Jewelry with enamel: gold and silver enamel items

Bright! Unusual! Original! Enamel jewelry is very popular today. Let's finally figure out why.

Metal products coated with an enamel layer become more durable. And, of course, one should not lose sight of the most important advantage of such accessories - their originality, which cannot be achieved by the traditional use of precious stones.

Interestingly, enamel products are in demand not only among young girls who want to emphasize their “fresh”, catchy image, but also among respectable women who seek to add the necessary bright accent with the help of such jewelry. They can truly be considered universal accessories.

Story

Contrary to popular belief, the roots of such an unusual and at the same time incredibly beautiful jewelry insert should not be sought in India and Egypt. Many historical sources indicate that even in the Mycenaean kingdom in Cyprus, it was already actively used to decorate various household items and utensils.

Later, jewelers from Ancient Egypt and Ancient Greece, Persia, Byzantium, Rome and India adopted their experience. The ability to use enamel as decoration passed on to our “peripheral neighbors” almost as a last resort. Despite this peculiar slowdown in the development of such an unusual jewelry method, “enamelers” from Serbia, Kievan Rus, Georgia and Armenia quickly caught up in the abilities of the ancient discoverers.

As a result, there is a fairly rich and long history of Russian “enamel”. This is exactly what enamel was called in Rus' in former times. And today, enamel continues to be used, but in a rather narrow specificity - in the technique of painted enamel.

Initially, enamel was used to decorate church utensils and clergy vestments. Today, enamel from Rostov the Great still continues to be popular (women's jewelry, interior items, painting of church utensils and icons, exclusive products), and this city is rightfully considered the birthplace of this jewelry method.

From Old Russian “enamel” means “to chemicalize”, from Ancient Greek χυμευτόν, from χυμεύω - “I mix”, “to chemically”.

This is due to the peculiarities of the enamel color palette - different shades are obtained by adding various impurities to the composition.

See all jewelry with finials in the SUNLIGHT catalog

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Kinds

Over the course of its long period of existence, enameling technology was gradually improved, and as a result was divided into several types.

Cloisonne enamel

The most labor-intensive process, requiring a lot of experience and high qualifications, is the production of jewelry with cloisonné enamel. This type of enameling refers to the so-called “cold enamel” method, when the composition of the insert does not require strong heating. The whole operation consists of soldering a thin wire onto a metal surface, forming pits. These cells are then filled with enamel of the desired color - the result is a distinct pattern with an unusual and bright shine.

Silver earrings with enamel (go to the SUNLIGHT catalog)

Champlevé enamel

Another common type of enamel is “champleved”. As it was easy to guess from the name, it is produced thanks to special notches. Such recesses strengthen the enamel compositions and can be made using the techniques of stamping, carving, embossing, engraving, etc.

Relief enamel

The most expensive and complex process in the enamel business is the “relief enamel” process. In this case, cast and embossed surfaces are coated. Difficulties arise due to the fact that on convex parts of the relief, the enamel may not be retained during firing. Therefore, craftsmen strictly follow the sequence of firing jewelry - first - refractory enamels, then - low-melting enamels

Silver earrings with cubic zirconia and enamel (go to the SUNLIGHT catalogue)

Painted enamel

If we talk about the most historical type of enameling, which is used not only in decorating jewelry, but also in painting tableware, then it is worth paying attention to “painted enamel”. This includes various ornaments and images - grass, animals, flowers, fairy-tale and historical content - on the plane of the product. Accordingly, this subtype of painting is very expensive not only in terms of money, but also in time. The process takes place in several stages. The jewelry is painted with special paints based on essential oils. Each application of a new color is accompanied by firing. You may ask, why not simplify production and make firing one-time. The bottom line is that each color (paint) has its own individual melting point. Therefore, you need to observe a special temperature regime for each of them.

Stained glass enamel

The very delicate and airy Art Nouveau style would not have received its full development without the use of such a jewelry method as “stained glass enameling.” The basis of such a product is an openwork through mesh, the holes of which are filled with enamel and fired until glazed.

The use of stained glass is best known in cultural monuments such as medieval churches and temples, but this unusual method of decoration looks no less impressive on jewelry. In addition, when enamel is applied to metals, it gives the product a unique 3D effect, which makes it even more shiny.

Silver ring with corundum and cubic zirconia (go to the SUNLIGHT catalogue)

Partial mixing of enamels

At Sunlight Brilliant, another subtype of enameling is very popular - the technique of partial mixing of enamels. In this case, each product is unique; jewelry may differ slightly from each other.

The process is as follows: enamel of different colors is “overlaid” on top of each other, resulting in bizarre blurry patterns that smoothly transform into each other - like a “Zebra” pie, when a dark layer is mixed with a light one. This unusual method helps to create unusual and original designs on jewelry.

