Enamel Jewelry Making Resources and Suppliers

You’ll find a LOT of enamel jewelry making supply sources and other resources here. I’ve been a little obsessed with enameling lately.

• Torches
• Enamels
• Beginner Kit
• More Suppliers
• Books
• Kilns
• Articles
• Forums and Communities

Torches

Hot Head Torch Head The unique design of this torch head produces a clean, hot flame with inexpensive propane or MAPP gas. Dial at base adjusts the flow of fuel so you can easily control your flame. Use with MAPP gas or propane (not included), available at most hardware stores. The Hot Head Torch is Perfect for Beginners. Fireworks Torch Head Self-Igniting On/Off Button Makes Torch Safe and Simple to Use. The Fireworks torch head takes the fear out of lighting your torch. I ts unique design features a self-igniting system for easy use, dial to adjust fuel and flame size, and a special regulator dial at the base of the nozzle to adjust airflow. An ideal choice for beginners. Use with MAPP gas or propane (not included), available at most hardware stores.

Enamels

Beginner Kits

Enameling Beginner Kit $244.95 Delphi Glass Beginner & 39;s Guide To Enameling $17.95 Delphi Glass

More Suppliers

Emporium Vitreum: (Canada) Canadian enamel supplies. Enamelist Catherine Crowe runs this mail order supply house for Canadian enamelists. I get my Thompson enamels from Catherine. She ships fast and has great customer service.

Painting With Fire Studio: (USA) Author Barbara Lewis’ store . You can get a beginner kit here, as well as other supplies for torch firing enamel.

Delphi Glass (USA): Stained glass supplies, enamels, enamel jewelry making books, kilns, lampwork supplies, and other jewelry making supplies.

Books

This is my favorite enameling book. If you only buy one enameling book, buy this one. I have many others, but this is the one I go to over and over again for reference and inspiration:

The Art of Enameling: Techniques, Projects, Inspiration by Linda Darty

What’s in this book:

– Written by a professor of enamel with many years of experience.

– Answers all the questions a novice might have with passion and clarity

– Shows you how to effortlessly create artist quality jewelry and other enameled items

For the Novice:

Fundamentals of setting up a studio:

– Materials
– Tools
– Safety

How to get started with enamel:

-What is enamel
-The basic process of how to enamel successfully.
-The basics of firing by torch and by kiln.
-How to and when to use opaque, translucent, and transparent enamels

Techniques Galore:

Clear explanations with many well-photographed examples of traditional, contemporary, and even experimental techniques including:

-Champleve
-Cloisonne-
-Plique-a-jour
-Stencilling
-Sgraffito
-Enamelling on fold formed metal
-Firing enamel onto meshed forms
-Using burnable objects to create color variations
-Using enamel paints to create tiny representational artworks
-Simple overfiring techniques that create unique effects

An ideal coffee table book for any well styled artisan or enthusiast.

Sound good? You can buy it from Amazon.com. This is a great price on it too. Here’s the link: The Art of Enameling: Techniques, Projects, Inspirationat time of writing the selling price was $10.09 USD. I am sure I paid double that price…

Oh well. On to kilns!

Kilns

Here are some suppliers if you decide to go whole hog after trying enamel jewelry making and decide you must have a kiln.

• CoolTools.us: CoolTools is primarily a metal clay supply house but they carry kilns that will do for enameling. They have a good comparison resource here.
  

  The Kiln I Use:

  I ordered the Caldera after a long time researching and hemming and hawing.

  Here’s the Caldera Kiln:

   

