Play of Colour: The Artistic Brilliance of Enamel Jewellery

Enamelling has to be one of the most joyful techniques in jewellery design. I find it fascinating; it brings colour, character and a sense of play to every piece. With its vast palette of colours, no two pieces of enamel jewellery are ever the same, allowing jewellers to truly explore their creativity. Some come up with more romantic designs, while others are more edgy and cool. That is precisely what makes it so exciting; this evolving art form never stands still and blends centuries of tradition with fresh, contemporary creativity.

A few months have passed since the Couture Show in Las Vegas, but I still have flashbacks of so many original jewels that I saw. And many of them were embellished with enamel, so I felt the urge to shine the spotlight on this jewellery technique. But before we dive into the designs, it’s important to mention that enamelling dates back thousands of years, with roots in ancient civilisations. It was traditionally used to add vivid colour to jewellery, decorative objects and religious artefacts. Made from powdered glass fused to metal at high heat, enamel creates a smooth, durable surface with a vibrant, almost luminous quality - a perfect ‘paint’ to use on metal to inject colour into the design. Let’s see how different Couture exhibitors did it.