This unique green leaf ring with a real freshwater pearl uses an ancient Cloisonné technique for decorating sterling silver for a beautiful vitreous enamel look. The ring decoration is created by first adding small compartments to the silver/copper metal by affixing silver wires placed on their edges. These thin strips are visible in the finished piece to create the realistic look of a green leaf, separating the different colored compartments of the enamel. Cloisonné enamel is created using enamel powder made into a paste, which then is fired in a pottery furnace. By the 14th century, this colorful enamel technique had spread to China from the Byzantine Empire, where it remains common to the present day and was adopted in the West in the 18th century.