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Cloisonne
Cloisonné is the oldest method of enameling. The first examples of this technique were seen in the tombs of the ancient Egyptians.
First, a design is drawn on the metal, and then cells ("cloisons" in French) are created out of wires or thin walls of fine gold. These cells are filled with ground enamel powder and fired repeatedly. After firing, the surface of the enamel is sanded and polished, as one would polish a gemstone, until it is flush with the gold wire.
Japan reopened trade with the west in the 1850's. Examples of imported Chinese cloisonné from the Yuen and Ming dynasties flooded France in the 1860's. Oriental techniques and distinctive decorative elements greatly influenced the artists, designers and jewelers in Victorian Europe.
Alexis Falize (1811-1898) and his son, Lucien Falize (1838-1897) perfected this style of cloisonné enameling in the 1860's. Their pieces were exhibited in the 1867 Paris Exhibition. Beads, necklaces, pendants and earrings were produced by the Falize firm. Traditional motifs such as flowers and birds were often depicted. Collar-style necklaces containing several hanging discs, enameled on both sides, each depicting a different design was hugely popular. The Falize Firm's maker's mark is a lozenge stamped A.F.