With its brilliant colors and handmade artisanal charm, enamel jewelry is the gorgeous accessory your jewelry box has been missing. Whether an enchanting necklace or a beautiful brooch, each of these vibrant, unique pieces has the power to turn an unremarkable outfit into a unique fashion statement.
Enamel jewelry technique is far from new, originating in China in approximately 1270 A.D. The style gained popularity in the West during the Art Nouveau movement that spanned 1890 to 1910. By the 20th century, contemporary master jewelers such as Van Cleef & Arpels and David Webb adapted enamel widely for their jewelry creations.
Applying enamel in jewelry involves a variety of techniques. One of the most famous is plique-à-jour, French for “letting in daylight,” in which the enamel is melted and pressed multiple times to achieve a stained-glass window effect.
Each of these detailed, brightly colored pieces bears the distinctive mark of its artist. Slip one of these on, and you’ll discover the artistic soul that makes these masterpieces true labors of love.
Gayane Avetisyan
Beautifully Blooming Ring
Montreal artist Gayane Avetisyan draws on her colorful cultural experiences—from Armenia, Georgia, Haiti, and more—to create her luminous cloisonné enamel pieces inspired by organic motifs. Her statement Bloom ring combines a chunky silver base with an enchanting floral design. The enamel cupola is accented with 24-karat gold leaf and fine silver foil and is surrounded by five tsavorite stones.
Patsy Croft
Cufflinks that Ride the Waves
These 18-karat gold and vitreous cloissoné enamel cufflinks were initially a custom order for a businessman who wanted to incorporate his passion for surfing into his formal suits. The wave motif recalls the brilliant shades of the surf crashing on the Hawaiian shore artist Patsy Croft once walked on, capturing the ocean’s raw power in an accessory that works for the modern-day executive.
Marianne Hunter
A Necklace of Floral Fantasy
Combining enamel with precious stones and mixed metals is the hallmark of California-based artist Marianne Hunter. The captivating “Bridge of Love” necklace conjures a poetic vision with flowers, butterflies, and shimmering stars. These are worked in enamel and gold and silver foils, all inside a platinum and silver frame flanked with Peruvian opal and apatite beads.
Alice Cicolini
A Jewel of the Silk Route
Alice Cicolini’s jewelry draws inspiration from the sacred patterns of the Silk Route. Her exotic pieces are handmade in India by one of the last craftsmen trained in the Persian enamel tradition of meenkari, also known as champlevé, which involves engraving patterns into metal. This emerald-topped ring hides the traditional meenkari design on the underside, inviting the wearer into a secret dialogue with it.
Ricky Frank
A Silver Sea and Sky Pendant
The play of light in nature, streaming through clouds or reflecting water’s surface, has always been a source of awe for artist Ricky Frank. These days, his cloisonné enamel jewelry paints a picture of his favorite landscapes in layered light. This opalescent enamel and silver pendant depicts a scene of sky and clouds above cresting sea waves.
Falcher Fusager
Magical Butterfly Brooch
Denmark-based artist Falcher Fusager developed his original multi-layered enameling technique using up to ten layers of enamel for each piece. His colorful Revelations collection celebrates the discovery of hidden treasures. This exquisite butterfly-shaped brooch, symbolizing growth and transformation, is made with 24-karat gold wire bent by hand. It uses cloisonné enamel set in 14-karat yellow gold with diamonds and tourmaline.
Wolfgang Vaatz
A Pendant That Pays Homage to the Earth
Conveying the wonders of natural landscapes, artist Wolfgang Vaatz uses sustainable, ethically sourced materials to create vivid, luminous designs that share his connection with the Earth. This delicate pendant conveys the serene scene of grasses growing by the river’s bank. Made with enamel fired onto carved, engraved and textured silver, the pendant hangs inside an open-circle sterling silver frame on an oxidized silver chain.
