Cloisonné Hard Enamel Pins

What Is a Cloisonné Pin?

A cloisonné pin is a lapel pin whose colored enamel is filled level with the metal and then polished flat, so the front of the finished pin is one smooth, glossy surface you can run a fingertip across without feeling a single ridge. Cloisonné and hard enamel are two names for the same product — “cloisonné” is the traditional term borrowed from the centuries-old metalworking technique, and “hard enamel” is the modern shorthand most buyers use today. If you’ve been comparing quotes and seeing both words, you’re looking at the same pin.

What makes the style distinctive is the material. Instead of the liquid enamel paint used on soft enamel pins, cloisonné pins are colored with a powdered, glass-like resin that’s packed into the recesses of the struck design and fired at roughly 1,700 degrees until it hardens. The pin is then plated and polished, which levels the enamel with the surrounding metal lines and gives the surface its jewelry-like shine. That’s also why cloisonné costs more than soft enamel: it’s a longer process with a kiln step and a hand-polishing step that soft enamel skips.

Hard Enamel, Easy Choice

Cloisonné lapel pins are reminiscent of jewelry, and the increased perceived value can’t be beat. An employee presented with a cloisonné pin will be impressed by the expensive aesthetic of the design and will know their milestone is appreciated. Any lapel pin makes for an impressive and appreciated gift, but if you really want to make someone feel special, choosing hard enamel is an easy choice.

If you have your own idea for a custom lapel pin design but aren’t sure if cloisonné is the right choice, it helps to know the difference between each style of pin before getting started. Not only will you be able to see examples of all the different types of pins, but you’ll also see what makes cloisonné lapel pins so special.

Cloisonné vs Soft Enamel

Since we first started making custom lapel pins, customers have been asking us to describe the difference between hard and soft enamel pins. Each style is capable of displaying incredibly detailed artwork with colorful designs, but when it comes to cloisonné vs soft enamel, the difference is something you can see and feel when you compare them side by side.

All of our custom lapel pins start out as impressions stamped into a sheet of metal, creating a raised and recessed level on the face of each pin. A soft enamel pin goes through the metal plating phase of production before a small amount of enamel paint is added to the recessed levels of the design, allowing the raised edges to act as a natural barrier stopping the paint from bleeding into other sections of the pin.

Cloisonné pins add color using a different method. Once the custom pin design is struck, a powdered, glass-like resin is added to the recesses. Unlike with soft enamel pins, this resin is added to the very top of the recessed sections of the design. The pins are then placed in a 1700 degree oven so the resin can harden into place, and, once they’ve cooled, we finish the metal plating process and polish each pin to a glossy shine.

The recessed portion of a soft enamel pin is distinctly visible against the raised lines used to contain the colors, giving the artwork a sense of depth. Cloisonné pins lose that sense of depth in favor of a glossy texture and smooth finish. This appearance increases the pins’ perceived value and automatically makes them appear timelessly beautiful. The smooth and polished surface of a cloisonné pin also makes them feel sturdy and well made.

For a longer walk through both processes side by side, including close-up photos of each finish, read our full breakdown of the difference between hard and soft enamel pins.

If you still aren’t sure what pin style is right for you, give us a call, and see what our art team recommends for your design ideas. While most of our customers are concerned with the difference between hard and soft enamel pins, we also have a third option should neither of them suit your needs. Die struck pins have beautifully detailed bare metal designs, perfect for corporate logo pins, employee recognition pins or any other type of design that you feel will benefit from a bright aesthetic.

Matching Your Brand Colors on Hard Enamel

Cloisonné color starts from a Pantone reference, not a guess. Send us your PMS numbers with your artwork and we’ll mix the enamel to match them, then show you the result on your free proof before anything goes into production. If you don’t have Pantone numbers on hand, our art team will pull the closest matches out of your logo files and mark them on the proof so you can approve or adjust them.

One thing worth knowing about hard enamel specifically: because the enamel is fired at high heat and then polished flush, the finished color reads slightly deeper and glossier than the same PMS chip does on paper. That’s the finish doing its job, and it’s consistent from pin to pin across the whole run. If exact-on-paper color fidelity matters more to you than the polished surface, our soft enamel pins or a printed option may be the better fit — and we’ll tell you so on the proof rather than after you’ve paid.

