Vitreous enamel has been all the rage for centuries, though it’s been experiencing a renaissance over the past decade or so.  And, of all of the different enameling techniques, the most enchanting—as well as the most difficult, most time-consuming, and most delicate—is plique-à-jour (aka “backless enamel”), which is essentially glass that’s been fused to a precious metal  It’s similar to cloisonné, except the backing has been removed, allowing for light to pass through the diaphanous enamel, giving it the appearance of miniature stained-glass windows. 

Originally used in the Middle Ages and all but forgotten after the Renaissance, plique-à-jour was “rediscovered” in the 1870s by the French jeweler André Fernand Thesmar.  This would lead to its prominent use in Art Nouveau jewelry—a style in which a jewel’s setting became as important as the stones with which it was set—by the likes of René Lalique and Louis Comfort Tiffany, as well as the enameled objects deluxe and objects de fantasie created by the House of Fabergé. 

Roughly a decade ago, I was perusing the floor of The COUTURE Show at Wynn Las Vegas when I noticed a ring in a friend’s case that featured these figural leaves that almost seemed illuminated from within.  When I asked about the ring and its setting, he told me that it was an enameling technique called plique-à-jour and went on to explain that it is such a difficult-to-master process that everyone he knows who uses plique-à-jour in their designs has the enamelwork done for them by a Los Angeles-based master jeweler named Şinork Ağdere.  Then, he stood up, grabbed my arm, and marched me over to the Lord Jewelry booth, where he promptly introduced me to Şinork and his daughter, Lena.

I was immediately struck by Lord Jewelry's unabashedly joyful, color-saturated designs and the Old-World charm and easy elegance so authentically exuded by the Ağderes. What took me another moment to appreciate was the mastery of enameling techniques (not just plique-a-jour but also cloisonné and champlevé), allowing for any number of “teaching moments” during that and every subsequent visit. 

Lord Jewelry is perhaps best known for its incredible insect jewelry, most notably the high jewelry “Dragonfly” brooches; modern takes on one of Lalique’s favorite subjects, wherein Şinork has replaced the soft, languid curves of the Art Nouveau era with the bold, clean lines favored by today’s customers.  There are the “Moth” and “Butterfly” rings, both with wings of plique-à-jour; a cheerfully chubby “Bumblebee” pendant, featuring a diamond in its abdomen and green enamel wings; and a trio of adorable and easy-to-wear enamel “Scarab” pendants, all set in 18k gold.

There’s the vibrant, figural “Peacock” ring with its fan-shaped tail of sapphires and emeralds from which extends a body of patterned green enamel that wraps gracefully around the finger to reveal a neck of bright, white diamonds ending in an enameled head and face with a gold beak; as well as the “Snake” ring featuring such a masterful application of multicolor enamel that it almost seems to slither on one’s finger.

But even among this bejeweled menagerie, it’s the Dreamscape collection of one-of-a-kind rings and necklaces that has had me completely mesmerized this past year.  The “Elevated” ring with its vertiginously alternating green and black enamel stripes; the “Compass” ring with navy blue and ivory enamel over a lighter blue plique-à-jour, surrounded by diamonds; and the “Constellation” necklace with a sapphire surrounded by diamonds set in teal and turquoise enamel: Each bestowing upon its wearer a sense of history, craftsmanship, and artistry.

As the inimitable Victor Velyan recently explained, “In the world of jewelry making, there are craftsmen, and there are artists: Şinork Ağdere is both of these and a gentleman, as well!”

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[Editor’s Note: A version of this article was published in The Jewelry Book, Winter 2023 (Bromstad Communications)]