Enamelling: Enrolments are open

My enamelling short course at NMIT starts up again soon, so if you're thinking you'd like to learn more about glass on metal, enrolments are now open! Classes are from 6-9pm on Monday nights, starting the first week of February. For more informaiton, visit the NMIT jewellery website or call NMIT jewellery department on 9269 8980.

You can enrol online or by calling NMIT short courses on 9269 8615.

Enamelling is a versatile, exciting way to add colour to metal. This program will enable participants to develop skills relating to a range of jewellery enamelling techniques.

This class is open to all skill levels. No prior jewellery or enamelling experience is needed; however basic jewellery skills such as sawing, filing and soldering will be valuable. Students with more jewellery experience will have the opportunity to incorporate more advanced metalworking skills into their enamelled designs.  

The class includes a series of self-paced projects. You may finish two, three or more projects during the nine weeks, depending on your pace, your previous experience, and the level of complexity of your work. Projects are designed to be worked through in order, from introductory to more advanced projects. Project topics include: 

Introduction to Enamelling: Enamelled Pendant

Learn to apply enamel, wet packing/sifting, counter enamelling, firing times & temperatures.

Cloisonné Pendant or Brooch

Create a pendant or brooch using the cloisonné technique of separating different colours of enamel with fine silver wires attached to a sheet of metal.

Enamelling over Textures: Basse Taille Earrings

Create an enamelled pair of earrings with textured metal. 

Sgraffito Pendant

Create a pendant using the sgraffito technique, by scratching into a layer of enamel to reveal another colour below.

Patterns on Enamel: Stencilled / Stamped Patterns on Enamelled Buttons

Create enamelled buttons using a range of stencilling and stamping techniques. Students may use found stencils or stamps, or make their own.

Graphite Drawing on an Enamelled Ring

Create a ring with a design illustrated in graphite on enamel.

Miniatures: Watercolour Enamel Panel or Miniature Book

Create a miniature image on metal using watercolour enamels. Enamelled pieces can be turned into a panel that can be framed or a miniature book.  

Champlevé Earrings or Pendant

Create a pair of earrings or a pendant using the champlevé technique, enamelling into recesses created in sheet metal.

Press Formed Enamelled Pendant or Brooch

Explore enamelling on a three-dimensional object using press-forming. This technique can be combined with previously learned techniques for more advanced students.

Plique-a-jour earrings

Use enamel to fill recesses cut into metal without a backing sheet, to create earrings with translucent colours.

Ways of setting and framing enamelled pieces will also be discussed.

At the end of this course participants will be able to:

• Safely use the jewellery kiln to fire enamel onto metal surfaces.
• Understand the correct techniques in handling enamelling materials.
• Apply the O.H.&S. requirements for the use of the facilities and the enamelling materials.
• Apply a range of enamelling techniques to metal.