Colores epoxy resins

Jewelry Discussion
1

Does anyone have experience with using Colores Epoxy Resins on
sterling silver as a means of adding color to jewelry designs. Can
they be used to create cloisonne type effects or placed in areas
outlined with wire on a silver backing? I recently purchased a set
from Rio but haven’t gotten up the nerve to try it yet.

Thanks for any input or experiences anyone would be willing to
share. Orchidians Rock!

Jackie Fiantaca
Coyote Productions

2

Hi Jackie -

I saw an excellent demonstration of Colores at Catalog in Motion,
and ended up buying the set myself after I saw it.

Absolutely yes to your question,

Can they be used to create cloisonne type effects or placed in
areas >outlined with wire on a silver backing?

Also they can be used on PMC, and even on bezel cups that might
otherwise accomodate a cabochon. One of the things that was
demonstrated was using the doming resin over photographs to magnify
the image under the surface.

It looked like there were lots of things you could do with it. I
can’t wait until mine arrives so I can 'speriment!

Linda

3

Hi Jackie,

I’m a little behind on my Orchid digests (as is usual, lately), but
I saw your post on Colores resins and thought I’d put my $0.02 in.
I’ve not used Colores resin, but I have done a fair bit of work in
Durenamel. As far as I know, the main difference between the two is
that Durenamel is designed to be sanded or ground flush after
enameling and then polished, whereas Colores is intended to be left
in its as-cured state. So, which one you choose probably depends on
what type of look you desire. Colores can be used in cloissone-like
designs, as long as you like the “meniscus” effect of the resin in
the little cells. If you want a flush, level surface, go with the
Durenamel.

An interesting side note is that, as Rio’s catalog points out, you
can use Colores colors with Durenamel resin, which greatly expands
your palette. I’ve used the transparent Colores in Durenamel resin
with great results.

On another side note, I’m particularly interested in obtaining matte
finishes with resins, but I’ve not come up with anything pleasing in
my attempts. I’d really appreciate any suggestions on this front!

Best to all,

Jessee Smith
www.silverspotstudio.com
Cincinnati, Ohio

4 
On another side note, I'm particularly interested in obtaining
matte finishes with resins, but I've not come up with anything
pleasing in my attempts. I'd really appreciate any suggestions on
this front!

Depending on what situation you’re using it in, I’ve always got a
nice matt surface just with wet and dry sandpaper. About 600 grit
works well.

Another idea: I once accidentally got some vaseline residue into some
methylmethacrylate resin. This gave a cloudy effect, and didn’t seem
to affect the surface polish. I have never tried it, but I’m guessing
it would give similar results with other types of resins.

Andrea Lakeland

5

Jessie,

Matt surfaces for enamel can be achieved by sanding the surface and
then finishing with Krylon Matt Spray.

-k

Karen Christians
M E T A L W E R X
50 Guinan St.
Waltham, MA 02451
Ph. 781/891-3854 Fax 3857
http://www.metalwerx.com/
Jewelry/Metalarts School & Cooperative Studio

6

Thanks for the responses about matte enamels! Karen, is that Krylon
spray durable enough to use for high-wear items, like rings? It
sounds like the answer to the problem I’ve always had with sanding
alone, which is that the surface looks powdery and bright colors look
dirty.

Cheers,

Jessee Smith (still behind, but not as far!)
www.silverspotstudio.com
Cincinnati, OH