The Encyclopedia · Settings & techniques
Enamel
Colored glass fused to metal at high temperature.
Enamel is powdered glass fused to metal in a kiln. It can be opaque or translucent and is applied in several techniques: champlevé, cloisonné, plique-à-jour, basse-taille and painted enamel. It has colored jewelry for centuries, from Renaissance pendants and Victorian mourning rings to Art Nouveau dragonflies and the enamel animals of David Webb.
What to look for
Enamel is glass and can chip or crack. Restoration with cold enamel or resin is common and affects value; under magnification it looks duller and softer than fired enamel.
In the collection
Enamel, available now
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