The enamel pin badges we have today aren’t made the same way they were thousands of years ago.

Today, we have enamel paint, which is a solvent-based, glass-free paint that, once dry, forms a vitreous, glass-like shell. Naturally, it’s possible to make the classic versions too (cloisonné hard enamel pin badges). Sadly, their pricing makes them unsuitable for most clients’ marketing budgets.

The enamel finish that ancient and modern jewellery sport is achieved by coating metal pieces in powdered glass enamel and firing them up in the ovens’ recessed areas. The high temperature in the ovens liquefies the powder, which then lets gravity drag the material over the metal surface. As a result, we get scratch-resistant, durable, smooth enamel.

Egypt artisans and Mesopotamians came up with Filigree around 1,800 BC. This method of craftwork later influenced the invention of the colour inlay technique and the idea of using die lines today to separate colours when making modern enamel pins. Essentially, Filigree is a form of intricate metalwork that entails soldering pieces of wire together to produce various artistic motifs.

Vitreous enamelling, however, can be traced back to the Greeks and Cypriots. They created intricate enamel artwork and jewellery by using lots of heat on raw materials to get glass powder. Then, they would combine that with other minerals to get a certain colour or property.

Though anyone can wear enamel pins today, they became popular for their use in the military as a way of distinguishing or honouring personnel. As they became more popular, their range of uses expanded to decorating other important figures. With enamel pin badges, we can also express our creativity or even show allegiance to political movements and societal changes.

In wars, these custom badges could also help differentiate between the fighting sides and troops rank and file. A good example of this is The American Civil War. Though they served mainly as a means of identification, the pins could empower soldiers to fight on too.

The tradition of wearing these badges continued even after the war. The survivors wore them with honour to show their association. Years later, future generations started incorporating enamel badges in everyday life as a way of associating themselves with various causes, ideas, and concepts.

In the early 20th century, enamel pins started to become more associated with modern advertising. The birth of the marketing industry was in line with the established industrial capitalist economy.

The first advertising agency in the world, established around 1840 by Volney B. Palmer, changed marketing forever. Yes, the agency mostly sold space in newspapers to businesses and companies looking to enhance their advertising efforts. But that was the foundation for further expansion of the advertising sector.

Soon enough, various companies were looking to boost their recognition and establish recognisable branding. It may have all started with simple means of promotion through newspapers and via street signs. However, the advertising methods used by companies like Coca-Cola, De Beers, and similar soon expanded to include radio, TV, and, yes, promotional products such as enamel pin badges, mugs, and pens.

Since they’ve become a part of our everyday life, enamel pins can unite groups of people according to a shared interest. At the same time, they can sell a huge number of products, thus helping companies thrive and making their advertising investment worthwhile.