A to Z of Craft Techniques: Inlay
July 04, 2009 | By
The art of inlay has been around for centuries. Inlay is created by inserting pieces of a material into depressions in a base material in order to make patterns or pictures. There are several different types of inlay, each with its own particular look and appeal.
Niello is where a mixture of sulphur, copper, silver and usually lead, are inlayed into engraved metal. It is used in jewellery making, along with cloisonné type techniques. The Egyptians are credited with being the originators of the art form. Thai artists also produced a lot of jewellery pieces that American soldiers bought for loved ones, mainly from the 1920’s to 1970’s
Damascening is the where metal, usually gold or silver, are inlayed into other metal, normally oxidised steel. It is a similar process to Niello. It is quite common in Japan, although jewellery pieces from there are also known as shakudo, as that is the alloy used for the background. The term Damascening is believed to come from the resemblance to Damask silk the finished items have.
Intarsia is a wood based inlay technique. It is created with individually shaped pieces that are glued to a backing cut to the shape of the design, similar to a jigsaw puzzle. They have a fabulous 3-D effect, enhanced by the use of different colours of wood and different grains. Other materialslike bone, are sometimes added, too. There is also a small stone version of inlay that goes by the same name.
These are by no means the only types of inlay that are done. Technically, inlay can be done with any materials, can make a multitude of different patterns or images and be used for many different types of items, from furniture to jewellery to artwork. Inlay is a technique with lots of possibilities.
Photo Credits - HilemanSilverJewelry and WoodNGoods
Jennifer is a self taught jewellery designer and maker whose creations can be see in her studios HaffinaCreations and BeadsByHaffina on ArtFire. She also has a website HaffinaCreations
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