Vintage Jewelry Word of the Week - What is Basse-taille?

Today's vintage jewelry word is Basse-taille. This is a French word which means "shallow cut." The term refers to an enameling technique which has chased relief metal which is overlaid with a translucent enamel finish.

During the process, the metal is engraved deeply enough so that the enamel can be held when heated. It also has sides high enough to be sure that the colors of the enamel are kept separate. The addition of the translucent enamel allows light to reflect from the relief and creates a very artistic effect. The end result has a lovely play of light and shade and a brilliance of tone.

The process of basse-taille was first developed in Italy in the 13th century, and was especially popular in Europe during the Gothic and Renaissance periods. This technique was also very popular with mid 20th century Scandinavian silversmiths such as David Andersen, Hroar Prydz and Askel Holmsen. The technique has also been called "translucent enameling."

Here are some xxamples of basse-taille jewelry:

Vintage Jewelry Glossary Updated

Just a quick blog post today. I spent a great deal of my free time this past weekend updating the vintage jewelry glossary in my resource center on Vintage Jewelry Lane. I have added dozens of new terms to the list. Many of them are fairly obscure words that aren't heard as often which may stump even veteran vintage jewelry collectors.

Don't know what Basse-taille means? Haven't got a clue what someone is talking about when they say blister pearl? Totally dumbfounded when you hear the word cannetille? All of these words and many more are defined for you in the glossary.

Armed with this resource and a good memory, you'll be able to join in with the most advanced vintage jewelry discussion with confidence.