Nicole Barr
Earrings with the Beauty of Dragonfly Wings
Traditional methods employed by French master enamellers such as René Lalique inform the work of jeweler Nicole Barr. These delicate 18-karat gold post earrings, accented with a band of diamonds, recall the graceful shape of a dragonfly wing. Vitreous enamel in graduating shades of turquoise shimmers under a golden weave. The enamel is made from hard-fired glass intricately applied by hand in the plique-à-jour technique.
Goossens Paris
A Signet Ring with Lucky Symbol
The House of Goossens is renowned for its distinct couture jewelry. Its handmade pieces are hammered, patinated, and embellished with spectacular stones using knowledge passed down through generations. This classic signet ring from the Talisman collection is embossed with a four-leaf clover, a symbol dear to founder Robert Goossens. The ring is cast in brass and dipped in 24-karat gold with the bottle-green enamel and clover motif adorning the signet top.
Freywille
A Pendant with Venetian Heritage
Hand-made in Vienna by master artisans, FREYWILLE jewelry highlights the art of fire enamel. Its timeless Halfmoon pendant is part of the Venice collection, paying tribute to the city’s history and status as an artistic mecca. The one-of-a-kind design displays a lion motif— Venice’s powerful animal symbol—against a gold and red enamel background. Up to 100 manual steps are required to produce one of FREYWILLE’s fire enamel plates, using a guarded technique to preserve its brilliant color and shine.
Storrow
A Vintage-Chic Military Charm
Storrow was inspired by a love of antiquing and jewelry, with founder Jennifer Koche seeking antique fairs worldwide to find unique heirloom pieces. This nostalgic charm in 14-karat yellow gold is adorned with garnets and an enamel center, resembling a military emblem. The charm can be worn as a pendant or clipped on a chain.
Foundrae
A Modern Heirloom Medallion
The Foundrae collection creates modern heirlooms from mythological and classical symbols, inspiring the wearer with wisdom passed down through generations. This 18-karat gold medallion is handcrafted with champlevé enamel—an ancient technique in which troughs are cast in gold, filled with enamel, then fired. The blossom motif set against a black background symbolizes resilience and passion. It’s an unbridled bloom, even in the darkness of adversity.
Ross Simons
A Geometrical Statement Bracelet
An architectural geometric pattern defines this sophisticated bracelet from Ross Simons. Staggered golden links, set in polished 18-karat yellow gold over sterling silver, are painted in bold cobalt blue enamel. Red garnets glimmer in between, with white topaz accenting the outline. A box clasp finishes the eye-catching piece.
Brighton
Drop Earrings with Regal Flair
The family-owned Los Angeles Brighton is one of the few houses where each design is still sketched by hand, then brought from concept to fruition in a traditional process practiced for centuries. Brighton’s timeless yet fashionable approach is evident in the regal Dynasty Empire drop earrings, showing two-tone fluted edges and a dimensional enamel core set with emerald-colored crystal.
Belle Etoile
A Joyful Dragonfly Ring
Combining natural beauty with exceptional craftsmanship is the philosophy at Belle Etoile, and its Dragonfly collection is the perfect example. This exquisite sterling silver ring is hand-painted with a colorful scene, conveying a message of hope and perseverance. Dragonflies flutter among lotus blossoms in Italian enamel layered with translucent enamel wings and sparkling white pavé stones.
Maison Birks
A Ring Worthy of the Queen Bee
The beauty of nature and its preservation is at the heart of Canadian jeweler Bijoux Birks. This 18-karat yellow gold signet ring, designed to be worn on the pinky, is part of the Birks for Bees campaign, which works to protect and sustain Canadian bee populations. The signature gold Bijoux Birks bee presides in the center, surrounded by diamonds against a green enamel backdrop.
ARK
A Talisman Ring to Channel Divine Spirit
ARK Fine Jewelry crafts a collection of talismans imbued with ancient wisdom drawn on Eastern philosophies. The ombre blue and gold Lalita ring represents divine femininity, while blue lotus flowers symbolize rebirth. Plique-à-jour enamel fills the flower-shaped crown, which is topped with a purple sapphire for calming energy.