Yes hun because because it uses the air to dry so obviously the longer you leave it out the harder it will get. So if you can take out the amount you need or spray some water on the clay you have left out you can work it for longer. 😊
I haven't made earrings with clay but I made a pendant years ago that I wear on a chain and it's still going to this day. All I used was varnish. Only thing that has been ruined is the varnish stained with my makeup but I'm just gonna sand it off and redo it. But if you want it very strong than u can use resin.
Polymer is best for longevity or putting resin on the air-dry clay. But I made a teardrop pendant out of Das clay years ago and it's been fine so far I don't believe it would break tbh and I actually have expected my air-dry stuff to break often but 🤞🏾 so far only the really tiny stuff have when de-molding . I just used glitter varnish. Only reason I need to redo it is because my makeup has stained it 😅 so I have to repaint it. But it also depends on the brand of clay as some are more reliable than others.
