Cloisonné Pins

Cloisonné pins get their distinct lustrous appearance from the multistep hand-polishing process

They are an excellent choice for any design that has clearly separated colors and can be enhanced with silkscreened colors on their surface when even smaller details need to be captured.

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How Are Custom Cloisonné or Hard Enamel Pins Made?

Cloisonné pins have an ancient history that started in the Near East and gained prominence in ancient Egypt. The custom pin type gets its name from the compartments created by the raised regions of metal. These areas are called “cloisons” which means “partition” or “division” in French. Originally, these were inlaid with handcut gemstones or pieces of glass. Later this process fell out of favor and was replaced with vitreous enamel. This is the technique of creating a glass paste that is hardened in a kiln and is still very similar to the process we use to this day.

Today’s pin community usually calls this finish hard enamel — same process, same smooth polish, same pricing. Whichever name you use, you’re getting the same centuries-old craft.

Cloisonné pins start with the same basic steps as die struck lapel pins or soft enamel lapel pins

• We start by making a custom mold and stamping your design impression into sheets or strips of the base metal . This process is called “die striking”.
• We then use a punch to separate the stamped impressions from the base metal sheet.
• The pieces are tumbled to remove burrs and quickly hand polished and buffed to ensure good adherence for the cloisonné colorfills.
• The die struck pin pieces are then laid out on sheets and the recessed areas are then filled with powdery glass-like enamel paint past the height of the metal.
• Each color is filled separately and fired in a kiln at 1700 degrees.
• Once cured, the pins are hand polished on a wet grinding stone until the paint is flush with the metal.
• Then the next color is added and the firing, curing, and hand polishing process is repeated until all the colors are added.
• Once fully colored, the pins are plated, packed and shipped!

This labor intensive process of adding the colors one by one and hand polishing is what gives each cloisonné pin a hard, glossy finish that simulates jewel tones.

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Know exactly what you want?

Send us your idea and we’ll make you production-ready proof. Once approved, we’ll start production.

Not quite sure what would work on your custom pin design?

Give us a call, email, or chat with one of our custom lapel pin experts. Alternatively, visit our pin gallery to view some of the custom cloisonné pins we’ve created in the past. Pick out a few pins you like, and we’ll use them to design a custom cloisonné pin just for you. You’ll receive a full-color proof via email within just 24-hours. Make any changes you want. Once you give approval, we’ll get to work making your custom cloisonné pin!