was well received by most people within the industry. Later on the rights to the brand were passed on to a man by the name of Eberhard Faber in 1964. This popular form of molding clay became part of the Staedtler group. At this point a brand new recipe was developed - in 1966 - and the product was produced in 15 different colours, as well as in two different size blocks.

The product proved to be so successful that a Fimo handbook was published. It documented a number of different projects that users could undertake with the material. The book was packed with tips and suggestions, as well as project instructions for people to use and learn from.

As time has passed, the amount of interest in clay molding has grown by a significant amount. Fimo is still going strong and continues to be sold in a vast number of colours. Recognising the desire amongst jewellery makers to be more creative, varieties that contain glitter, stones and even those that are transparent are available. These options have provided jewellery makers with even more freedom to transfer their ideas from paper to clay. You can find various Fimo craft sets available from retailers that specialise in selling jewellery making materials.

In the modern era there is an estimated 72 different colour varieties available for jewellery makers to choose from. There are also a large assortment of accessories that can be used with this clay including metallic powders, leaf metals, moulds and metal jewellery kits. Once you start working with this fantastically versatile type of clay, you probably won't want to use any other type of clay in your jewellery making projects.
The assortment of different colour varieties makes Fimo one of the most popular choices amongst those who enjoy being creative with clay.

Fimo is a material that was originally used in doll making. This article documents how it came to be so popular amongst jewellery makers.