Enamel Excitement!

POSTED BY Victoria Tillotson, 22 October 2007

It was exciting and inspiriting to see Peggy's art nouveau and art deco jewelry these last few weeks! As a former dealer of vintage jewelry and general vintage lover, it was great to see a really refined collection and learn about the Arts and Crafts style. I love enamel, as Peggy does, and like to use cold enamel in my work. (I'm not yet 100% on my hot enaml technigue - sshh!!)  Anyway, enamel is a great way to bring color and brilliance into your jewelry...without the price tag of gemstones. I encourage all jewelry enthusiasts to take a class on enamel. It will totally expand your repertoire! And if you don't want to add it to your jewels, you can also enamel bowls and other decorative objects. (And you'll have fun doing it).

So I thought I'd show some cool enamel pieces from later in the 1900s, specifically Modernism 1960s! (I know, broken record about modernism, but hang with me...these are awesome).

My favorite enamelist of the 1960s-1970s is Norman Grant, a Scottish artist. My friend Vanessa Frisbee wrote an awesome article for Modern Silver Magazine called "The Wonderful World of Norman Grant." I'm stealing some pics from here! (Thanks Vee!). Check this out:

This pendant is made of sterling silver and (of course) enamel. Notice how Grant uses enamel like paint, to illustrate a flower representationally. This technique is different from cloisonne, in which the craftsperson makes a pattern with this sterling (or gold) wire and then fills in the colors. I love this because it looks so contemporary and organic. It's from 1974.

These earrings are great, too:

Very wearable! These are from the later 1970s.

Enamel is not just for the ladies: check out these cufflinks by Grant:

Bubble city! Very unisex, actually, probably ca. late 1960s. (I wish cufflinks would make a real comeback - I love them!!)

Finally, here's a pin:

Look at the cute little heart detail! And again, Grant uses a painterly technique for his enamel rather that cloisonne. It gives it a really abstract look.

At Modern Silver Mag, I also found the following pieces in a great article by Susan Crosby.

Super cool, right? It's not signed, meaning we can't tell who made it, but it's certainly from the 1950s and has that great Eames look. This piece espeially goes to show that enamel doesn't necessarily have to be dainty. It can be bold and modern too! And check it out: the artist incoporated a Lapis cabochon at lower right.

Here's another mod one I like:

According to Susan, it's by an artist from the 1970s named "Bachrach". I couldn't find more info about this person...what a shame! There are so many great artisans who go unknown. :(

So there you have it, some more enamel with which to become enamoured! Check back with me in a later blog this week for some definitions of enamel techniques and tips. And of course, as usual, email us with your comments!!