The Medal of Honor, the Victoria Cross and famous award jewelry all utilize cloisonné and enamel to enhance their beauty. Cloisonné is a French word meaning "closure."  Each color used in an enamel design requires a metal closure to separate the enamels. If your design demands this, then choose either kiln-fired enamel or soft enamel.  In kiln-fired, finely ground glass is applied to the appropriate areas, fired at 1500 degrees, then stoned down to the cloisonné.  This process is repeated an average of four times per color to produce a rich, jewel-like surface.  Soft enamel is a premium quality paint that molds itself to the jewelry's contours.