Part of: Cloisonné
Enamelling is the art of fusing powdered glass onto metal by firing it in a kiln, giving a hard, glossy layer of colour. Jewellers have developed many ways of holding the enamel in place: in wire cells (cloisonné), in hollows cut into the metal (champlevé), over an engraved or engine-turned surface (basse-taille and guilloché), or with no backing at all, like stained glass (plique-à-jour). Each technique leaves its own clues, which help to date and identify a piece.
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Is enamel jewellery plastic?
No. True enamel is glass, ground to a powder and fired onto gold, silver or copper until it melts and fuses to the metal, which leaves a hard, cold, colourfast surface. Resin or epoxy, sometimes sold as cold enamel, is set without firing: it is softer, warmer to the touch and scratches more easily.
What is enamel?
Enamel is glass ground to a fine powder, coloured with metal oxides and fused to metal, usually gold, silver or copper, in a kiln. Once fired it is hard, permanent and resists fading. Most pieces are built up in several layers and firings. Enamel is glass, so it can chip or crack if the piece is knocked or bent.
The main enamelling techniques
- Cloisonné
- How it is made
- Fine wires soldered to the metal make cells (cloisons) that hold the enamel
- How to recognise it
- Thin metal lines outline every area of colour
- Champlevé
- How it is made
- Hollows are cut or cast into the metal and filled with enamel
- How to recognise it
- Areas of enamel sit level with broader bands of metal
- Basse-taille
- How it is made
- Transparent enamel over a design engraved or chased in low relief
- How to recognise it
- The pattern shows through the coloured glass, darker where it is deeper
- Guilloché
- How it is made
- Transparent enamel over an engine-turned pattern
- How to recognise it
- Fine, regular waves or rays glow through the enamel
- Plique-à-jour
- How it is made
- Enamel held in an open framework with no backing
- How to recognise it
- Light shines through the enamel like stained glass
- Painted enamel
- How it is made
- Enamel applied with a brush, like painting, on a smooth enamel ground
- How to recognise it
- Portraits, flowers and scenes with fine detail and shading
- En ronde bosse
- How it is made
- Enamel applied to small three-dimensional figures
- How to recognise it
- Enamel on rounded surfaces, often in Renaissance jewels
Cloisonné
Cloisonné is one of the oldest techniques, used in the Byzantine world and in China, and later in Japan and Russia. Thin wires are bent into the outline of the design and soldered to the base, and each cell is filled with a different colour. Russian silversmiths around 1900 combined cloisonné with filigree wire and shaded colours, as on the silver-gilt piece in our photograph.
Champlevé
In champlevé ("raised field") the enamel sits in hollows carved or cast into the metal, leaving metal lines and borders standing between the colours. Medieval Limoges in France was famous for champlevé on copper, and the technique is common on Victorian and later jewellery.
Basse-taille and guilloché
Both use transparent enamel over a patterned metal surface. In basse-taille the pattern is engraved or chased by hand; in guilloché it is cut by an engine-turning machine into regular waves, rays or sunbursts. Guilloché enamel is closely associated with Fabergé and with fine cigarette cases, compacts and watches of the early 1900s.
Plique-à-jour
Plique-à-jour ("open to the light") has no metal backing, so light passes through the enamel like a stained-glass window. It is one of the most difficult techniques and a favourite of Art Nouveau jewellers such as René Lalique, as well as Russian and Scandinavian silversmiths.
Painted enamel
0 of 2 checked
1In painted enamel the design
In painted enamel the design is painted in enamel colours on a smooth white or coloured enamel ground and fired in stages.
2Limoges in France was a centre of
Limoges in France was a centre of painted enamel from the 1400s, and portrait miniatures and Victorian brooches often use it.
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How to care for enamel
Enamel is glass on metal. Avoid knocks and bending, keep pieces away from sudden heat, and clean them with a soft dry cloth. Do not use silver dips or ultrasonic cleaners on enamel. Chips and losses should be restored only by a specialist.
What makes enamelled pieces valuable?
The technique (plique-à-jour and fine guilloché are among the most demanding), the maker and marks, the metal, the quality and condition of the enamel (chips, cracks and restorations matter), the design and the period. We never publish figures; every piece is different.
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- Technique
- Maker and marks
- Metal
- Enamel condition
- Design
- Period
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Questions people ask
What is enamelling?
Fusing powdered glass onto metal by firing it in a kiln, to give a hard, glossy layer of colour.
What are the main enamelling techniques?
Cloisonné, champlevé, basse-taille, guilloché, plique-à-jour, painted enamel and en ronde bosse.
What is the difference between cloisonné and champlevé?
In cloisonné the enamel sits in cells made of thin wires soldered on the surface; in champlevé it fills hollows cut or cast into the metal itself.
What is plique-à-jour enamel?
Enamel held in an open metal framework with no backing, so light shines through it like stained glass.
Is enamel the same as niello?
No. Enamel is glass in many colours; niello is a black inlay of metal sulphides.
How do you clean enamel jewellery?
With a soft dry cloth. Avoid silver dips, harsh chemicals and ultrasonic cleaners.
What is enamel made of?
Enamel is glass: silica melted with fluxes and coloured with metal oxides, then ground to a fine powder. The powder is laid on the metal and fired in a kiln at around 750 to 850 degrees Celsius until it melts into a smooth, permanent layer. Several thin layers are usually fired in turn.
Do enamel rings last?
Fired enamel does not fade, but it is glass, so rings and bracelets that take knocks can chip over time, especially on raised edges. Many Victorian enamel rings survive in good condition. Take enamel rings off for heavy work, clean them with a soft cloth and keep them away from ultrasonic cleaners.
Can enamel jewellery be repaired?
Yes, by a specialist enameller, but re-firing a finished piece risks the surrounding enamel, solder and stones, so many repairs use cold enamel or resin instead. Collectors prefer original enamel, and any restoration should be disclosed when a piece is sold, because it affects value.
Is enamel jewellery valuable?
It can be. Value depends on the technique and quality of the work, the metal, the maker, the period and above all the condition of the enamel. Fabergé guilloché, Art Nouveau plique-à-jour, Victorian lockets and signed Art Deco pieces are what collectors look for first; chips and repairs lower value.
What is copper enamel jewellery?
It is jewellery made of enamel fired onto copper, popular for mid-20th century craft and studio brooches, bracelets and pendants in bright colours. Copper is not hallmarked, so most pieces are unmarked, and they are collected for their design and maker rather than their metal.
Are enamel heart lockets and floral rings valuable?
They can be. Enamel heart lockets and flower rings were made from the Georgian period to the 1970s. Check for a hallmark or a 9KT, 18KT or 925 mark: gold and silver pieces with intact enamel are worth far more than enamel on base metal, and Victorian examples are collected.
Related guides
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