lillian jones - enamel jewelry 1

Lillian Jones - Enamel Jewelry

03/09/2009 19:39:34http://www.enamellist.com/tutorials.php

Enamel on Silver: The forge and fuse technique Part 1

This is part 1 of 2 of my Enamel on Silver: The forge and fuse technique tutorial. To access part 2 go back to the main tutorial page andclick part 2.

The first step is making the rim for the enamel.

I wrap 16 gauge fine silver wire around a suitable mandrel and cut it into individual rings with shears.



Next I close the ring and align the ends.

The wire is fused into a solid ring, without solder.

I set my rolling mill to about 20 gauge, and roll the ring to flatten it.



The flattened ring is rounded out.

The two pieces are annealed, flattened again and prepared for fusing.

I apply a copper solution to the ring.



The ring and disk are fused together from below.

The fused base will maintain a highly reflective surface below the enamel.

I make sketches of the base and the cloisonne wires.



You can embellish the surface of the blank by various methods. Here, I am engraving a texture.

Now is the time to put holes, if desired.



It is important to dome the piece to control warpage in the firing stage.

Here are two silver bases, one engraved and the other blank.

Make several copies of your image, and cover one with doublestick tape.



Use the untaped copy to shape and trim the cloisonne wires.

Place the shaped wires on the taped copy for safekeeping. It helps keep all the pieces organized.

The base coat of clear enamel is sifted onto the front of the piece, and fired.



The wires are now adhered to the base, and ready for the foils and enamel. This concludes part one. Go back tothe previous page and click part 2 to continue with this tutorial.

lillian jones - enamel jewelry 1

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