Handmade Jewellery Desings and Descriptions- Indian : Enamel Jewellery

An enamel or Rostov Finift in terms of jewellery is a fusion with the use of a special powdered glass to the metals. The name Rostov is the name of the town of the enamel goods was produced and FINIT is an Old Russian names of enamel methods being made.

There are different ways and skills to make the glass but all the methods use the heat to melt the powder. In the past, they used enamel that worked with silver but none of the region matched the fine quality of the Russians craftsmanship. One of the process used by the Russians were of the filigree sterling silver then the enamel jewellery carried a history at its time. In order to relate enamel in other term is that it is an enhancing method applied to the glass to the surface of a metal usually of copper, gold or bronze.

Enamel jewellery history draws back to Egypt in 1800 BC, when gold ornaments were inlaid with small pieces of precious stone and in the 300 BC, the Greeks merged the semi-precious stones into their designs, including emeralds, amethysts, garnets, and pearls. While in 1862, the jewellery gained in popularity after the death of Prince Albert.

Today's enamel jewellery has a beautiful finish and comes in hundreds of wonderful colours. Recently the "new enamel" has emerged; bright epoxy paints that embrace the colour spectrum and can turn a plain piece of pewter jewellery into something stunningly original.

True enamel jewellery making involves fusing coloured, powdered glass to metals using heat. In the 1950s my parents kept a small kiln in the old coal cellar of our house where they created masterpieces in ashtrays and screw-on earrings. (Both of them were artists, but this was just a side hobby) I still have some lovely examples of copper earrings with intricately patterned enamelling in warm colours and designs.

Perhaps the epoxy paints used to produce so many of today's masterpieces shouldn't strictly be called enamel, but at first glance there isn't much difference. Purists may differ, but materials used to produce various effects do alter through time.

I find it fascinating that some enamel work has been found as early as the Hellenistic epoch, a period of time from Alexander the Great's death in 323 B.C. to 146 B.C. when the Romans conquered Greece. By the end of this time period, enamelling and use of coloured stones in jewellery making was becoming more popular than work done by the gold and silversmiths of the day. I think people of all times have loved colour, and the brilliance of a ruby or even an earring inset with colourful but inexpensive enamel began competing with the precious metals for the eye of the rich shopper centuries ago.

The 5th century Byzantine world saw the creation of very ornate jewellery. Enamelling was liberally used in the designs, along with peals and precious stones. There was much beautiful jewellery created during this time period, all the way up to 1204 when Constantinople, capital of the Byzantine empire fell during the Crusades and so many gorgeous objects of art were melted down for their worth in gold and silver alone.

The Anglo-Saxons of the 7th century created some intricate cloisonné enamel work, much of it polychrome, meaning "many colours". These were detailed designs reminiscent of Celtic knot work and must have been incredibly time consuming.

Moving forward into the early Renaissance, enamel continued as a favourite medium for many jewellery artists. I'm looking at a photo of a lovely enamel pendant in gold and blue depicting a branch with many-hued birds. It seems to be a locket, although the shape is irregular so it certainly didn't hold a painted portrait. Perhaps it was used to keep herbs or gemstones inside.

Wherever artists create jewellery, enamel will be found. From detailed cloisonné work in ancient China to today's epoxy enamel earrings and pins, colour will always evoke emotion and excitement. Enamel has long been a way to enter colour into designs without having to supply the expensive and limited variations of precious and semiprecious stones.

Enamel jewellery comes in:

Enamel Bangles Jewellery