JEWELRY EDUCATION > GLOSSARY > Enameling
Enameling
Enameling, the technique of fusing colored glass powder onto a metal surface under high heat, has long been associated with jewelry and ecclesiastical objects. In the Middle Ages, glowing enamels were often used in place of gems. Court jewelers from the Renaissance through the 18th century embellished elaborate brooches, watches, and clothing ornaments with enameled portraits and delicate floral bouquets, and enhanced set gemstones with enameled gold surfaces. The elaborate Easter eggs, cigarette cases, and personal accessories created by Carl Peter Faberge in the 19th century brought brief popularity again to enameling, as did the fascination with color and surface in high-style French jewelry during the 1920s and '30s.
