Cloisonné Necklace Sets: History and Modern Horizons

Cloisonné is an art form with a long and intricate past; originating in the Near East and rapidly spreading to a wide variety of peoples and cultures, the medium has attracted fans and collectors for many hundreds of years with its beauty and unique, distinctive appeal. The special metalworking and finishing techniques are today considered to be the artistic legacies of China and Russia. The intricate process involved in crafting a piece of cloisonné, whether for a large-scale item such as a vase or dish, or for a minuscule yet attractive bead, requires a substantial amount of training and attention to detail, bringing value and a special sense of craftsmanship to each piece.
The metal object, most commonly utilizing pliable copper, is crafted aforehand, while lengths of metal wire are manipulated and placed over the surface to define differently colored areas. These wires are attached to the base with solder or clear enamel and a special adhesive, and then fired. At this point, the cloisonné is ready to be filled with its primary batch of enamel color. Ranging from brilliant hues to subdued tones, enamels provide bursts of color and visual appeal. After the first layer is applied and fired, a new layer is continuously applied and put through the crucible until the surface is smooth. With a careful full-body buff to impart a luminous lustre and a dip in gold or silver gilt or a quick electroplating, the piece is finished and ready to be showed off.



This elegant necklace is the perfect showcase for the beauty and brilliance of cloisonné. Measuring a generous fifty nine centimeters in length, the necklace is long enough to be doubled around the neck or worn free-flowing in its full glory. Cool and calm greens, blues, and turquoises form the background color basis of the beads, exemplifying the brilliance and clarity that enamel colors are able to achieve. Cheerful and charming flowers of creamy pinks, yellows, and reds are swirled around the beads' surface, suggesting the airy new blossoms of spring.




A masterpiece of the cloisonné tradition, this necklace has all the best features of quality costume jewellery, including an accessible price. The piece is a perfect “just-because” gift for oneself, to add to a collection of fun and flirty necklaces, or to get into the swing of the emerging spring. The necklace is also a prime choice for birthdays, special occasions, and of course for anyone with an interest in the rich history and bold looks of cloisonné, which is, after all, an immensely popular and well-loved jewelry type.



The necklace is accompanied by a pair of matching earrings, offsetting a single large and one itsy-bitsy cloisonné bead in complementary tones with an oval-shaped bead drop in vivid yellow-green. The simple yet beautiful drops are the perfect finishing touch for the refined yet adventurous look of the necklace itself, pulling together to convey the careful handiwork and intricate vision of cloisonné.