The art of creating enamel jewelry dates back centuries ago and can be found in Greek, Egyptian, and Chinese cultures. This jewelry type is made with metals and powdered glass at high temperatures.
If you’re wondering if you can repair your enamel jewelry, the answer is yes.
To repair enamel jewelry, you need to clean the damaged parts to get rid of dust and other foreign materials. Then, apply a flux layer before firing and re-firing the damaged piece to fuse back the enamel parts.
There are different types of enamel jewelry, one of which is Cloisonne enamel jewelry.
Cloisonne enamel jewelry uses an ancient technique in which tiny wires or metal strips are soldered to a base piece. This creates sections filled with different enamel powder colors.
However, cloisonne enamel jewelry could get damaged.
To repair this jewelry type, here is a step-by-step guide you can follow:
Step 1: Clean the damaged cloisonne enamel jewelry
You need to clean the cracks or the damaged parts of the enamel piece using a jeweler’s steamer. This ensures that you don’t want to have foreign elements that can create cracks or uneven depth.
Once clean, leave your jewelry to dry.
Step 2: Find out the base metal of the jewelry
You can check the composition of your cloisonne enamel jewelry on the manufacturer’s website or the retail outlet where you got the jewelry. It helps you determine the right temperature to heat the enamel piece so that the base metal doesn’t melt.
Step 3: Apply a layer of flux to the enamel piece
You can check the composition of your cloisonne enamel jewelry on the manufacturer’s website or the retail outlet where you got You should apply a layer of flux to the backside of the damaged enamel piece. This will help the piece bond back to the base metal.
Only a thin layer of flux needs to be applied, but you can use your discretion if necessary.
Step 4: Fire the piece
As mentioned earlier, you need to know the base metal of your enamel jewelry.
If you have silver as the base metal in the cloisonne enamel jewelry that you want to repair, you must heat it at 1400 degrees. Place the enamel jewelry in the kiln and heat it until the damaged enamel piece fuses to make the jewelry whole again.
Step 5: Taking care of bubbles in cloisonne enamel jewelry
If you have an uneven underside, bubbles will form in your enamel. To get rid of these bubbles, you would need to bur them with a diamond bur.
A diamond bur can also be used to get rid of the trash that is deeply embedded in a cloisonne enamel jewelry.
It helps to sand the areas of the enamel that have bubbles so that you can fill them back.
Step 6: Glass brush the sanded area
After using a diamond bur to sand the bubbles in the enamel, use a glass brush to get all the dust away.
If you forget to brush the dust or don’t do it well, it could cause scratches or clouds in the final piece.
Step 7: Fill the holes and re-fire the piece
You have to fire an enamel piece over and over again to get rid of the bubbles.
Once you glass-brush your jewelry, take it through a jeweler’s steamer for cleaning. Fill the holes you made in the enamel and fire the jewelry again till you have a perfect cloisonne enamel jewelry.
Here is a video on how to repair cloisonne enamel jewelry
How to repair guilloche e name
The art of creating enamel jewelry dates back centuries ago and can be found in Greek, Egyptian, and Chinese cultures. This jewelry type is made with metals and powdered glass at high temperatures.
If you’re wondering if you can repair your enamel jewelry, the answer is yes.
To repair enamel jewelry, you need to clean the damaged parts to get rid of dust and other foreign materials. Then, apply a flux layer before firing and re-firing the damaged piece to fuse back the enamel parts.
There are different types of enamel jewelry, one of which is Cloisonne enamel jewelry.
Cloisonne enamel jewelry uses an ancient technique in which tiny wires or metal strips are soldered to a base piece. This creates sections filled with different enamel powder colors.
However, cloisonne enamel jewelry could get damaged.
To repair this jewelry type, here is a step-by-step guide you can follow:
1. Find out the enamel fusion technique of your jewelry
Enamel on guilloche could be painted or fused.
If you have a fused type, it is best to get a specialist to look at it. But if it is painted, you can repair it on your own.
2. Get the necessary materials
To repair your guilloche enamel, you need; enamel paints, thinner, and a paintbrush. You can get all these items in your local model shop.
You will also need other items, things you probably have lying around somewhere in your home. These items are waste paper, tissue, a table knife, cocktail sticks, and a shot glass.
3. Select a matching enamel paint
When getting enamel paints, get colors that are close to what you have on the enamel piece you want to repair.
By doing this, you won’t have to mix different colors to get the right shade.
4. Mixing
Lay your waste paper on your workspace so that you do not soil it with enamel paint.
Pour some thinner into the shot glass so that you don’t have to dip the paintbrush into the whole bottle of thinner.
Inspect the jewelry to see if the colors are painted over a white base or painted over each other.
Pick up your chosen enamel paint bottle and give it a good shake. Use the table knife as a lever to open it. Then, use the cocktail stick to stir the paint.
Enamel paint settles sometimes, so stirring it together ensures that it is evenly colored.
5. Painting
For effective painting, gently dab your paintbrush with paint. You can start with the paint on the cocktail stick so that it doesn’t go to waste.
When painting, you only need a light coat of paint on the brush to paint the jewelry as lightly as possible. If you do it poorly, you can always paint another layer.
If you are using colored paint, you can also paint the areas surrounding the damaged part so the color can blend. But if you have to paint a white base first, paint only the damaged areas.
When you are done painting, wipe down your paintbrush with tissue.
Dab the paintbrush in the thinner to remove the remaining paint, and wipe it down with tissue a second time.
How to remove scratches from enamel jewelry
Highlighted below are steps to removing scratches from enamel jewelry:
- Sand the scratched area using sandpaper and smoothen the damaged spot.
- Wipe down the sanded area using a damp rag to remove all the dust that must have accumulated on it from sanding and leave it to dry.
- Then apply enamel paint of the same color as the scratched part to touch it up. If the scratch is not too deep, all you need is one layer of paint. If the scratches are deep, apply the enamel paint until the depth is filled up.
- To keep your enamel jewelry free from scratches, keep them wrapped in a cool, dry place when not in use.
Here is a video showing how to remove scratches from enamel jewelry.
Conclusion
You can repair your enamel jewelry. You only need to clean the damaged parts and remove all foreign materials. Then re-fire the damaged part and fuse it to get a complete piece.
The process of repairing enamel jewelry requires an eye for detail and steady hands. With the detailed guide highlighted above, repairing your enamel jewelry and removing enamel jewelry scratches should be easy.
Do you need a professional to repair your enamel jewelry?
Visit Jewelers Connect to get the best hands for your jewelry repair.