Enamel in jewelry is one of those unique techniques that combines art, craft, and history. It adds not only color, but also depth, complexity, and a touch of uniqueness to any piece of jewelry. But when exactly did enamel accessories appear, and why do more and more fashionistas choose them today? Let's discuss everything in turn.
The first enamel in jewelry
When many people see jewelry with colorful enamel in the collections of modern brands, they think that this trend has emerged quite recently. But this is not the case at all.
The oldest examples of jewelry with multicolored inserts were found in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs. For example, hundreds of jewelry and art objects with enamel were found in the tomb of Tutankhamen. One of the most famous findings is a figurine of a winged scarab that can be seen in the Egyptian Museum.
Enamel was also actively used for the creation of jewelry designs in ancient China in the XI century. This technique was called Cloisonne. Many historians tend to believe that it came to China from Egypt, because the principles of enameling are very similar.
Jewelers used precious metal to create a pattern, which consisted of small partitions, on the surface of a piece of jewelry. Then the partitions were carefully filled with enamel - molten glass with the addition of colored impurities. In this way, bright examples of ancient art were created. They looked quite attractive, but did not cost as much as jewelry with unique gemstones.
From China, the technique of decorating jewelry with enamel spread to Europe, where it was especially popular among French craftsmen. It was they who began to use it not only for jewelry but also for decorating religious objects, such as crosses, altars, bowls, etc.
However, the real boom in enamel designs took place during the Renaissance and the Art Nouveau period. During that time, jewelers significantly improved the technology and expanded the range of its applications. By the way, the legendary Fabergé egg collection (some pieces of which were almost completely covered with enamel) was created during the Art Nouveau period.
Enamel in modern jewelry
Today, jewelry brands use enamel in their designs quite often. There are a lot of reasons for this:
the ability to create bright pieces that will not wear out;
several layers of transparent or semi-transparent enamel can add depth and volume to design elements;
different enamel variants allow creating unique textures and effects in designs;
enamel makes it possible to customize jewelry.
Dozens of celebrities absolutely adore jewelry with colored inlays for their uniqueness and interesting look. In the photo below, for example, Blake Lively wears diamond earrings with black enamel by Lorraine Schwartz, and Dua Lipa wears a ring with pink enamel by the Ukrainian brand Poche.
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