What is not hard stone inlay? -- The art of Cloisonné!
When I first started looking for Florentine mosaics or pietre dure, I was fooled by some enamel pictures.
This art is pretty neat. Starting on a base of metal, a thin wire is bent to form the outlines of shapes. Different colored enamels are poured into the separate areas, then the whole thing is baked. If it only was that easy!
I am amazed at what Allan Heywood can do with enamel. This bird is just the tip of the iceberg of what he has done. Check out his site at ALLAN HEYWOOD ENAMELS