{"product_id":"cloisonne-vintage-oval-beads-7x10mm-dark-blue-with-pink-red-flowers-sold-in-sets-of-4","title":"Cloisonne, Vintage Oval Beads 7x10mm, Dark Blue with Pink \u0026 Red Flowers, Sold in Sets of 4","description":"\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThese beads are priced and sold in sets of 4\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eVintage cloisonne, small dark blue oval beads with pink and red flowers  7x10mm, \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThough the word is French, cloisonné refers to a form of decorative art usually associated with China or Japan. It has been applied to boxes, vases, and beads.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe second image shows the laborious steps use for making these beads\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eThe technique was widely used in China during the Ming (1368-1644) and Ching Dynasties (1644-1912).\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMost of the beads on this website are vintage \"old stock\" dating from when China opened to the west in the 1970s. I buy them from dealers I've worked with for decades and each time I visit supplies are lower. Some also come from a collection my sister Pat bought when long time DC Chinatown dealer retired. Some of these are older dating from the 1940s. See \"Flower Power\"\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIn cloisonné, copper wire is soldered to the beads raw copper surface to create tiny compartments, or \u003cem\u003ecloisons.\u003c\/em\u003e These are then filled with ground glass blended with metallic oxides to produce colorful enamels, then fired. The glass shrinks as it melts so this process has to be repeated several times, sometimes with additional colors blended in. \u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAfter the enameling phase, the copper wires are gilded, and the object is polished multiple times with finer abrasives until perfectly smooth to the touch.\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eOn this website I distinguish between vintage cloisonné which is made as described above and Enamel which is a similar process, but with fewer steps and less fine finishing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Beadazzled.com","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50929978638645,"sku":"ASM-585","price":1.75,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0269\/4388\/1301\/files\/ASM-585.jpg?v=1747697366","url":"https:\/\/www.beadazzled.com\/products\/cloisonne-vintage-oval-beads-7x10mm-dark-blue-with-pink-red-flowers-sold-in-sets-of-4","provider":"Beadazzled.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}