FAQ:The technique
of cloisonne enameling 
The technique of granulation
Techniques such as granulation, enameling and chainmaking
have been around for centuries. Here are some mini-articles we have
put together on the processes and techniques Nancy uses in her jewelry.
Many items can be custom ordered, just email
us with your request and we will get back to you with price
and delivery.
CLOISONNE ENAMELING
Cloisonné, an ancient metalworking technique, is a multi-step
enamel process used to produce jewelry, vases, and other decorative
items.
Cloisonné first developed in the Near East. It spread to the Byzantine
Empire and from there along the Silk Road to China.
First, the artist forms silver or copper into the shape of the finished object.
Cloisonné wire, which is pure silver wire (sometimes 24k gold wire)
usually about .010 x .040 inches in cross section, is bent into shapes that
define the colored areas. This done with small pliers, tweezers, and custom
made jigs.
The cloisonné wire is set in place using a clear enamel which tacks
the wires to the surface. The surface must be fine silver, high karat gold
or copper. Nancy uses fine silver for her surface. Sometimes very thin silver
or 24k gold foils are placed into the cloisons to add depth and luminosity
to an area before filling with color.
Vitreous enamel (glass crushed to a powder) is packed wet into the cloisons
(cells). After the enamel has dried, firing in an oven melts it onto the metal.
Several repetitions of the process will build up the coatings to the height
of the partitions. Various colors and transparencies may be used in combination
within a single partition to obtain the desired artistic effect. It is a labor
intensive process and can take many firings over many days.
The glass and a portion of the cloisons are ground and polished to form an
even and smooth surface. Once the enamel “jewel” is complete, it
is then placed in a silver or gold hand fabricated setting.
GRANULATION
Granulation, the art of creating a surface pattern on jewelry with
tiny balls, dates back to the third millennium BC. The technique
was invented in the Eastern Mediterranean and Egypt and later refined
by Etruscan goldsmiths. 
The process begins when wire is cut into short lengths and melted
into round granules that are placed on the jewelry in the desired
pattern. They’re held in place with a temporary glue made from
plant sap. In the best examples, the balls are attached permanently
with heating (which evaporates the glue), not soldering. But it’s
a difficult process because the temperature has to be hot enough
to fuse the ball to the surface, but not enough to melt the ball
into an amorphous puddle. It only works with pure silver or 22k gold,
which doesn’t oxidize when heated. Oxidation would interfere
with the fusing process.
Granulation or fusing involves raising the temperature of both
the backsheet and the granules and wires to be fused, to the point
at which they melt just enough so that they will adhere permanently
to one another. It is done using a small kiln to heat the bottom
of the piece while heating the top of the piece with a torch.
This is a very delicate operation. If the correct temperature is
not reached, the items to be fused will not hold properly, making
it necessary to reheat the whole piece and try again. If the temperature
gets too high, too fast, meltdown can occur, which is irreversible.
Therefore, lots of skill is needed to bring both the backsheet and
the object to be fused to the appropriate temperature very slowly.
The artist will see a quick “flash” in the metal, which
occurs for just an instant. It is something one must learn simply
by doing.
Most granulated pieces get a quick brushing with a brass brush to
give them a nice buffed finish rather than a high shine.
