Submission Number: 560895-00007 

Received: 8/22/2012 10:22:57 AM
Commenter: Mary Whittle
Organization: Whittle Art Studio
State: Tennessee

Agency: Federal Trade Commission
Initiative: 16 CFR Part 23; Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries; Project No. G711001
Attachments: No Attachments
Submission Text
Re: Enamel It could be paint, or maybe cold enamel (whatever that is), epoxy, glass or some mystery component. Renewed interest in this material has led to a confusing array of products. Recently, I came across a $12,000 plique-a-jour enamel butterfly. Not a trivial price for most consumers, I assumed it was vitreous glass. It wasn't. It was epoxy, and sales were steady for this product. When I expressed my confusion, the artisan (to her credit) went on to educate me that the term "plique-a-jour" doesn't have to refer to vitreous glass, in fact that term, or even the term enamel, can be any number of things. Pity the poor consumer! Please, can you put a limit on the term enamel. In my mind it used to just be paint or glass, but it seems that in the jewelry world today anything that adds color (stones aside) is either an enamel or a patina.