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The Basics of Making Your Own Cloisonne

by Delia Stone.
(Gulf Coast of Florida)

Previously, I shared a few of my cloisonne pieces. Many respondents were intrigued and wanted to know more about how it’s done.

I promised to follow up with more information on how I make my handmade cloisonne pieces and I’m making good on that promise. Here I offer a brief view (much abbreviated) into the creation of one of my original cloisonne works.

I begin by cutting out a shape to be the base of the work. I dome the piece to add strength to the metal to help avoid warping (not always successfully).

I generally use a copper base which I add counter enamel to the back side and a layer of opaque white to the front side in preparation to create a canvas of sorts to build on.

The counter enamel is very important because it also aids in helping to prevent the metal, which is annealed during the firing process, from warping. It will also ensure that your enamel does not chip, crack and break off of the front of the piece.

After putting so much time into a piece you wouldn’t want that to happen – and it most certainly will without the counter enamel.

Once the base is prepared, I use fine silver cloisonne wire (it’s a flat wire that looks like a ribbon) to form the many pieces, rather like a puzzle, that will create my picture.

Once the pieces are formed and the puzzle is ready to be put together I dip my wires into an organic binder (like a glue) and position them on the front side of the base.

The result looks like my Krabby:

After this I am ready to add color.

I like to use transparent enamels mostly, but I do mix them with opaque enamels sometimes as well. In my mermaid I am using an opaque green on her tail and transparents everywhere else.

I add water to the finely ground enamels so that I can use it rather like paint. I apply a thin layer of color with a fine tipped sable brush and spread it around as evenly as possible.

This picture was actually taken after the next picture, but I include it in this order so you can see how I apply the enamel:

At this point I actually have several layers of color already on the mermaid as I am adding yet another layer.

When working with transparent enamels I add thin layer of color after thin layer after thin layer. The idea is to continue adding color until the cells of your puzzle are filled and the enamel is flush with the top of the cells.

Adding too heavy a layer of transparent enamel will result in a muddy, clouded color. Not good.

No matter how much enamel you add, you will find that it shrinks to a paper thin layer after each firing – still, you must follow the rule of very thin layers with transparents.

This means that you will spend a good deal of time ‘painting’ and firing your piece again and again. This can be a time consuming process but it is very rewarding to create your own unique pieces to set.

Here I give you a close up view of the piece in progress:

You can see that the cells are pretty deep and I have several layers of color and firings ahead of me. I’ve added some fine silver foil in the background of the water to give it the illusion of movement in the current.

I will continue to add layers and follow with firings until the enamel has filled the cells. Then I grind back the surface to level it, smooth it and bring the clean, bright silver wires to the surface.

Once this is achieved I fire the piece on final time to restore a gloss to the jewel – then I’m ready to set.

Here is the completed piece:

A unique creation made by me and set by me. It’s a gratifying feeling to know that my pieces are COMPLETELY handmade and a true representation of the vision I set out with.

Perhaps one day you would like to make your own unique pieces to set in your jewelry?

I hope you enjoyed this view into the process.

Delia Stone
More About My Journey Through Enamels, with Process Photos
Deliasstones on Etsy