  See shopping info Amaco Metal Enameling Kiln $261.75 Economical and efficient, this kiln costs no more to operate than an electric iron, and runs on 100-120V household current. It reaches 1500F (816C) in about 15 minutes. Its 900-watt Kanthal wire heating element is embedded in a special refractory plate for extra protection. Amaco’s Metal Enameling Kiln is constructed with a round, two-piece ceramic body that is glazed a light yellow. Its firing chamber is 6″ (159mm) in diameter. The lid lifts off for loading pieces of maximum size. Small pieces can be inserted through the front opening. Dimensions are 7″ x 6″ (184mm x 171mm). The kiln weighs 6 lb (2.8 kg). Get this item at See shopping info Economy Enameling Kiln $254.95 Create Fine Enamel Art Make colored enamel jewelry, bowls, home decor and more with this economical kiln. Runs on household current, no special wiring required. Interior firing chamber 5w x 7d x 4h. 30 lbs. 120v. Get this item at Delphi Glass See shopping info Copper Jr. Kiln With Pyrometer $739.95 An excellent kiln for testing, teaching and beginners. The front loading design makes manipulation and raking easy. Includes infinite switch control and pyrometer. Operates on 120V, 12 amps. 2-year manufacturer warranty. Inside dimensions 10 wide, 9 deep, 6 1/2 high. Get this item at Delphi Glass See shopping info Paragon SC-2 Digital Silver and Glass Kiln $745.00 The Paragon SC-2 Digital Silver and Glass Kiln has been in production since 1997, with a proven design that has been steadily refined over the years. A popular kiln for art centers, colleges, craft classes, and even engineering laboratories, the SC-2 is large enough to accommodate three shelves of silver clay, yet portable enough to transport between classes. The SC-2’s high-tech ceramic fiber firing chamber is wrapped in a steel inner case. The outer steel case remains cool because of a layer of air between it and the inner case, which is slotted to encourage air circulation. The fast-firing element is embedded in the firing chamber shell. The electrical components, which are located in the base, stay cool even at extended hold times. Affordable and completely programmable, the SC-2 lets the user select the firing schedule appropriate for the project. A large, brightly lit display prompts for firing rate, temperature, and hold time. The programmer turns itself off after the firing is completed. The SC-2 has two separate heating elements in the left and right sides of the firing chamber but no element in the back of the chamber, as testing has shown that this configuration distributes the heat more evenly throughout the firing chamber. Additional features of the SC-2 include: On/off toggle switch Built-in base (no extra stand needed) Door that opens 180 degrees for easy loading Top vent that includes a tapered plug for lost wax casting 1/4″ thick ceramic fiber shelf Optional glass view port Optional 6″ wide bead door with mandrel holder 28-page kiln instruction manual Made in the USA. There is even more detail on the ordering site. (Note from Christine: I almost bought this one but decided I wanted to be able to do ceramics as well as everything else. This kiln will do glass fusing, metal clay, and enameling and annealing.) Get this item at See shopping info Paragon Caldera Kiln $780.00 The Caldera Kiln by Paragon is built to last. Ideal for classrooms, studios, and more, the Caldera is portable, stackable, and surprisingly affordable. Make jewelry from silver, bronze, and copper clays. Fire ceramics, porcelain, or stoneware jewelry – or even china, decals, enameling, and glass. Sag, slump, and fuse. Make small bowls, pendants, earrings, cufflinks, and bracelets. Enjoy the glittering beauty of dichroic glass. Glass compatibility and glaze color tests are fast and easy with the Caldera, which fires rapidly to 2350F (1287C). The Caldera’s elements are coiled from the finest high-temperature wire available. They use heat-dissipating element connectors refined and proven over many years in Paragon kilns. Click the Caldera link above to read more about this kiln. ***Note from Christine–This is the kiln I purchased myself, along with an annealing collar. I chose this one for its flexibility and great reviews. No annealing collar is listed on the website, but they will be happy to order one in for you. Get this item at   See shopping info Amaco Jewelry Kiln, Model MK-4 $145.00 This kiln is excellent for metal enameling, glaze testing, firing small pottery pieces, or glass forming and decoration. Its small size and its durability make it ideal for school or studio use. Strong steel construction is backed with special block-type insulation to seal in the heat and prevent excessive heat radiation. The firing chamber measures 4-3/16″W 4-3/16″H (11cm 11cm). The firing chamber is 120 cubic inches and 6″ (16cm) deep. The chamber’s depth is greater than its width to permit the placement of pieces well away from the kiln doors for even heating. This kiln can reach 2000F (1093C). External dimensions are 9″W 9″D 13″H (24cm 24cm 34cm). Requires 110-120V. It weighs 24 lb (11 kg). Get this item at See shopping info Sierra Kiln With Viewing Window And Bead Door $824.95 The Perfect Kiln for Jewelry Artists. The Sierra 360 is not just for metal clay. Recently updated to include a bead door, this kiln is designed with all your jewelry projects in mind. The kiln features a digital controller, pre-programmed for use with metal clay, with a customizable 4 segment program for glass fusing or annealing. The pre-programmed settings for metal clay allow you to be successful with your kiln on the very first firing. The easy to use controller is preset with the most often used firing sequences for PMC, PMC and PMC3, yet is customizable for precise control. The 4 segment custom program option allows you complete flexibility. Store a program for bead annealing, glass fusing, or metal enameling and you and 39;ll be able to get even more use out of this incredible little kiln. The Sierra comes ready to go with a kiln shelf and four kiln posts. The ceramic fiber chamber is well insulated for optimal performance and durability. Firing chamber measures 8 x 6 x 8 deep. See specifications for full product details. This kiln is able to ship UPS. Create beautiful custom jewelry with the pre-set programs. Get this item at Delphi Glass See shopping info Sierra Kiln With Viewing Window – International Voltage $824.95 The Perfect Kiln for Jewelry Artists. This is the international voltage version with viewing window but no bead door, otherwise the same as the one listed above. Get this item at Delphi Glass

