Enameling Blog of Cloisonné & Many Other Enameling Techniques
Welcome to my Enameling Blog of Cloisonné Jewelry Techniques and others, Plique a Jour, Champlevé Enameling and yes Painting Enamels.
My site is a donation of everyone’s time to share and further the education of the fine art of enameling techniques. I am very happy to answer questions to help you, but please ask here and not emailing me directly. At the bottom of this page there is a comment section. Look forward to hearing from you. Thanks!!
I share my life’s passion and inspiration with anyone who wishes to read. I am a self-taught enamelist and goldsmith. I did not live here in the US where there was a knowledge base and to my advantage, my knowledge came from trial and error and today I continue to build on trial and error.
Read, test, analyze, and you will surely learn.
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Rebecca Di Filippo
Enameller since 2012. Based in Milan, Italy. Along with many enameling friends have put together a book to share with an enamelist worldwide. Here to share a few of her wonder enamel paintings.
Here you should be able to download her book. Enamel+Book+-+Rebecca+D.+Enamel+-+English
Visit Rebecca https://rebeccadenamel.com/
More shared by Rebecca
The degradation of the enamel explained in a simple way
Rebecca Di Filippo
Can the enamel expire?
No, but it can spoil.
Don’t expect mold! When we talk about the degradation of vitreous enamel, also known as glass disease, we refer to a spontaneous process, which takes place in environments with high relative humidity, called leaching. This process leads the alkaline part (carbonate of soda or potash) to separate from the siliceous network.
It is a rather nasty inconvenience that makes soda and potash “sweat” on the glass. Sweating is not a technical term, but it gives a good idea of what happens!
This degradation occurs on the enamel surface if left exposed to humidity for a long time.
Powder enamel is more prone to this type of problem as there is a greater surface area in contact with the air. This doesn’t mean that enamel can’t last for decades! Indeed, by following these simple rules you can avoid its degradation:
– Always store your enamel in well-sealed containers and in dry environments.
– Wash enamel a little at a time, it is not a good idea to wash large quantities of it and let it dry
again because if the drying is not quick and perfect, it may incur degradation of the enamel.
How do I know if the enamel is degraded?
A degraded enamel usually has very compact and hard agglomerates of powder, difficult to break with the fingers. When it is fired in the kiln it creates bubbles, more or less large, which compromise its transparency (in the case of transparent glazes) making the enamel appear cloudy and, if the bubbles are large, the surface will also appear more irregular.
Should I throw away the degraded enamel?
No! Just bring it back to life!
As you know, the enamel is washed to remove the finer part which can compromise its transparency by retaining the air, but washing the enamel can also be useful to recover a degraded enamel. Using distilled water, wash the enamel several times and lightly grind it with a ceramic mortar.
How do I know when the enamel is ready?
You will understand this by eye over time but at first use pH control papers. A degraded enamel has a pH of 10 or higher. By washing it you will see that this pH will drop to 7/6 and at that point, you can use it!
Can all types of enamels be degraded?
Yes, some are more prone to degradation than others due to their chemical composition. I recommend keeping the already washed enamel wet only for a few days, not more than a few weeks! Unfortunately, some enamels, particularly sensitive to humidity, begin to deteriorate after 2/3 days. You can easily notice
it because a white patina appears on the surface of the water, in this case, it is necessary to wash them to make them look like new again.
It seems to me that only transparent enamels degrade, why?
You get this feeling only because degradation is more visible in transparent enamels.
Is the finished piece subject to degradation?
Usually not. Especially with modern enamels that are almost always based on soda and not on potash. Glass disease can usually be seen in ancient glassworks in museums such as glasses and vases, which have a base of potash.
The photo shows the pH measuring papers. The first on top before washing a degraded enamel and the subsequent ones measure the pH after each washing.
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“Custom Cloisonne Jewelry and Custom Enamel Jewelry are a delight to me. Contact me if I can create a jewel of your very own inspired personal adornment! All of my creations are One of a Kind Jewelry, whether in Cloisonne Necklaces, Cloisonne Earrings or Enamel Jewels such as Plique a Jour, I am thrilled to design for you.”
Patsy Croft
TOPICS
EVERY BOX BELOW IS A TOPIC OF ENAMELING, MUCH LIKE A CHAPTER. THERE IS ALSO AN OPTION TO ASK QUESTIONS IN EACH AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO SHARE.
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Mendocino Poppy Project
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I read your article comparing vitreous enamel flux. I found it because I am having issues with Nihon Shippo G110
on fine silver – I have had various problems with it – from it yellowing to turning milky white in firing.
After getting white milky coating with a 2 minute firing set at 1450 (kiln went down to about 1370 then up to 1465 during that period) I started experimenting one piece at a time change variables. I approached it scientifically. I originally was using a 200 screen product – sifted. I then went to a 80 screen product sifted.
