Plique-à-jour Gothic Window Series

 

Enameling is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects using glass, called vitreous enamel. This art is ancient and is intrinsic in different forms in Asian, Middle Eastern, and European cultures. Enamels are ground glass with minerals added to produce color when fired. Enamels are quite like ceramic glazes. Many examples and history can be found on the web. Videos of techniques can be found on YouTube.

 

My Technique

 

Plique-à-jour (French for "letting in daylight") is a vitreous enameling technique where the enamel is applied in cells, similar to cloisonné, but with no backing in the final product, so light can shine through the transparent or translucent enamel. Think of miniature stain glass. I cast my three dimensional designs in sterling silver. Then I kiln fire glass, (vitreous enamel) into the voids or cells. The technique is similar to cloisonné, but with no backing in the final product, so light can shine through the transparent or translucent enamel. I use transparent and opaque enamels on my gothic window pendants.

 

Other Techniques

 

Cloisonné The decoration is formed by first adding compartments (cloisons in French) to the metal object by soldering or affixing silver or gold wires or thin strips placed on their edges. These remain visible in the finished piece, separating the different compartments of the enamel, which are often of several colors. Usually it is finished by various techniques to a gem quality satin finish. Look at Chinese vases.

 

Champlevé is an enameling technique in which troughs or cells are carved, etched, die struck, or cast into the surface of a metal object, and filled with vitreous enamel. Basically it is Cloisonné but the surface of the piece is not ground to a level smooth finish. In Champlevé, the surface is intentionally left topographical.

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