Enamel is more than just a jewellery-crafting material - it’s proof of professionals' unbelievable skill and patience, along with the long hours they spend to create accessories from the simplest matters - metal, powdered glass, and heat.
The art of enamelling has already been around for millennia. From ancient China to Art Nouveau Europe, different civilizations have devised various ways to create enamel jewellery, requiring the craftsmen to master patience and precision.
Techniques
Several steps are necessary for creating all types of enamel, regardless of the technique. The metal surface is cleaned, and the powder is carefully applied. After heating the initial product at an extremely high temperature and then cooling it down, additional layers can be applied, depending on the exact look that must be achieved.
Champleve
Celtic metalworkers were the first ones to use this technique in 400 BC. The name comes from the French “raised fields”, as Champleve is the art of creating recessed areas on a metal surface and applying the powder in these creases.
The design is transferred to a clean metal surface by engraving or etching. These outline the recessed areas that are later meticulously created with tools like chisels or gravers. Powder is then applied and heated, melting and fusing with the metal surface. As the name implies, enamel on the final product is placed below the surface.
Cloisonne
Somewhat like Champleve, Cloisonne also requires creating specific areas to fill them with enamel. After the outlines are transferred to a clean metal surface, thin copper or silver wires are formed and carefully soldered on the surface to create the compartments to hold the enamel.
The sections are then filled with enamel powder or paste by brushes or other tools. Firing and cooling down processes are routine, similar to Champleve. With Cloisonne, compartments of different shapes can be created and filled with various colors, resulting in extremely intricate, mosaic-like patterns.
Plique-a-Jour
Often referred to as “backless Cloisonne”, Plique-a-Jour has one outstanding feature: it requires no backing. Transparent enamel is directly applied to open cells without a metal surface, making Plique-a-Jour the most intricate and time-consuming technique for crafting enamel jewelry.
Letting in daylight - a rough translation of this French term implies a translucent, bright appearance. The design outline is shaped with thin wires that also structurally support the product.
The wires are specifically arranged to create empty areas on the product, forming small cells but leaving the center open. As you might have guessed, transparent enamel paste or powder is applied to these compartments. After heating, enamel fuses with the framework, creating visuals similar to stained glass.
Effects
Various effects to enrich the look of enamel jewelry prove just how versatile this art is. Depending on the exact aesthetic the craftsman is trying to achieve, endless possibilities exist to explore and add uniqueness to the products.
Transparency
The light passing through is exactly what makes Plique-a-Jour special. Craftsmen use colorful, translucent enamel powder to create these intricate and vibrant-looking pieces of jewellery.
Transparency allows you to play with the light and modify the color intensity. Visible metal outlines that structurally support such pieces and the luminous effects of translucent enamel add dimension and depth to pieces.
Opalescence
Considerably harder to achieve than transparency, opalescence can give the most versatile effects to your enamel accessories. A translucent base is used instead of metal to shape the surface; tiny air bubbles get trapped in between the layers during the enamel application process and cause the light to scatter, resulting in iridescence and opalescence.
The interaction between the light, enamel layers, and scattered light creates a phenomenon called interference. As the name suggests, light waves interfere with each other and change the intensity of the colors depending on the angle at which we view the piece. One can only imagine the endless arrays of different hues, creating the final mesmerizing effect.
Opacity
Opaque enamel is typically crafted with finely ground glass powder applied to a metal substrate. It doesn’t allow any light to pass through, resulting in non-transparent and bold colors. The addition of metal oxides to the mixture further contributes to blocking the light from penetrating the surface.
While opaque enamel jewellery is extremely versatile and allows the craftsman to experiment with different hues of bold color, something else makes opacity outstanding - it allows the enamel to conceal any scratches and blemishes on the metal surface, creating a smooth and shiny appearance.
To Sum Up
The timelessness of enamel jewellery is proven by several millennia of developing different techniques and effects. While its creation requires precision and carefulness like no other, it’s definitely worth the reward of a breathtaking piece of art.
Whether you choose translucent pieces created with Plique-a-Jour or step into the intricate process of crafting opaque enamel, this ancient art offers countless possibilities for playing with light and colors, allowing you to experiment with different aesthetics in the pursuit of the perfect one.