The pieces have Grisaille black counter enamel, and there is a Sterling jump ring at the top that was soldered with eutectic solder. I think I might be getting some Sterling bleed down the 18 gauge fine silver wire I am using like a champleve border on the front of the piece (the jump ring is attached to the top of this border.)
The pieces were clean and shiny. I applied diluted A1 (25% a1 to 75% distilled water) and then a medium coat of what stayed in the 80 mesh screen. I dried the piece thoroughly. 2 minutes with kiln set at 1450 ranging from 1365 to 1465. The same coating with same kiln setting for 3 minutes. First was cloudy and milky white, the second was perhaps a little better but still milky and white in places.
I tried the same again with an extremely light coat of g110- plenty of silver showing through the flux sift- the results were a good deal better but not perfect (still milky in a few spots.)
I imagine the G110 should fire at about 1450 for about 2 minutes (especially since the kiln is coming back to temperature for the first 35 to 50 seconds.) I do not know this for a fact however. I suppose I could use less G110 but when does it stop becoming effective in preventing reaction.
Side question- you seem to suggest using soyer 3 – is this what you use. It appears more dense than some of the other silver fluxes.
Hi Kirk,
Glad to have you on board as an enemelist! It is great that you are approaching enameling scientifically. We are working with many chemicals, minerals, some melt at high temps and some low. I have always advised my students to keep journals.
I will write you in several comments.
First I have heard other enamelist say the Nihon Shippo G110 yellows. N3 yellows on my testing. The Nihon Shippo G110 is a bit harder than N3 which means it takes a bit longer to fuse smooth when firing at the same temperature. I have found G110 to be very clean when washing and grain size consistent. Which to me is important. I will explain.
The fact your kiln drops and regains heat as you mentioned is common, and does not effect the enamel. Now what can effect the clarity is not washing the enamel and sifting it. IF…. I needed to sift enamels I would wash them first then dry them before sifting. By drying, I have placed the washed enamels on aluminum foil and placed in the kiln or an oven at 200 degrees and let them dry out.
Washing enamels will remove any unwanted particles. But only wash what you need today. Many will deteriorate if left wet for prolonged period of time. Washing and removing the small grains of the enamel leaving the larger grains will give you more clarity to your transparents and all the grains will fuse at the same time. If you want to save the smaller grains for Grisaille or painting, sift and save in different containers. This is true of transparent enamels. Opaque and opal enamels I wash once or twice.
Small grains fuse faster than large grains= great for enameling on copper as it fuses faster holding down the oxidation on the copper.
“The pieces have Grisaille black counter enamel, and there is a Sterling jump ring at the top that was soldered with eutectic solder. I think I might be getting some Sterling bleed down the 18 gauge fine silver wire I am using like a champleve border on the front of the piece (the jump ring is attached to the top of this border.)”
I do not know of ss bleed.
Kirk your next comments.
Kylr-Fire = A1 is recommended to be used by mixing with water 1 part kylr-fire + 5 parts water. Your portions will cause cloudiness. The best I have seen using is to apply this with a brush then sifting on. And agin if I were to sift any enamel I would apply it this way but only as a counter enamel in a thin layer.
So if you are saying this is G110 on the front of your fine silver jewel and the second layer was still milky and white or maybe the second jewel was.?? Either way I wound have no reason to add Klyr-Fire to the front. If I had a high dome I might use it to help the edges hold the enamel but always remember Klyr-Fire can make transparent enamel cloudy, I call it. If you use the correct mixture and let it sit the water evaporates over an hour or so and can cause cloudiness.
This lower statement will not help, you do need a thin layer of enamel to get great clarity, but have all the fine silver covered in the first firing.
“I tried the same again with an extremely light coat of g110- plenty of silver showing through the flux sift- the results were a good deal better but not perfect (still milky in a few spots.) ”
I do not think you are having a reaction,
“I imagine the G110 should fire at about 1450 for about 2 minutes (especially since the kiln is coming back to temperature for the first 35 to 50 seconds.) I do not know this for a fact however. I suppose I could use less G110 but when does it stop becoming effective in preventing reaction.”
Whatever your kiln reads you fire till you are just beyond a orange peel smoothness. In my kiln I fire at 1350-1400. And maybe I have to fire longer, but I do not see a need to hurry. As you probably know warm colors react to heat.
Now I use Soyer #3 and only Soyer #3. Why?? It has a slight blue hue to it.This means I get a truer color to my enamels. If my base is somewhat yellow that changes the color value. It is a harder fire. So it takes a bit longer to fuse. Again I am not in a hurry.
But if it is a higher/longer fire then all my layers after this are slightly lower/shorter fire, my reactive enamels will never reach the fine silver and cause colors to react with the fine silver.
Read on the site about your enameling burning turning the color of mud. And welcome to the wonderful world of enameling! *)
Hi Patsy,
When I mentioned SS bleed, I was referring to the fact that the sterling silver jump ring got hot enough that it might have transferred copper to silver of the body. I am getting some oxidation on the main piece in that area and everything but the jump ring is fine silver. My first time using eutectic solder so I may be under the false impression that it does not oxidize.
