Enamored By Enamel

The trends toward jewelry that’s part of a painterly or artistic expression or the direction towards a feeling of renewal in jewelry continues. Independent designers revive the art of enamel as part of their approach to creating a story that revolves around pastel, vibrant or elegant colors or combinations that are either motif or gemstone driven. Creative applications of both vitreous glass (hard/hot) enamel and epoxy resin (soft/cold) enamel come into play in various collections. The difference is vitreous glass enamel can come to life in multiple forms, such as champlevé and plique-à-jour, guilloche, and other techniques. It goes through many processes and is much more challenging to work with and often more expensive due to the time, preparation and intricate goldsmithing that goes into a hard/hot enamel piece. These usually are brought to life in elegant, sophisticated or ultra-feminine designs

As far as epoxy resin goes, there is a wide range of color choices in this style of enamel which is created with a whimsical or playful approach to motifs or is used to enhance larger candy-colored gemstones. All types have become desirable to jewelry enthusiasts. Motifs run the gamut in both hard and soft enameling and reference antique jewelry or ‘60s pop art— but all are reworked with the distinctive aesthetic of the designer creating the pieces.

Here are some simple descriptions of different techniques of hard/hot enamel. Some of the designers play off the old-world enamel processes, creating a contemporary version of them.

Plique-à-jour is transparent or opalescent enamel, allowing light to shine through, creating a stained glass effect.

Guilloche is transparent enamel over an engraved surface, highlighting the beauty of the colors used and enhancing the underlying design.

Champlevé is the process of creating a recessed area filled with usually opaque enamel, creating the design or motif.

Here is a sampling of designers who work in the different techniques of vitreous glass enamel and those that work in epoxy resin, both of which are catching the eye of today’s jewelry devotee:

House of Lif’s plique-a-jour 18K gold rings with diamond accents.

Alice Cicolini’s 22K gold Jodphur miniature leave ring with vitreous glass enamel which was inspired by a piece in the HRH Maharaja of Jodhpur’s private miniature collection.

Cece Fine Jewellery’s Poison Ivy hoops from the new Wildflower collection in 18K gold with champleve enamel and star set diamonds.

Selim Mouzannar gemstone, vitreous glass enamel and diamond bracelet.

Ark Fine Jewelry’s 18K gold plique-a-jour Mini Violet Aura Dreamweaver Huggies.

Nada Ghazal Jewelry’s 18K gold Beauty Glory enamel rings are designed to look like classic mosaic tile or exotic rug patterns

Gwen Barba’s Fiori ring in 18K gold with champleve enameling.

Kavant & Sharart Twist Reflection Double Jacket Earrings set in 18k yellow gold with orange sapphire and yellow plique-a-jour enamel transformable earrings with pearl centers.

Selim Mouzannar’s pink gold pendant with transparent vitreous glass enamel set with a pink gold and diamond star.

FoundRae’s 18K gold champleve enamel Correction Course Compass pendant on heavy belcher chain

Brook Gregson 18K gold Australian Opal Sunrise Enamel necklace with diamond accents.

Nadine Assoy’s 18K gold epoxy resin/cold enamel and multi sapphire necklace, accent by brilliant cut diamonds.

Emily Wheeler’s modern take on the tennis bracelet in 18K gold, pink tourmaline and lime epoxy resin/cold enamel. Wheeler also works with vitreous glass enamel.

Jenna Blake’s epoxy resin/cold enamel 18K gold crescent moons in fall 2022 colors with twinkling diamond accents.

Bea Bongiasca epoxy resin/cold enamel Letter Necklace in 9K yellow gold Letter A with rainbow enamel.

Marie Lichtenberg’s 18K gold “After the rain comes the rainbow” double pendant necklace in epoxy resin/cold enamel with diamond accents.

Katherine Jetter’s 14K yellow gold and pink enamel Graffiti Collection cherry earrings.

Eva Fehren’s epoxy resin/cold enamel initial pendants.