Good Lump Enamel Transparent Red on Silver Anyone?

[Bigwol]

I know that Transparent Red is difficult, and that coarser lump enamel is the way to get clear transparents when fired.

Also - red is a sod on silver, needing the correct flux to give even a faint hope of the final result looking like transparent red, rather than a muddy football pitch.

Does anyone have a source of top quality lump enamel for transparent red?

Any hints and tips appreciated . .

[MuranoSilver]

I use powder enamels and have found that the Soyer Jewellery Enamels and Ninomya give the best reds on fine silver (many without flux)
Have a look in my flicker album - there's a set under enamels which shows all the reds I've fired so far
Flickr: muranosilver's Photostream
Nic x

[barclaybear]

Wow!! Love that Ocean Blues swirl ring, Nic. Raises a question in my noobie mind though .... how do you get powdered enamel to stay on a ring when you fire it? Doesn't it all drop off once the moisture's removed prior to firing?

[MuranoSilver]

You use something called Klyr-Fire Gum, it mixes with the water & enamel and holds everything together when the enamel is dry (before firing)
Nicx

[barclaybear]

Coolio.... gotta get me some of that. Ta oods.

I have a couple more questions though, if I may .... You said by the photo that you used varying shades of ocean blues. When you do that, do you just take various blobs of each colour and mix them up on the piece as you work or do you mix them away from the piece and then attach?

In the picture, the ring has a wonderful translucent/irredescent look to it and I was wondering if you got that somehow during your mix process or if it's just the nature of the make of enamels you're using?

Jolly pretty job I must say.

Thanks for all your help,Nic.

[MuranoSilver]

I mixed them in spoons and then added them to the ring with a cocktail stick pushing the grains around on the ring so the colour doesn't end up in lines.
There's a little bit of opalescent white in one of the colours which gave me the slightly iridescent effect.
Nic x

[ps_bond]

Is there much difference between KlyrFire & gum tragacanth in use?

[MuranoSilver]

Not much though I prefer KlyrFire in general but gum is sometimes better for Cloisonne wires (seems stickier though it may just be the way I mix it)
nic x

[Di Sandland]

and gum tracanth is very cheap

[ps_bond]

Especially when you buy it in the quantities I do... I use it in leatherwork for burnishing edges.