I took the 80 mesh sift of g110 that I made and washed it thoroughly- with the last several being distilled water. I wet packed coats in a couple of thicknesses- from a wet pack that just obscured the silver to a wet pack even layered but with plenty of silver showing.
My results improved somewhat with that but there were still areas that were opaque white. Most frustrating. I considered that I might not be firing long enough or hot enough so I put some test back in for various times and the got worse.
In the past I have had some yellowing g110 around the edges- but I have never run in to it turning opaque white- I now have 8 to 10 pieces that I will probably have to design in opaque enamels.
Hi Kirk,
The sterling silver will oxide while you are enameling. Also the solder will. When you wet pack you have a layer about 3-4 grains high each layer. If my designs calls for warm colors I will lay down 2 layers of flux. If you are leaving FS showing with no flux on top of the it will turn a bit frosty. This is why I like to add flux to the front and fire before I add enamel to the back, unless I am counter enameling the using the Kylr-Fire mixture.
It is not the temperature high or low that is causing this color problem. How about adding a photo to your post. But I hope this information helps. If it is opaque I am wondering if you have possibly mixed up the containers?
Patsy
Thanks Patsy,
Your suggestion of firing the front with flux before firing the back (or at the same time with a klyr fire mix on the back) makes good sense- I will try and maybe adopt that in my process.
Interestingly, the 10 pieces with flux that fired milky white were a group I processed similarly- fused fine silver wire border on fine silver, SS jump ring, eutectic solder and counter enameled in lead free- all before the g110 fired on the front.
I have subsequently fired several pieces with the g110 with very good results. The difference in processing was a cut fine silver sheet border (Champleve) fused on fine silver with lead free counter enamel- no SS, no eutectic solder.
One might assume that the SS or eutectic solder was the cause- but I am not convinced that either of them caused it. I am keeping it in the category of suspicions but cause unknown.
I have coated the pieces in armour etch (with care) in the hope of removing the offending enamel. If this process remains as ineffective as it appeared to be yesterday – I may be able to take some photos to share.
Thank you
Hi Kirk,
I admire your stick to itness!
If this is the group that is frosty…
Interestingly, the 10 pieces with flux that fired milky white were a group I processed similarly- fused fine silver wire border on fine silver, SS jump ring, eutectic solder and counter enameled in lead free- all before the g110 fired on the front.
Are you dipping it in pickle then ?? washing brass brush ??
Patsy
or is this the the good result group??
I have subsequently fired several pieces with the g110 with very good results. The difference in processing was a cut fine silver sheet border (Champleve) fused on fine silver with lead free counter enamel- no SS, no eutectic solder.
Patsy
Hi
I am a novice at enameling. Everything is fine when I use enamel on copper but silver I am having a terrible time. My finished piece seems fine for awhile. After a month or so I first notice the counter enamel flaking off, then the front enamel slides right off the piece. I am using fine silver 22 g.
I would really appreciate any insight that you may have to this problem.
…Jean
Hi Jean,
Sorry to hear you are having problems, I am happy to help you figure out what is causing this.
Let’s start with basic questions.
What enamels are you using?
Are you laying down the enamels on FS the same way you lay them down on the copper?
Are you using flux for Fine Silver? Which one?
I use fine silver from Hauser and Miller, not sure if there are suppliers in PR. But very important, I slide the sheet right out of the paper wrapped silver pouch, cut to size and add my washed enamel.( I wet pack all my enamels) With clean hands. It is important not to touch the silver.
I always add flux the the front of the FS sheet first, fire, then add to the back. Sometimes I add Klyre-Fire to the counter enamel, apply to the back, then add flux to the front and fire both at the same time.
Are you firing the flux to maturity? Flux is a harder enamel than our transparent or opaque enamels. So fire it to a smooth surface, so it can grab to the fine silver surface.
What do you mean by flaking off, of the counter enamel? Can you add a photo?
Look forward to hearing back. Patsy
Hi Patsy
Thanks for answering so quickly.
I am using Thompson transparent enamels on fs.
I buy my silver sheet from Rio Grande
As with copper I wet pack the enamel on fs
The flux used is Thompson clear for silver 2020
Silver is prepared by sanding to a high gloss followed with washing with dish soap then “flashing” the silver
I wash the enamel but don’t grade sift
Usually the back is fluxed and fired first
Thanks for your consideration
Jean
Jean,
When you buy the silver you should not need to sand to a high polish. You should not touch it at all on the surface. Just the edges. And no soap!
If you take it out of package with clean hands, and only touching the edges, cut your shape not using any oils on your saw blade. Flash if you like. And flux the front first.
If you find the need to clean at all use alcohol and then rinse very very well. Then flash. Again being careful never touch the surface.
Try and let me know how it goes. Patsy
Beth thank you for sharing!