Cloisonne Enamel

Cloisonne (pronounced cloy-zon-ay, French for ”partition”) is an ancient metalwork technique that makes use of small, precious metal filaments and colorful glass enamels to create brilliant artwork. The metal wires are bent into shapes to create small cells, (partitions) of designs, and many coats of finely ground glass enamel are fired into them until one unique piece of art is rendered. Cloisonne is most commonly used in jewelry making, though illustrations of the craft can be found in many facets of the art world, including the production of hand-made dishes, vases and abstract pottery.

Though the art form’s origins are most likely Middle Eastern, Chinese Cloisonne is the most renowned and permeated throughout the world. Cloisonne’s popularity spread quickly throughout Asia and Europe, and examples of the art can be seen in Byzantine

mosaics, inside Saint Mark’s Basilica in Venice, and in prized Russian Czarist jewelry. The most notable quality in Cloisonne is the art master’s exceptional attention to detail in creating unique designs from the pure silver base and 24 karat gold filaments. Every design is handcrafted, which guarantees a matchless piece of art each time. Custom designs are often painted on paper with watercolors prior to beginning the process in order to estimate the appearance of the final product.

After the original artwork is decided upon, the metal ribbon like strands of 24 karat gold wire are individually bent, twisted and oftentimes soldered together to produce a blueprint for where the colored enamels will later be painted.

This design is attached to a base of pure silver by firing it with a clear coat of glass enamel in a kiln.

After the silver pendant has cooled from its initial firing, the painting process begins. The metal filaments serve as the pattern for the colorful enamel glass, and the artisan paints only one coat at a time into the design.

The pendant is fired again and again after each consecutive enamel coat. This is a painstakingly delicate practice, but the layering and firing of each coat of glass is critical in achieving a deep, vibrant color scheme for the design. As many as 25 layers of enamel can be added to a single piece of Cloisonne jewelry. After the partitions have been enameled and fired to the artist’s satisfaction,

The pendant is polished and placed in a custom-made, perfectly fit 18-karat gold setting. Each Cloisonne rendering takes multiple weeks of dedicated attention to complete, but the finished product is guaranteed to be worth the wait.

Simple Gold Refining in the Small Studio

Simple Instructions for Reclaiming and Refining Gold in the Small Studio
With gold casting grain topping $1627.00 USD in August 2011 it is now perhaps more prudent to learn to reprocess one's scrap rather than paying the refinery all the charges incurred from submitting it for jobbing.Most important is to be conscientious in the collection of scrap at the bench, from equipment and the collective amount over a given period ( say, quarterly or twice a year) that is lost literally down the drain.Cleaning up after grinding, polishing, and cutting are standard habits a novice should cultivate as the return is staggering compared to simply allowing particulate matter and more tangible pieces to collect until there is a visible residue on or near surfaces, the floor and in less obvious places- like the welds on your shoes and those of your colleagues and employees in the shop.Use a bench skin when sitting at the bench.Install foam type flooring sections around areas that require sitting or standing to complete an operation.A mat that holds large adhesive sheets will pay for the initial outlay and a couple of years worth of refills following the first reclaimation of large materials*. Wipe down all grinding and other fabrication equipment and areas with a damp paper towe that can then be tossed in a plastic lined bin (note: don't ever combine oily rags nor any sort of towelling containing solvents into a non metal closed container for reasons of spontaneous combustability. You may buy safety cans for those materials or just use a small galvanised bin with a fairly tight fitting lid specifically dedicated to clean-up materials that have been wetted with anything other than water).also remeber to reapply an oil or wax to your tools,rolling mill , and any thing else that is left in open air or has been in contact with dampness and humidity to prevent rust from forming and ruining the item- bit of preentative maintenance is well worth the extra time it takes -even when you are beyond ready to end your jewelry making session and studio.
Mark some seamless containers with the colour and karat of the golds you purchase and one for bench sweeps , and polihings that will have dust from each grade of raw material you used but is not sortable. If a piece is large enough to definitively sort, check it with a testing stone and acid before you combine it into an established lot- that small bit of,14karat yellow gold from vendor "a" has the potential to wreck an entire melt and pour yielding at least inconsistent results.s