I created this Peach Fest Hawaiian jewelry pendant as an inspiration of the North Shore of Hawaii.
Palm trees, the tropical sunset, a sandy beach, and ocean waters flowing to meet the shoreline are all fused to create an oasis of blue and peachy tones. Peach Fest. I think this is indeed a festival of sorts. It’s a celebration of Peaches and my love for the beach. This is what gorgeous cloisonné jewelry looks like.
Sweet Magic Happened When I Fired Up This Enamel Pendant
The process of creating Peach Fest was nothing short of magic. I began making this Hawaiian jewelry piece by forming cells with the 24K gold wires. This is the framework that allows me to gingerly place layers of vitreous enamel within the cells to form a pattern. And, that’s how the art of cloisonné begins.
Firing the wire is a tedious and time-consuming process, but well worth it in the end. I fire each layer in a kiln at approximately 1400 degrees for about 60 seconds.
Each enamel jewelry creation I make has a different firing time. The size of my jewelry pieces determines how long it takes to fuse the enamel. Warmer colors burn easily so they demand extra attention.
It takes many hours to form the 24K gold wire, paint the cells, and fire the piece to create the image desired. I pay close attention to my firing time because then I’d have to start over. And no one wants that!
The magic in this cloisonné pendant happens just before the jewel is pulled from the kiln. At that point, the layers of enamel look sandy like a delicate sugar coating on a confection in a patisserie.
But as the colors slowly cooled and the piece was removed from the kiln, the creation I envisioned appeared like magic! Once the enameled design was finished, I placed it in an 18K gold setting.
This process isn’t just making Hawaiian jewelry — it’s fine art, just as you’d see in a museum.