Imitation Cloisonne, New Cloisonne, Semi-Cloisonne, Synthetic Enamel, Hard Enamel, Cloisonne II, Epola, Clois-Tech

Modern day "cloisonné" uses brilliant colored enamel resins that can be produced in over 1000 Pantone colors. Enamel is composed of glass like material combined with metal oxides and clay ground into a fine powder.

Like traditional cloisonné, hard enamel pins are produced by a process that requires each color to be separated by a thin metal border and creates a hard, flat, and smooth glasslike surface that is quite durable. Only an expert can tell the difference between cloisonné and hard enamel.

Cloisonné-type pins are inherently scratch resistant and do not require an epoxy dome for protection.

How they are made
These pins are usually die struck from a copper bronze metal base. The die-stamping process leaves indentations or "wells" in the locations where color is desired. These indentations are then hand-filled with a fine glasslike powder mixture. Each color is hand-applied with a syringe or small brush and individually fired until the mixture melts. The pins are then cooled, the color refilled until even with the raised metal surfaces, and fired again. This double firing process assures that there is no bleeding of the colors. After all colors are applied, the pins are individually hand polished and then plated in a finish of choice (usually gold, silver, or nickel).