The Joy Of Enamelling for Jewellers with Michelle Leaver (podcast episode)
If you’ve ever wanted to add beautiful colour to your jewellery designs with enamel, Michelle Leaver of Michelle Leaver Jewellery can show you a thing or two. A gifted enameller for over 30 years, thriving business owner, and teacher at the London Jewellery School and Jewellers Academy, she shares with us her top 10 tips (and more) for getting started with enamelling.
074:The Joy Of Enamelling for Jewellers
With Michelle Leaver
If you’ve ever wanted to add beautiful colour to your jewellery designs with enamel, Michelle Leaver of Michelle Leaver Jewellery can show you a thing or two. A gifted enameller for over 30 years, thriving business owner, and teacher at the London Jewellery School and Jewellers Academy, she shares with us her top 10 tips (and more) for getting started with enamelling.
EPISODE RECAP
How did you get started with jewellery making and enamelling? (2:19)
What is enamelling? (4:33)
How did you get started enamelling at home? (7:40)
Tip #1: Practice on copper (9:10)
Tip #2: Test colours first (11:20)
Tip #3: You don’t need a big kiln, but you do need a kiln shelf (14:11)
Tip #4: Enamels are very fussy (17:37)
Tip #5: When you need to counter enamel (19:35)
Tip #6: If your enamel cracks, troubleshoot (21:45)
Tip #7: What to do if your enamel is cloudy (24:11)
Tip #8: Keep a colour diary (25:57)
Don’t judge a piece by it’s first layer (29:03)
Tip #9: Stay focused when firing (30:22)
Tip #10: How to get rid of specks in your piece (32:37)
ABOUT MICHELLE
Michelle has been designing and making her own jewellery and Enamelling for over 30 years. The majority of her work is inspired by nature particularly the ocean. She is the tutor for the Beginners and Intermediate Enamelling online courses with Jewellers Academy
RESOURCES
Beginners and Intermediate Enamelling for Jewellers
Michelle Leaver Jewellery’s Instagram
If you would like to learn enamelling then take a look at our Beginners and Intermediate Enamelling course bundle.
On these courses, taught by enamel jeweller Michelle Leaver, you will learn:
Dry sifting enamel technique
Wet packing enamel technique
Using transparent enamels to show the texture of the metal underneath
Adding decorative wire elements to your designs
The ronde-bosse technique - enamelling a rounded surface including rings and domed pieces
How to prepare a ring for enamelling
How to add foil accents to your enamel designs - gold, silver or copper foil
And much more!