Enamel Lapel Pin

There are many kinds of lapel pins, Hard Enamel (also called cloisonné), Die-Struck, Soft Enamel, Offset Printed, and Silk-screened. Choosing a particular type greatly depends on the available budget, and style of your design. The most popular among these types however, are the "enamel" types. There are two, the cloisonné, or hard enamel, and the soft enamel; the methods of processing enamel lapel pins vary only slightly. The prices difference in the two though, are quite different, the hard enamel lapel pins are slightly more expensive than its soft enamel cousin.

The Beginnings of Cloisonné
. Cloisonné - a French word, meaning compartmentalized, be cut off from one another, to feel cut off, or shut out. (Dictionary definition)

Traditionally, we define cloisonné as thin strips of metal, bent to form an outline of a design, and the placed on metal surfaces, either by a coat of enamel or soldering. The resulting cells (cloison) are then filled with various colored enamels.

Most researchers agree that the technique of hard enameling originated from Egypt prior to 1800 BC, and found its way to the West and turned into an art. Decades went by, and the art eventually reached the shores of China, where highly dexterous and artistic entrepreneurs refined and perfected the technique, they started using colored powdered glass as a color base, further raising the bar on the technique. Currently, China's cloisonné products have become the world's standard for rating cloisonné.

Making Cloisonné (Hard Enamel) Lapel Pins
The lapel pins manufactured using the hard enamel process offer a unique look because the design is not simply overlaid onto the metal surface of the lapel pin.but is imprinted into the metal base. This gives an added dimension and creates the look of quality jewelry to your lapel pins.

Cloisonné lapel pins are die-struck using a copper or bronze surface because softer metals result in a more detailed impression. A die is separately created to imprint the design into the metal. Then the outline of the lapel pins and any cutouts are made using a separate mold.

To finish the process of the Cloisonné lapel pins, colors are carefully hand-filled with a powdered glass-like mixture. Each color is fired "one at a time" onto the lapel pins at around 1,600 F for two to four minutes. This two-step process makes sure that bleeding of colors does not occur on the face of the lapel pins. It also allows colors on your lapel pins to last longer and to retain their brilliant hue.

The lapel pins are then individually hand-polished and electroplated in either silver or gold.
While Hard Enamel or Cloisonné lapel pins may slightly cost more than others produced from a different process, the resulting art are well worth the extra few cents.

. Soft Enamel
Lapel pins created through "soft enameling" are not much different from the process of making the hard enamel type. They mainly differ in the materials used in color enameling the pin face. While Cloisonné or hard enamel uses colored powdered glass, the soft enamel pins are laden with ordinary paint enamel.

Making Soft Enamel Lapel Pins
The soft enamel process of making lapel pins is extremely popular due to the raised metal surfaces and very colorful enamel fillings. More colors are available in this process, as compared to cloisonné. These lapel pins can be plated in gold, silver, bronze, and a variety of other finishes according to the chosen option of the client. The lapel pins are filled one by one manually, with enamel colors and fired (or baked) to 160 degrees for proper color distribution within each of the lapel pin design.

Lastly, the lapel pins are hand-polished to complete the process. Soft Enamel lapel pins are a very affordable alternative to the more expensive cloisonné, while presenting quality and excellent lapel pin craftsmanship.

Soft enamel lapel pins are sometimes coated with a protective layer of epoxy for a more polished, and durable finish.