Enamel Jewelry: 6 Techniques to Try

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Enameling is such a magical process – but of course it’s packed with science stuff, too. Here are six projects that use outside-the-box techniques to create interesting reactions for intriguing enamel jewelry. From using a graphite pencil or enamel crayon to replicating raku and making your own lookalike stones, get your enamels laboratory ready for experimentation.

ABOVE: Enamel bracelet by Barbara Lewis, owner of Painting with Fire Studio in St. Petersburg, FL.

Graphite Pencil on Enamel Jewelry

Jo Ann Wadler says “Pencil isn’t just for paper anymore! It’s easy to create beautiful works of art on your enamels, and if you don’t draw, that’s OK. You can doodle, even Zentangle. And the best part is if you don’t like it, you can wash it off and start again — before you put your enamel piece back in the kiln to make it permanent, of course.” The graphite becomes part of the colorful glass surface of the metal. Techniques for Graphic Enamel is more than a project, it’s loaded with tips for this creative enamel jewelry technique.

Use Craft Supplies

Here’s a new way to use your old rubber stamps or a reason to get some new ones. Jo Ann says, “Rubber stamping on enamel is fun, requires little effort, makes a great beginner project, and you’ll be amazed at your results. In Rubber Stamping with Enamels, you’ll learn how to choose the best stamps for your enamel jewelry designs, along with step-by-step instructions for trying it out. I love this technique because, even though my stamping days are long gone, I’ve saved my favorite stamps for years. This is a great way to enjoy and use them again.

Enamel Your Beads

The first time I met Barbara Lewis, she was surrounded by people watching her demonstrate painting with fire at a bead show. Her torch-firing enamel jewelry techniques are colorful and captivating. They’re perfectly suited to flat metal or rounded surfaced such as metal beads. This Autumn Bliss necklace project proves that enameling is easy if you have a few essential – but not necessarily expensive – tools, and a desire to get creative. Combine your enameled beads with gorgeous silk ribbon to make one-of-a-kind jewelry.

Draw with Enamel Crayon

Kirsten Denbow’s Colorful Enamel Dome Ring is so playful! She says, “Color is the star of this project with bright, complimentary colored disks. Enamel is a fun, easy way to add color to your work without using stones. It’s versatile and allows for an amazing array of creative solutions. I chose to draw circles on this piece to echo the disk theme. This ring is enamel on copper with sterling silver bezel and shank. The enamel can be kiln or torch fired. Get creative with color and design and personalize this ring for yourself!”

Raku Fired Enamels

Helen Driggs presents a fun enamel jewelry technique for the fearless with Raku Fired Enamels exploration. She says, “With raku firing, anything goes, and any enamel technique can be raku fired at the end — think of it as the ‘final polish’ for your work. Best of all, if you hate what you get, you can refire the piece in the kiln again and evaporate any raku effect you don’t like, effectively erasing any evidence of it from your piece.” Helen is a great instructor who includes a lot of tip and hints for having a successful experience with raku enamel jewelry experimentation.

Make Enamel Stone Lookalikes

This Torch Fired Enamel Necklace project will help you to learn how to fabricate based on unit construction, how to torch fire enamel, and how to stamp metal. Helen says, “You can go as far as you like with these techniques and make one, two, or 20 enameled parts, use them as a single pendant, a multi-station necklace, charms, or as earrings if you make them small. I made my chain by hand, but you could just as easily use a purchased one. You can use opaque colored enamels if you don’t like the look of the hard clear. Do yourself a favor and play.”

Play with Enamel Jewelry All Day

Tammy Honaman has introduced me to a variety of enamel jewelry techniques over the years. Her enthusiasm is contagious! And I appreciate her low-key approach to experimenting with enamels. It really is easier than it seems. Read more and follow her steps to making enameled head pins, sgraffito and cat whiskers in Tammy’s article, Top 5 Favorite Torch-Fired Enameling Techniques. Or learn along with Tammy’s video workshop, Make Torch Fired Enamel Jewelry Components: Charms, Dangles, and More. Don’t miss her free In The Studio enameling basics video.

Have fun in your enamel jewelry lab!

Katie Hacker
Content Manager, Bead & Jewelry

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