Guilloche pattern

A guilloche is a repetitive architectural pattern used in classical Greece and Rome, and neo-classical architecture as well as medieval Cosmatesque stone inlay work, of two ribbons winding around a series of regular central points. These central points are often blank, but may contain a figure, such as a rose. Guilloche is a back-formation from guilloché, so called because the architectural motif resembles the designs produced by Guilloche techniques.

Guilloché (Guilloche) as an ornamental pattern or border, as in architecture, consisting of paired ribbons or lines flowing in interlaced curves around a series of circular voids.

Guilloché-Engine turning
Engine turning, also called Guilloché in the French language, is created with a machine called a rose engine or decoration lathe, which cuts grooves in geometric patterns. It was used to decorate the cases of pocket watches and other small items, including cane handles, and also to engrave printing plates for stock and bond certificates. Because the pattern is engraved, the reflection of light is enhanced, and its brilliance can be seen as the piece is moved from side to side. The best-known artist, but not the first using this technique, was Fabergé in Russia, who, when showing pieces in Paris in 1900, brought a new interest to this technique. Engine turning is a delicate technique and requires sophisticated equipment and high skill. It was developed in the 18th century and died out around WWI.

Guilloché patterns are spirograph-like curves that frame a curve within an inner and outer envelope curve. They are used on banknotes, securities, and passports worldwide for added security against counterfeiting. For currency, the precise techniques used by the governments of Russia, the United States, Brazil, the European Union, Madagascar, Egypt, and all other countries are likely quite different. The figures above show the same guilloche pattern plotted in polar and Cartesian coordinates generated by a series of nested additions and multiplications of sinusoids of various periods.

Guilloché machines (alternately called geometric lathes, rose machines, engine-turners, and cycloidal engines) were first used for a watch casing dated 1624, and consist of myriad gears and settings that can produce many different patterns. Many goldsmiths, including Fabergè, employed guilloché machines.

The Season 1 episode "Counterfeit Reality" (2005) of the television crime drama NUMB3RS features guilloché patterns.

Facts on Guilloche:

• Guilloché refers to a process.
  
• Guilloché is not a type of enamel.
  
• Guilloché, phonetically pronounced gee-oh-SHAY, comes from the French and means "engine-turning."
  
• Guilloché refers to a series of patterns.
  
• Guilloché patterns can be found in architecture and banknotes.
  
• When used in jewelry making, guilloché patterns are carved into a base metal.
  
• Machine types used to create guilloché patterns include the rose engine and geometric lathe.
  
• Machines used to create guilloché patterns are no longer manufactured.
  
• Modern charm producers do not create guilloché charms.
  

Guilloche designing tools:

• Torapp Guilloche Designer