Enamel is making a comeback.
I know that as I search it out specifically, my bias might be a bit skewed, but I seem to find more and more enamel artists. Or at least they are out on the web in greater numbers. I meet a lot of people who dabbled in enamel in high school or college in the 1950’s or 60’s, but I also know many people are unfamiliar with enamel beyond its use in tubs and sinks, if that.
Enamel has its industrial uses. It is the used to coat sinks, bathtubs (think claw-foot) and signs. The old signs for the Underground stations, London’s subway, are enamel. Cities and towns are going back to enamel signs, finding that they are a better investment than plastic for their durability.
it is also one of the oldest ways of decorating metal.
If you are looking at enamel jewelry and don’t know anything about what you are looking at there are some things to look for. “Enamel” is used for costume jewelry that is painted and made in China. It shouldn’t look cheap. It should feel like glass. Most enamel jewelry is given a final firing to bring up the glossiness of the piece and any matte surfaces should be deliberate. Look at the back of the enamel (if you can. It should have a similar amount of enamel on the reverse of the piece. This is something that gives the enamel stability, the metal needs to have enamel on both sides to keep from crazing (cracks) or chipping off. The enamel should be from edge to edge and an equal thickness throughout. There should be no burn out ( where the enamel pulled away or burnt off exposing the metal) or splotches where the color fades away. This is not to say that these looks can’t be incorporated into a piece, but again it should be deliberate.
Enamel comes in many forms(including cloisonne, painting, champleve, plique-a-jour, screen print ,and scrafita), from many different places(USA, UK, Japan), and these days in many different mediums(including liquid, powder, crayons, decals, and watercolors). Heat is needed to fuse the glass to the metal. Some use a kiln, others a jeweler’s torch - each gives the enamel a different look. so does how long you heat the piece, at what temperature, how much adhesive and how it is applied, how well you clean the piece between firings, what kind of enamel is used and what color. The list is endless.
When you see an enameled piece, you are looking at something that is labor intensive and for the most part does not have shortcuts that do not end up showing up in the finished piece. Usually you work on one piece at a time.
That is not to say that there are not bad enamelers out there or artists that do not know how to price their wares, but most of what I have seen has been inventive, priced reasonably, and beautiful - wearable works of art.