Joshua Tree Cloisonne Enamel Pendant

$300.00 $275.00

Yucca brevifolia, Joshua Tree Cloisonné Enamel Pendant/ Brooch

This beautiful pendant features a Joshua tree with a full moon and desert scene in the background. This necklace is one of a kind and made from sterling silver, and vitreous enamel glass using a technique call cloisonné enamel. The enamel has a dark grey blue sky and bright reds and oranges in the desert, and a milky white full moon

The pendant is 2” tall and 1 3/4” wide and weighs 10 grams. It comes on a 16- 22" sterling silver chain with a handmade clasp and is finish with a faceted garnet and swarovski crystal.

How Cloisonné Enamel is Made

Cloisonné is an ancient art form that has been used to make jewelry for thousands of years. Every artist uses slightly different techniques when making an enamel piece. This is a little bit about how I make mine.

All of my Cloisonné enamel pieces are torch fired and based off a hand drawn designs.

I replicate each line of my drawn design by bending fine silver wire by hand and with tweezers. After the wires are bent to match my drawing. I create the base by hand sawing out two layers of silver. I saw out the middle on one side and fuse the silver layers together to create a frame for the glass to lay in. Next I solder on a bail.

After firing several layers of vitreous enamel—ground up glass— to the back of the piece and one to the front, I carefully place the bent wires into the frame and fire them in place. Next I add vitreous enamel in between the wires. The glass is then melted to the silver using a torch and heating the glass to around 1,400 degrees F. I repeat the process between 10 to 20 times, which builds layers until the glass is even with the silver frame. Then I grind, smooth and polish it until it shines.

The process is very time consuming and can take days or weeks depending on the size of the piece. But the end result is worth every hour and will last a life time or two if treated right.

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