Cloisonné Enamel Class

So the embassy has an office that will coordinate classes and trips. So when they offered one to make a piece of Cloisonné enamel jewelry, I signed up (especially since I wear so much jewelry...lol...but I do like to dabble in crafty things). Emel Laboratory of Handmade Art came to the embassy.

So the class started with watching this movie about the technique. Lots of steps (bending the metal ribbon to make designs on the inside of the jewelry)....eeek...but we only had to do the painting part...yeah, it will look decent! So I spent several hours painting with the class instructors taking my pendant to the 700 degree oven periodically to heat the special paint to make it turn glass like. Then we left the jewelry for it to be polished/smoothed.

After 1.5 weeks, I got my pendant back.

Larger than actual size...about 1.5 cm

The top flower is a purple color, I was going to go pink but we were told in tiny spaces the pink turns orange. It is a little darker than I had intended....but it still looks good (in my opinion, that's all that matters, right?). Wikipedia told me that the colors are made by mixing different metallic oxides with the paint like substance.

I also go a certificate...woo hoo! Yeah me!

I really enjoyed the class and will try and take other classes while we are here (or maybe find their shop in town to take a class at). Richard is considering making some cuff links too.