Enameling
 A
decorative technique in which all or a part of an object, often
silver, bronze or copper is coated with a brightly coloured molten
glass. Simply put enamel is really colored glass composed of silicates.
This glass composition adheres to the metal through fusion under
very high temperatures. The color of the enamel and its degree of
transparency depend on the metal oxides that exist in the glass
and the temperature at which the glass melts and coheres to the
surface.
Vitreous enamel
has many excellent properties: it is smooth, hard, chemically resistant,
durable, can take on long-lasting, brilliant colors, and cannot
burn but on the downside it has a tendency to crack or shatter when
the substrate is stressed or bent.
Some
enameling techniques include:
• Basse-taille, from the French word meaning
"low-cut". The surface of the metal is decorated with
a low relief design which can be seen through translucent and transparent
enamels.
• Champlevé, French for "raised
field", where the surface is carved out to form pits in which
enamel is fired, leaving the original metal exposed.
• Cloisonné, French for "cell",
where thin wires are applied to form raised barriers, which contain
different areas of enamel applied above the original metal form.
• Grisaille, French term meaning "greying",
where dark, often blue or black background is applied, then limoges
or opalescent (translucent) enamel is applied on top, building up
designs in a monochrome gradient, paler as the thickness of the
layer of light color increases.
• Limoges, named after the town in France
where it was invented, is the technique of "painting"
with an especial enamel called "blanc de limoges" over
a dark enamelled surface to form a detailed picture, often human
figure. It is a form of Grisaille.
• Plique-à-jour, French for "braid
letting in daylight" where the enamel is applied in cells,
similar to champlevé, but with no backing, so light can shine
through the transparent or translucent enamel. It has a stained-glass
like appearance.
• Ronde bosse, French for "round bump".
A 3D type of enameling where a sculptural form is completely or
partly enameled.
• Stenciling, where a stencil is placed over
the work and the powdered enamel is sifted over the top. The stencil
is removed before firing, the enamel staying in a pattern, slightly
raised.
• Sgrafitto, where an unfired layer of enamel
is applied over a previously fired layer of enamel of a contrasting
color, and then partly removed with a tool to create the design.
• Counter enameling, not strictly a technique,
but a necessary step in many techniques, is to apply enamel to the
back of a piece as well - sandwiching the metal - to create less
tension on the glass so it does not crack.
Enameling
goes in and out of fashion, but it was particularly popular during
the Victorian era.
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