The Right Backing for the Right Project

The object on the back of cloisonné lapel pins that stops the wearer from getting repeatedly stabbed is often called a clutch. One aspect of ordering a custom lapel pin is choosing the best clutch for the job. Butterfly clutches, with their two levers to be pinched to release the pin, are the lapel pin backings you see most often, but rubber clutches are actually one of our most popular options. Both of these can be requested free of charge.

In addition to these standard options, we also offer deluxe and jewelry clutches if you’re looking to take your custom hard enamel pin up to the next level. For the customer conscious about putting pin holes in their clothes, we also offer magnetic backings.

Presentation matters as much as the backing when a cloisonné pin is being handed over as an award or sold at retail. We can deliver your order already mounted on custom cardstock with your logo and message printed on it, which turns a loose pin into something that looks finished the moment it changes hands.

If you aren’t actually looking for a lapel pin, we have experience handcrafting different pieces of cloisonné jewelry like cufflinks and charms. Custom made cufflinks are one of the most unique gifts a person can receive, and our cloisonné charms are easily attached to bracelets and necklaces in as little as a few moments.

Hard enamel pins custom made with keychain attachments are another popular option for customers looking for something a little more outside the box. Once you decide on exactly how your custom cloisonné pins are to be used, choosing which backing is right for you is easy.

Hard Enamel Badges, Award Pins, and Recognition Sets

Not every cloisonné order is a lapel pin. The same hard enamel process makes the badges that identify staff, volunteers, and members — designation badges, name badges, credential and certification badges, and the tiered sets that organizations issue as people advance. A hard enamel badge holds up to being worn on a uniform every day far better than a printed alternative, and the polished finish reads as official rather than promotional.

Award and recognition programs are where cloisonné earns its price. Because the finish already looks like jewelry, a hard enamel award pin doesn’t need a plaque or a box to feel like a real honor — which is why it’s the style most of our clients choose for donor recognition, lifetime achievement, and top-performer awards. If you’re building a tiered program, we can quote the whole series as one project so the artwork stays consistent across levels:

• Years-of-service pins for tenure milestones, where a run of 5/10/20-year designs shares one look.
• Employee recognition pins for performance, promotion, and spot awards.
• Custom medals when the recipient needs something larger to display or wear on a ribbon.

Each design carries its own 100-piece minimum, but quoting a series together keeps the proofs, the plating, and the enamel colors matched across every tier.

Ordering Your Own Custom Cloisonné Lapel Pins

With over 26 years of experience, we’ve worked hard to make ordering custom pins as easy as possible. If you already know that you want a set of cloisonné pins, that option is clearly available for you to mark on the quote request form. If you’re still unsure which option is the best for your order, you’re always free to ask our sales team, and they’ll make the best suggestion for your pins.

Once we receive your request, our art team, made up of highly experienced graphic artists, will get to work creating your first free digital proof of artwork to be delivered within 48 hours. Often, this free proof will present your intended pin in a number of different options to help you see what choices are available to get the most out of your design.

The price of cloisonné pins varies based on a few different factors. Size and quantity will always be some of the biggest aspects of a pin order determining price. Other things like which closure you choose and whether your pins make use of any embellishments such as gemstones will also change the ultimate price. For a general idea of what your order will cost, use the pricing tables further down this page as a guide.

Unlike most products, the price per pin actually drops the more pins you buy. If you’re looking for the best ways to save money on your custom pin order, simply let our sales team know and they can work to find all of the different ways to knock the price of your order down.

Choosing Hard Enamel Lapel Pins With Superior Craftsmanship

All of our custom lapel pins are made out of copper, steel or iron. This allows them to be sturdy and withstand the test of time while also allowing them to be lightweight and receptive to the die striking process. The use of these base metals also helps us to keep the cost down for you. Since the year 2000, we’ve worked hard at streamlining our order process to make sure that the service we offer you is matched by the high quality of our final product.

If you’re looking to create a top-tier product that’s sure to make a striking first impression, partner with our Signature Pins team and see what we can do for you. Hard enamel pins custom made with your design are sure to turn heads.