Adviсe

When purchasing accessories, pay attention to cracks, bubbles and other defects. If you choose cloisonne covering, you need to know the following:

the partition (wire) is noticeable;
the coating layer is usually thin;
the cost of the product is high.

In 2022, solid colors are in fashion. Accessories with white enamel will add femininity to the look. If you need to complement the image, use one product with a rich color. Earrings with enamel from the Sunlight brand will decorate a girl.

The brand’s hypermarket offers the “Charm” collection. There are many new items in it, among them there are pendants with enamel. On the silver model, the symbol of the coming year is a rooster. You can also choose other pendants from this series.

Now there are many products of domestic producers on the market. Russian enamel jewelry products can compete with Italian brands.

Care

It is worth mentioning durability. Enamel is a fairly stable material that does not lose color. In addition, as mentioned earlier, it helps protect metals from damage. But this does not mean that you can safely take a bath with it or, out of devotion to your favorite accessory, not take it off while washing or cleaning. Like any jewelry, a product with enamel requires proper care: it does not like mechanical stress or contact with chemicals.

So, if you want to preserve the shine and beauty of your enamel products longer, be careful with them! Remember, if dropped on hard surfaces (floors, tiles), the enamel may fall out and break. Agree, for the sake of such a bright and expressive accessory, it is absolutely not difficult to show attentiveness once again.

13.04.21

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Technology

The technology of painting on enamel is reminiscent of porcelain painting. The basis for an enamel miniature is a thin metal plate. It is coated on both sides with a dense layer of one-color (usually white) enamel, dried and fired several times in a special oven at a temperature of 700–800°C. Using enamel fireproof paints, the artist creates a drawing in several stages, gradually drawing out finer details and adding new colors. Each layer is fired, and each time the paint changes color under the influence of temperature. In order to obtain a subtle, refined design, sometimes it is necessary to do seven or more firings. The master works with each miniature under a microscope, and the work takes him from several hours to several days. The peculiarity of enamel miniatures is its durability.

Previous photo

Ilgiz F., “Titicaca” brooch from the Peru collection, gold, diamonds, topazes, enamel, 2022

Ilgiz F., “Heaven’s Gate” ring from the China collection, gold, sapphire, diamonds, enamel, 2022

Ilgiz F., bracelet “Irises on the pond”, gold, enamel, topazes, diamonds, 2013

Ilgiz F., “Lama” ring from the Peru collection, gold, enamel, diamonds, morganite, 2022

Ilgiz F., “Lost City” earrings from the China collection, gold, enamel, chrome diopsides, diamonds, 2022

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Ilgiz F., “Titicaca” brooch from the Peru collection, gold, diamonds, topazes, enamel, 2022

Ilgiz F., “Heaven’s Gate” ring from the China collection, gold, sapphire, diamonds, enamel, 2022

Ilgiz F., bracelet “Irises on the pond”, gold, enamel, topazes, diamonds, 2013

Ilgiz F., “Lama” ring from the Peru collection, gold, enamel, diamonds, morganite, 2022

Ilgiz F., “Lost City” earrings from the China collection, gold, enamel, chrome diopsides, diamonds, 2022

The colors will never fade, the purity of color, brightness and shine will remain forever. They are not afraid of humidity, temperature changes, direct sunlight, or pollution. The only thing you should protect enamel jewelry from is falls, which can result in cracks or chips.

Hot enamels

Hot enamel has been used for a long time, although it is the most labor-intensive. Modern hot enamels are the absolute favorites in enamel jewelry. The enamel is firmly baked to the metal in special muffle furnaces, where the temperature reaches 600-800 degrees. The product is then cooled, cleaned and polished. It seems very simple. In reality, everything is much more complicated.

Enamel powder is diluted with water to a creamy mass, then applied to the appropriate areas of the product. After which, before starting firing in the kiln, it is imperative to dry it so that the bursting air bubbles disappear, otherwise they will spoil the smoothness of the enamel coating.

During firing, the enamel powder fuses into a glassy layer and, depending on the type of enamel, becomes transparent or opaque (dull). But that's not all. After hardening, the product is ground and re-fired in a kiln to obtain a perfectly smooth surface.

If the decoration has multi-colored and cloisonné enamel, then it is necessary to follow a strict sequence of application and firing of the enamel powder. And the order is determined by the heat resistance of the enamel. The most heat-resistant enamel is applied first and placed for firing, then the less heat-resistant enamel is applied, and again the product is sent to the oven, but at a lower temperature. And so on. The most heat-resistant is white enamel, then pink, blue, green, black, and finally red.

The enamel must be poured evenly so that the surface of the product is flawless. Based on the characteristics of the composition, the product can be fired from 5 to 100 times. And at the same time, the master regulates the temperature and firing time, based on his experience and intuition. And this is precisely what creates unique creations, which even the master himself is sometimes unable to repeat in a second copy. Agree that this is not easy.