Crafting jewelry with glass enameling is a slow and a bit tedious process but produces wonderful results. It is a beautiful way to add color variation to my silver cast items. Of course glass enameling can be applied to many other metals. I hope I can live long enough to try them all.
That’s not a fatalist statement. I am not on my way out any time soon as far as I know. I am just hinting at all the possibilities with glass enameling. Surely a full lifetime of opportunity exists.
I think what fascinates me as much as the results is the technique. It is a fusing process requiring high enough heat to melt glass. It is a very hot process requiring temperatures (in the process I am using now) of between 1400 to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit (F.) .
When I purchased my kiln, I had the idea if working with melting glass, so I picked one that can create temperatures over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit (F.) if required. I have had it up and over that temperature once. All my needs so far have been around 1300-1450 F. The kiln glows a fuzzy red on the inside at those temperatures. It is a bright yellow-white color above 2000 F.
Both silver casting and glass enameling are high heat process that I love to do. It is creation from heat that makes it something special to experience. At least for me.
I am sure the pottery and glass makers share the same experience of creating with high temperature. It is the wonder and fascination of working with a high heat process and how it differs from the normal temperatures we experience in our daily lives. Maybe bakers and cooks and weldors understand too.
It is the results of a high temperature process that are enjoyed by most people but understanding (and performing) the process is a form of appreciation and enjoyment for me. It fits well with my moto, “Doing what I love for those who love what I do.”