Enamel Pins: Grading

What are enamel pins?

Enamel pins are metal casts filled with either soft enamel, that sits recessed below the base metal, or hard enamel, which is polished flat with the surface of the metal itself. Base metals are often plated with other metals to create silver, gold, bronze or a variety of other coloured finishes. UV printed inks can also be applied to add extra detail on top of the base metal and enamel combination. 

A Grade? B Grade? What does it all mean?

Enamel pins are hand-made products, which means sometimes small errors or imperfections can be seen in the finished product. Rather than considering them waste, many enamel pin creators offer them for purchase at a discounted price so they can still find homes where they can proudly be displayed, flaws and all. Blemishes are generally analysed on the front of the pin and aren’t as relevant when on the edges or back of the pin itself. 

Pin grading doesn’t have an official standard or comparison scale, but common practice tends to break down pins into quality categories determined by the artist and their subjective discretion. 

I closely inspect each of my pins and categorise them appropriately based on their look and construction quality. Currently, I have A and B grade pins, but it’s possible that other ‘lower’ grades may eventuate if I have misfortune with a manufacturer. 

An ‘A grade’ pin is considered the default ‘standard’ pin quality, where any flaws or errors are extremely minor and aren’t visible upon immediate inspection. These could include (but aren’t limited to):

• Slight misalignment of UV printed details
• Slightly underfilled or overfilled enamel (that ‘bleeds’ onto the metal parts slightly)
• Tiny air bubbles or divots in the enamel
• Minor imperfections in the metal plating on the front or sides of the pin
• Pin posts with a tiny amount of wiggle
• Very small chips or little dents in the metal or enamel
• Tiny pieces of dust or lint trapped in enamel or glitter fill
• Extremely minor scuffing or very light scratches in the enamel 

In short, an ‘A grade’ pin looks to be in near-perfect condition when viewed and used under normal conditions. 

‘B grade’ pins often have larger or more noticeable flaws that become obvious when viewed closely. These could include (but aren’t limited to):

• Moderate misalignment of UV printed details
• Partially missing UV printed details
• Noticeable enamel underfill or overfill
• Numerous air bubbles or divots in the enamel
• Noticeable imperfections in metal plating on the front or sides of the pin
• Pin posts with substantial amount of wiggle, but still securely attached
• Easily seen chips or dents in the metal or enamel
• Noticeable amounts of dust or lint trapped in enamel or glitter fill
• Clear scuffing or noticeable scratches on the enamel or metal
• Tarnishing on the metal parts of the pin 

B grade pins are a bit ‘luck of the draw’, as each pin will have its own unique flaws, but none so severe that I would class the pin as not worth selling. These pins are great for where they might be more prone to damage, such as wearing on clothing, bags or lanyards, whilst still looking nice and shiny. 

I’ve done my best to inspect and categorise my pins using the above system, but as I am a silly little human, sometimes things might slip. Please contact me directly if you receive a pin that doesn’t fit the standard you picked, or if you have any other questions or concerns. :> 

Lastly, all pins are cross-checked for quality and their respective pin grades before I post them out to you, so you can rest assured I’ve done my best to ensure your little pins are up to scratch!