Enamel on Fine Silver Jewelry
Maya Madden and Wayne Farra are the owners and designers of No Rules Jewelry, and the vast majority of their jewelry is made by applying enamel to fine silver. Through the years, many enameling techniques have been developed. Some involve how the metal is prepared, and some involve how the enamel is applied. This is labor-intensive and time-consuming work.
From the Brookes Collection:
Brookes Dangle Earrings in Smoke
Brookes Dangle Shield Earrings in Cobalt Blue
$48
Enamels are made of finely ground and sifted glass. To create this type of jewelry, the enamels are dampened with distilled water and placed, grain by grain, between the cloisonné wires. The enamels are then fired in a kiln until they melt into a single thin layer. The process of applying the enamels and firing is repeated as many as 10-15 times, until they are flush with the tops of the wires or base.
From the Mosaics Collection:
Mosaic Earrings in Amethyst
Mosaic Earrings in Black
$42
Cloisonné Enamel is a type of enamel work used by Maya and Wayne. In this process, very thin strips of silver or gold wire are attached to the surface of a piece of metal, usually fine silver or gold. The resulting chambers are filled in with multiple layers of colored enamel until they reach the height of the wires. The resulting piece is then ground until it is perfectly smooth and highly polished.
From the Geo Collection:
Geo Bracelet
$195
Anything that can be made out of metal can be enameled - from vases to spoons, to frames to jewelry, from metal mesh to solid forms, from large to small, from fancy to plain. Even the tub inside your common household washing machine is most likely enameled.
Maya Madden Statement
Over the last 15 years, I have sought to create jewelry that is fun to wear and affordable to buy. The creation of my pieces has been inspired by dreams and the natural beauty of my surroundings. Since 1996, enameling on fine silver has been a strong element of my work. These pieces are often embellished with gems and beads. NO RULES Jewelry is now a collaboration of Wayne and myself. Our work reflects a marriage of man and woman, Design and Esthetic.
Wayne Farra Statement
Twenty + years ago, I began creating jewelry mainly using casting techniques and often cutting rock to be used in my designs. Since then, I have explored a variety of materials, from plastic to polyform clay and currently back to precious metals and gems. Maya and I put our ideas and skills together to create NO RULES Jewelry. We are fortunate to live and have our studio in a converted schoolhouse that was built in 1911 and which is located in the beautiful Wisconsin River Valley.
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