There are many ways to make enamel jewelry; here you will find information about the tools and techniques that are used in the Winding Way studio.
What is enameling?
A process of fusing powdered glass to metal with heat.
If you’re taking a workshop, explore this page to get familiar with the materials and tools we’ll be using.
and science to create wearable art
Enamel
Enamel can be purchased as a powder or as a liquid and can be applied to metals including copper and silver. Adding heat (800C/1500F), either from a torch or a kiln, fuses the enamel to the metal. In the studio, you’ll find powdered enamel being fused to copper sheet metal with a handheld torch.
Enamel is glass, a combination of silica, lime, soda, and a small amount of borax. With these components alone, enamel is transparent after heating. But enamel can be made opaque and given essentially any color imaginable by adding mixes of minerals such cobalt (blue) and iron (black to red depending on oxidation). When fired, the power melts and turns molten. When the heat is removed, the enamel cools and forms a glassy, hard surface.
Thompson Enamels (United States) and W.G. Ball (England) are two producers of enamel powder and liquid.
HISTORY & USES
Enameling combines techniques from the traditions of both glass work and metalwork to create boldly colored, intricate designs on objects ranging from rings to chalices to weaponry.
Fabergรฉ eggs are a famous example of the use of enamel to make art. The oldest known examples date back to ancient Egypt (1890 BCE) and Greece (1200 BCE).1,2
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Sheet Metal
Many types of metal can be flatted into sheet metal, including brass, copper, silver, and titanium.
Regardless of the type of metal, sheet metal comes an a variety of thicknesses, measured in gauge (ga).
All the enamel work in the studio is done on 24 ga copper. When copper is applied to other types of metal, the process is essentially the same, but the final colors vary slightly due to the difference in the color of the substrate.
Tools for Shaping Sheet Metal
Steel Block
A block can be used to flatten sheet metal; it also acts as a hard surface against which you can add texture to sheet metal and wire.
Raw hide hammers are great for flattening metal because they don’t mar the surface of the metal.
Dapping Block and Punches
A dapping block (aka doming block) is a metal or wooden block with divots of increasing size.
The punches are the tools with the ball on the end. The punches are perfectly sized for the divots in the block.
Tools for Cutting Sheet Metal
Tin Snips
For making straight cuts, I primarily use tin snips, which are available at hardware stores.
Tin snips are designed to cut either left, straight, or right. When buying a pair, make sure it can cut the gauge (thickness) of sheet metal you will be using.
Jeweler’s Saw
A jeweler’s saw is an amazing tool for creating any shape of metal that you want–the possibilities are endless. Read an excellent tutorial about how to use a jeweler’s saw on Instructables. I love the last step, where the author describes how make intricate cutouts.
Disc Cutter
Disc cutters are an awesome tool for making predefined shapes. Circles are the most common, but you can also find disc cutters to make rectangles, squares, stars, ovals, and more.
Hole Punch
Similar to a hole punch for paper, but for cutting small holes in metal instead! They are limited to pretty thin metal, but work very well for specific tasks.
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Wire
Wire is used to make ear wires and other components in jewelry. Wire comes in different metals, including copper, silver, and stainless steel. You can buy wire with different cross-sectional shapes (e.g., round, half-round, square) and dimensions. As with sheet metal, the dimension of a wire is measured in gauge (ga, although the two are not equivalent).
Gauge can be a confusing measurement. Just remember…
Types of Wire: Filled and Non-Filled
Using silver as an example, wire comes in several forms:
Filled wire To create filled wire, a base metal, such as copper, is encased with a very thin layer of precious metal, such as silver.
Non-filled wire Most wire is an alloy (a mix) of a precious metal, such as silver or gold, and other metals, such as copper. Sterling silver, which is the standard in high-quality jewelry, is often associated with the number “925”. This is because it is at least 92.5% pure silver. Fine silver, which is 99.9% silver, is very soft. It can be used for decorative elements, but must be mixed with other metals to make it strong enough to make something like an ear wire or a ring.
In the Studio…
In the studio, I use Argentium silver, which an an alloy of 93.5% silver + germanium + other minerals. Argentium in the studio is
- nickle free, hypoallergenic
- tarnish resistant
- responsibly sourced silver
- recycled
You can purchase Argentium wire from Rio Grade, a source of metals and tools for professional and novice jewelers. They have an amazing online library with extensive resources.
Watch to Learn More
Tools for Shaping Wire
There are myriad tools for bending and shaping wire. These are a few examples.
Common Pliers
Two types of pliers that are commonly used in jewelry studios:
Round-nose pliers (right)
Specialty Pliers
These specialty pliers are perfect for making consistently sized wire loops and rings.
3-step wire wrapping pliers (right)