Edwardian Enamel Medallion
These small pieces of edwardian enamel medallion catch the light with translucent glass and precious metals, offering wearable art from past decades.
Edwardian Enamel Medallion
When you search for an edwardian enamel medallion, you encounter a diverse selection of pendants, watch fobs, brooches, and small decorative items.
The selection ranges across Edwardian, Art Nouveau, Arts and Crafts, and Scandinavian styles, with materials spanning silver, sterling silver, gold, and 18K gold alongside vitreous enamel.
Pieces take various forms, from floral shield charms and religious portrait medals to novelty watch fobs and capstan inkwells.
How they were made
Craftsmen fused vitreous enamel to precious metal bases using specialised techniques like guilloche, cloisonne, and plique-a-jour to create translucent and opaque colour effects.
Detailed metalwork incorporates sterling silver, 15ct gold, and 18K yellow gold, frequently accented with seed pearls and peridots.
What varies in quality
Quality depends on the precision of the enamel work, particularly the complexity of techniques such as plique-a-jour that require delicate open-work metal cells.
The choice of precious metals and the inclusion of natural gems like seed pearls and peridots elevate the distinction of individual pieces.
Charles Horner
The Edwardian Enamel Medallion Glossary
- Guilloche enamel
- A decorative technique where an engraved metal surface is covered with transparent enamel, allowing patterns underneath to show through.
- Plique-a-jour
- An enamelling technique where the enamel is applied within a cellular framework without a backing, resembling miniature stained glass.
- Cloisonne
- A method of decorating metalwork objects with coloured material held in place by flat metal wires soldered to the base.
- Watch fob
- A short strap or chain attached to a pocket watch, often featuring an ornamental medallion or charm.
- Capstan inkwell
- A small ink container shaped like the nautical device used for hoisting weights on ships.
Edwardian Enamel Medallion: Frequently Asked Questions
What is an edwardian enamel medallion?
An edwardian enamel medallion is an ornamental piece featuring fused glass enamel on a metal base, often designed as a pendant, brooch, or watch fob.
These items showcase decorative styles popular in the early twentieth century, incorporating floral motifs, portraits, and geometric patterns.
How were these medallions worn?
Many examples function as pendants suspended from necklaces or serve as decorative watch fobs attached to pocket watch chains.
Others take the form of brooches pinned directly to garments or act as small decorative elements on desk items like inkwells.
What materials are used?
The pieces utilise precious metals including sterling silver, 15ct gold, and 18K yellow gold combined with vitreous enamel.
Additional embellishments frequently include seed pearls, peridots, and detailed metal wirework.
How do I identify the style?
Styles range from the flowing organic lines of Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts designs to geometric Scandinavian patterns and traditional Edwardian motifs.
Examining the specific enamelling technique, such as cloisonne or plique-a-jour, also helps determine the design period and origin.