Enamels – Enameling

What is enamel, enamelling?
High temperature melting of different components such as silica produces colorless enamels known as “flux”. Its nature is similar to crystal. The enamel may be opaque, opalescent or transparent.

The coloring of the flux is obtained by addition of metal oxides. These enamels are then milled to obtain powders. They are deposited on a metal support. It can be copper, steel, silver, gold and more rarely bronze.

The art of enameling is to fix the enamels on its metal support by short successive cooking in a kiln. The temperature vary from 780 degrees to 900 degrees depending on the powders or techniques used.

   Emaillage d'une broche émauxFour à émaux ouvert

 

Enamel gold jewellery

Broche ovale or diamants & émauxBoucles d'oreilles boule quartz fumé & émaux  Boucles d'oreilles émaux rouge

Enamelled sterling silver jewellery

Rings

bague émaux carrésbague émaux coeurbague émaux rond turquoisebague repercé émaux

Earrings

Boucles d'oreilles cloisonnéboucles d'oreilles goutte pampilleboucles d'oreilles croche noireboucles d'oreilles gui boucles d'oreilles étoiles émauxboucles d'oreilles fleur bleu plique

Necklaces / Pendants

collier calcédoine lapis cloisonnécollier amazonite opale émauxcollier grenat pendentif plique rougecollier cloisonné pierre soleilcollier cloisonné bleu réversible

Collier émaux réversibleCollier réversible émail bleu collections couleur  collier réversible émail et citrine collection couleur    Collier nuage & émaux Collier coquillage perle & émaux Collier émail bleu

Cufflinks

Boutons de manchettes émaux bleusBoutons de manchettes ovales jaunes

There are several enameling techniques:

Plain Enamelling: Dry powders are sieved to cover all the metal surface, or we can use a spatula with moist enamel, before baking.

Cloisonné: A small wire of metal is placed on a metal plate, shaped according to a drawing, to separate the colors. The enamel powders fill the cavities. They are applied by thin layers and fired at each stage.

broche carré émaux bleu cloisonné

Champlevé: The metal is dug in its thickness and then filled with enamel powders, applied by thin layers and fired at each stage.

Femme papillon avantFemme papillon émaux après

Basse taille : The metal is ingraved before applying the different layers of transparent enamel powders, by different methods such as hand-engraving, by acid, or by machine-engraving called “guilloché”.

Painting on enamel: The metal plate is covered with enamel. The drawing is made using colored vitrifiable paints fixed by firing in a kiln. Special transparent enamel is usually applied above, to protect the paint.

Grisaille: The subject is modeled with extremely fine white enamel powder and applied with a needle on a dark enamel background. It is laid in successive layers to reinforce the bright places of a drawing.

Plique à jour: The transparent enamel is applied in metal cavities, remaining suspended after cooking, making the effect of stained glass.

Rond plique à jour

Restoration of enamelled jewelery and objects (Before – After)

Médaille restauration émaux avantMédaille restauration émaux après

Alliance restauration émail rougeAlliance or restauration émaux rouge

Médaille militaire avantMédaille militaire après

Cécile Chancerel is a member of the SPEF (Professional Union of French Enamellers).

http://www.spef-emailleurs.com