   

  My kiln looks like the above, except I also got an extra part called an “enameling collar” that is inserted beneath the part with the blue control box. It has a door that lifts up so it’s perfect for enamels. If you need a kiln that is good for enamel but is also good for ceramics samples, metal clay, glass bead cooling and more, I highly recommend getting a Caldera with the add-on E-collar.

  Here’s a link to the enameling collar: Caldera Add-on Enameling Collar.

  I almost bought a Paragon SC2 until I realized it doesn’t get hot enough to do ceramics. I want the flexibility to do ceramics too if I’m going to spend the money to get me a kiln.

  If you have no interest in ever firing ceramics in your kiln, I would definitely go with the Paragon SC2 because the door is bigger. It’s easier to transfer the enamel in and out of the kiln with the bigger door.

  Here’s the Paragon SC2 with a link to where you can get one at a really good price:

  Where to Get a Kiln in Canada:

  I highly recommend Artistry in Glass if you are in Canada and want to buy a kiln. The customer service was excellent. They gave me a better price on a kiln than the list price on their website. Shh. Don’t tell anyone.

Classes and Workshops

Here are some enamelists and schools that offer workshops and classes.

• TorchedStudio holds 1 day workshops. Highly recommended if you live in or can travel to the Toronto area (Canada). I did a workshop with Yvonne and learned more in 5 hours than I would in an eight week class somewhere else. A great hands on experience.Want to see what I made in that class? View my enamel first tries on my Flick’r page.
• George Brown College in Toronto, Ontario Canada has a jewellery arts program. Enameling is taught by Catherine Crowe. See Catherine’s teaching schedule here (need to scroll down the page a bit.)
• The Enamelist Society Education page has many U.S. class venues listed.

Useful Articles About Enamel Jewelry Making

• Introduction to Enameling With a Kiln: Tutorial by Copperheart
• Wikipedia: Vitreous Enamel
• Ganoskin article about torch firing. Detailed, but no pictures of the process.

Forums and Communities

Glass on Metal
This is the official website of the enamelists magazine “Glass on Metal” and has many great resources, including some articles from past issues, workshops and classes

Enameling Society
The Enamelist Society, Inc. is a volunteer arts organization founded in 1987 for the purpose of promoting the art of enameling. The Society distributes a quarterly newsletter to its membership and has an on-line newsletter called FuseNews.

It maintains a lending library of both enamel-related literature and images and offers grants to further the promotion and practice of the medium.

Grains of Glass
This is the forum recommended to me by enamelist Yvonne Villeneuvewho taught me how to enamel. All about enamel and enameling using a kiln or torch heating from underneath.

Painting With Fire Ning Site
The forum and community for makers exploring the immersion technique taught by Barbara Lewis.