When you think of enamel jewelry, what comes to mind? The first type of enamel jewelry that pops into my head is cloisonné (a type of in-lay enamel usually over bronze). But, while I have to admit that cloisonné is beautiful, there is so much more to enamel jewelry.

Basically, the technique used to make enamel jewelry requires a combination of metal and glass. Yes, that's right. Glass is actually what makes up enamel. Ground up colored glass, which looks more like colored sand before it is fired, is arranged on top of metal and then baked in a kiln.

According to an article in Time Out New York, this method of jewelry making is starting to become popular again: " A cluster of avant jewelers are riffing on the time-worn technique, and the edgy results are getting high-profile exposure: The foxy servers at the sleek Sushi Samba restaurants are currently sporting it around their necks, trend arbiters Kate Spade and Anthropologie are rolling out enamel accessories this winter, and style-aggressive celebrities Gwen Stefani and Kelly Osbourne have been spotted wearing chunks of the formerly fuddy-duddy stuff. Hey, if macramé can make a comeback, so can enamel."
My vote is " go enamel."

You can find out more about this new trend as well as some of the artists who are working on an enamel jewelry " come back" here: Kiln Joy