Yellow Enamel Earrings Geometric Enameled Copper with Murrini Glass

Geometric enameled copper earrings with melted Murrini glass.  Yellow and blue enamel earrings dangles. These were torch fired with vitreous glass enamel and the piece of Murrine glass torch melted on top. Please note that these are handcrafted copper, the two may not exactly match. Totally unique pair!

Handcrafted stainless steel earwires.

Handmade in the USA.

WHAT IS ENAMELED COPPER?

Enameling is glass fused to metal at high heat. Enamels are finely ground glass, like fine sand (or even more finely pulverized and mixed with an oil or adhesive). They may be opaque or transparent; their colors come from the use of various oxides.

For my enameled copper jewelry I start with copper sheet that I draw and cut the shapes from. There are several stages of working with copper after this: shaping, filing, sanding, drilling cleaning.

The pieces are then torch fired, either by holding with a steel rod or by using a trivet on a stand. Several layers of enamel need to be applied one at a time to produce a thick enough finish. Large pieces have to be fired one side at a time. This is where the real creativity happens!

Enameling is characterized by brilliant, non-fading colors, tremendous durability, variety of color effects depending on angle of light, and tremendous versatility – from jewelry (many people are familiar with cloisonne, which is a type of enameling), to bowls and wall pieces, to large-scale interior or exterior murals. The medium of enameling goes back two thousand years and forms part of the artistic heritage on six continents.

How to care for enameled copper: Enamel is glass, not paint, so it does not fade under ultraviolet light. It is possible to crack or shatter when the substrate is stressed or bent, but modern enamels are relatively chip- and impact-resistant because of good thickness control and thermal expansions well-matched to the metal. (Essentially, avoid dropping your jewelry on a concrete floor) There is no particular care needed, you can wash it with water and/or wipe it with a cloth if needed.

WHAT IS MURRINI

Murrini (or Murrine) is an Italian term for images or patterns made from glass cane that are revealed when cut into cross-sections.

Murrine are designed by layering many different colors around a molten core, heating, and then stretching it into a rod of desired thickness and length. When cooled, the rod is then sliced into cross-sections, with each cross-section revealing the same pattern. The murrina process first appeared in the Middle East more than 4,000 years ago and was revived by Venetian glassmakers on the island of Murano in the 16th century. The process of creating murrine takes a great deal of patience, and trial and error.