This is a cloisonné vitreous enamel eye. Each eye starts its life as flat copper sheet which is then hand-sawed, prepared to accept cloisonné enamel in a long process requiring several kiln firings, then embellished with fine silver foil to give a glitzy underlay before fine silver wires are manually curved into shape, then filled with thin layers of coloured enamel which each require their own kiln firing. When the tops of the wires are filled and vitrified, the piece is then hand-ground using diamond hand tools to give it a lustrous look and letting the depth of colour and transparency really show through the layers of glass through which the silver foil glints. The white parts of the eye have a soft iridescence through use of opalescent enamel, a tempermental sort of enamel that is hard to master. The whole process of creating these eyes took 4 days.
The resulting piece is a manmade gemstone, and now for the first time I'm offering my cloisonné to other jewelers to have the opportunity to set and create with whatever they please. I hope you feel inspired to give it context.
At a glance:
- Cloisonne vitreous enamel on foiled copper
- Size: ≈0.5X0.75"
- flat back
Important Information Before You Purchase:
- Each of these cloisonné enamel pieces features unique characteristics, including slight imperfections such as internal tension cracks near wires, small divots or raised areas, and occasional darker spots where the enamel has shifted within the kiln. These should be appreciated similarly to inclusions in gemstones or the distinctive nature of pottery glazes. If you prefer to work with gems that do not have such incidental variations, these pieces may not be suitable for you.
- Please note that these pieces require close-back setting due to exposed foil on the backs, as shown in the last image.
