Cloisonne

Cloisonne is one of those mediums that offer a painterly quality to 2 and 3 dimensional objects. Fine jewelry cloisonne artist Sheila Beatty best describes cloisonne as:

The ancient and elusive medium of cloisonné is slow and painstaking in its creation. The design of each piece is defined by fine ribbons of silver or gold, which I shape by hand and place on a fine silver backing. The compartments thus created are filled with thin layers of enamel - glass ground into a powder - in vibrant colors. Each layer is fired in a kiln at a high temperature.

I found an interesting article online that discusses the pricing and characteristics of authentic cloisonne jewelry. They suggest that buyers should be wary of imported cloisonne that tries to pass as an older piece. You may view it at http://www.antiqueshoppefl.com/archives/agilbert/cloisonne.htm. I personally prefer the cloisonne jewelry of contemporary American artists such as Sheila Beatty, Carly Wright and Anne Havel. Their work was featured in the June issue of the Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist magazine.

Cloisonne History

Among the earliest examples of cloisonné are six Mycenaean rings of the 13th century bc. The great Western period of cloisonné enameling was from the 10th to the 12th century, especially in the Byzantine Empire. In China cloisonné was widely produced during the Ming (1368–1644) and Qing (1644–1911/12) dynasties. In Japan, it was especially popular during the Tokugawa (1603–1868) and Meiji (1868–1912) periods.. "

Jewelry appearing in this article is the handcrafted work of Sheila Beatty.