What is Enamel Jewelry? How It's Used on Pendants
- What is Enamel, Exactly?
- How Enamel is Used in Pendants
- 1: Design More Intricate Linework
- 2: Create an Eye-Catching Contrast
- 3: Introduce Unique Colors
- 4: Turn Down the Shine
- Get the Dopest Enamel Jewelry In the Game with GLD
Browse any jewelry retailer online and you’re bound to find pieces that feature a sleek, colorful finish made with a material called enamel.
Though enamel has been around for centuries, it has recently become a trendy design feature for many modern pieces, such as pendants or chains. At GLD, it’s one of our favorites to work with, along with stones and of course, gold.
In our travels, we meet countless members of the GLD Gang that are just as passionate about their pieces as we are. To continue that conversation, this ultimate guide to enamel jewelry should help you learn more about the craftsmanship behind your favorite pendant or chain.
First, let’s explain what enamel is.
What is Enamel, Exactly?
While they share a similar name, the enamel used in jewelry is not the same as what protects your teeth.
Enamel is a sleek material created by fusing powdered glass with metal, and it is available in a wide range of colors. It is a popular material for pendants and other accessories due to its durability and scratch resistance. As a result, it has been relied on for centuries by jewelry makers.
We often use enamel as a primary or secondary design feature in many of our pendants because of its versatility and the contrast it creates with the texture of hand-set stones. Due to its ability to be created with virtually any color, you can also create extremely vivid and striking aesthetics that would not be possible with stones on their own.
Enamel can also be used to create standout design features in other types of jewelry, too. Our Enamel Box Chain features flashes of color throughout the links to draw eyes to the piece and contrast with the iced-out opposite links.
How Enamel is Used in Pendants
Enamel can be used on both iced and non-iced pendants to:
1: Design More Intricate Linework
Thanks to enamel's flexibility, it can be transformed into any shape, which makes it perfect for creating a dope new pendant. You can use it to design thicker, bolder lines which can also draw more attention to the metals and stones in a piece.
For example, our official Dallas Mavericks Pendant from our GLD x NBA Collection is fully lined with black enamel. This places the focus on the blue and clear stones set throughout to give an extra pop to the logo.
2: Create an Eye-Catching Contrast
Enamel results in an unmistakably smooth and glassy finish compared to stones’ three-dimensional texture. When paired with stones of any color or size, this creates a contrast that’s sure to catch attention from others wherever you go.
When we created our UFO Pendant, we turned up that contrast to the max. The black enamel hangs in the background to let the colorful stones create a cosmic shine that takes your fit to another stratosphere.
Similarly, you can also contrast enamel with stones to draw attention to specific aspects of a design to highlight them more clearly. When we designed the Championship Pendants with the NBA, we used enamel in the center to create a similar aesthetic to a team’s actual championship ring by creating a larger focus on the logo in the middle, as with the Golden State Warriors.
3: Introduce Unique Colors
While we certainly love our stones, sometimes the color options are not the right match for the aesthetic we had in mind.
Thanks to enamel’s near-endless versatility, we can use it to create custom colors that you may not be able to find with stones. As an example, for our official GLD x Marvel Iron Man Pendant, we flooded the entire piece with stones except for the eyes, which were finished in turquoise enamel. By doing so, the eyes have an electrified aesthetic that pays tribute to the helmet worn by Tony Stark in both the comics and the MCU.
4: Turn Down the Shine
While we love to shine here at GLD, we understand there may be an occasion when you prefer a more low-key drip for your fit. Either way, we got you.
Enamel can also be used to cover more of the pendant and reduce the number of stones used in the finished design without sacrificing a bold color scheme. Many of our NFL Logo Pendants, such as our Baltimore Ravens and LA Chargers pieces, make heavy use of enamel with enough space to still add light-catching stones in the center.
Get the Dopest Enamel Jewelry In the Game with GLD
At GLD, we’re all about supplying you with the pieces you need to upgrade your fit with that perfect drip in a way that lets your unique personality shine through. If you’re looking for a new way to express yourself with a fresh chain, pendant, or another accessory, browse our full collection or hit us up online to learn more.
Be creative,
be authentic,
be bold.