Laura Bracken, Metalsmith
Laura Bracken is a metalsmith, enamel jewelry artist, and instructor based in Penryn, California. Through the transformative power of hammer and flame, she turns metal and glass into wearable stories—a philosophy she calls the “essence of jewelry.” It is this hands-on process, infused with intention, creativity, and craftsmanship, that distinguishes handmade jewelry from its machine-made counterparts.
Laura’s techniques include forging, forming, texturing, soldering, cold connections, enameling, saw piercing, and etching. She works primarily with ethically sourced, repurposed fine and sterling silver, occasionally incorporating 14-karat gold-filled metal and copper. Every piece of metalwork is fabricated by Laura herself, reflecting her commitment to thoughtful design and skilled craftsmanship.
In 2020, Laura began exploring the ancient art of cloisonné, a meticulous enameling technique that fuses glass to metal. Each piece can take several days to complete, from the initial design to the final high polish. Through this intricate process, Laura brings together color, texture, and metal to create distinctive works of wearable art.
Here, Laura shares a closer look at the cloisonné process and the artistry behind each piece.
To create a piece, I generally start with sheets of pure silver (0.999) that I cut into the shape I need, often fusing one piece to another using a torch. Several layers of enamel (colored, powdered glass) are then fused to the metal using a 1450 degree kiln.
Next I create the cloison wires by running pure silver wire through a rolling mill until it is the size and shape I desire for the project. The wire is cut and bent into the shapes of my design and fused into the base coat of enamel by firing in the kiln.
After that, thin layers of enamel are added, with the cloison wires acting as separators. Each thin layer is fired in the kiln and then a subsequent layer is added, and so on.
Most pieces require 15-20 layers of fired enamel before the design is complete. After that, I use a series of diamond sanding sticks to “stone down” the surface and make it even. The piece is then washed meticulously, refired, and polished to a high gloss. Sometimes it’s ready to go in its fine silver setting, and other times I fabricated a setting out of sterling silver.
Enamel can be cleaned easily with a polishing cloth or other soft cloth and soapy water. Just remember enamel is glass so take care not to drop it.
