Cloisonne is an ancient jewelry art, dating back about 3,000 years. The process involves making a complex design in fine silver or 24k. gold wire on a base of pure silver. The resulting little cells ( fr. Cloisons) are filled with fine glass powder. The glass is then fired at about 1500°F until it melts into a brilliant gem-like mass. Different colors of glass may be added on top of, or next to the original color, to create different hues or shades of color. Often it may take as many as 15 to 20 separate firings with different layers of glass to achieve the desired subtle color variations. Frequently, the finished piece is embellished with semiprecious stones or sterling silver or 14 karat gold decorations. Some pieces are given a final firing to obtain a mirror finish while others are polished to a semi-gloss finish with diamond dust abrasives. Each piece of cloisonné jewelry can be expected to retain its luscious, intense, vibrant colors for centuries with no diminution in quality. For this reason cloisonné art jewelry is often referred to as, “ The Eternal Art”.
	All of the cloisonné jewelry on this site is "one of a kind", handmade by Carolyn Williams. Enamels are fused to Fine (100%) Silver. Some pieces have 24K (100%) Gold foil placed between the enamel layers and others use 24K Gold cloisonné wire to make the designs. Unenameled metal parts are Sterling (92.5%) Silver. All stone embellishments are natural gemstones unless otherwise stated.
Recently, (2005), I started experimenting with another art form that has fascinated me for many years…..”Soft Dolls”. Making Soft Dolls allowed me to work with a wide variety of fabrics, paints, jewels and other ornamentations. Handling soft, beautiful, luscious fabrics in my sewing room offered me a welcome, if temporary, respite from the kilns, torches, fumes and chemicals of my enameling studio. I have included photos of some of my recent Soft Dolls, some of which were prize winners at the 2007 San Diego State Fair. If you wish to purchase any of my enamel pieces or soft dolls, contact me directly. All pieces are one-of-a-kind and should not and, indeed, cannot be exactly duplicated. I will do my best to create as similar a piece as possible. My current prices are: Earrings = $110, Pins / Brooches = $200, Dolls = $75 to $150 depending on size, fabrics, ornamentation and complexity.