This is great stuff. A billet of fused layers of precious metal can be carved, twisted and formed into amazing patterns. It has a life of its own and each finished ring is unique.
Originally used to adorn the hilts of swords in 17th century Japan, this technique remained obscure until recently. Due to the time-consuming manufacturing process and difficulty in mass-production, mokume gane was cost-prohibitive for most jewelry stores and consumers. The boom in online shopping connected consumers directly with artisan manufacturers. While still expensive, mokume gane became affordable to end consumers and has seen a boom in popularity.
Mokume gane is especially suited for wedding rings since the patterns are hand-forged and thus unique for each set of rings. Certain patterns – like the star pattern – create rings that are near-mirror-image matching pairs. It is an ideal material for wedding ring making classes since my clients can create the patterns themselves
Mokume gane wedding rings are time consuming, and more expensive as a result. While they can sometimes be created in one long workshop day, they are more often made in two sessions.
We can make several patterns of mokume gane wedding rings in the studio, including a star, woodgrain, and stripes at different angles. Each billet is handmade so each ring’s pattern is unique. While we can usually create stars and stripes reliably, each billet is a little different, and the patterns will vary from ring to ring. They will always be beautiful.
Metal color options are:
White Gold & Sterling Silver
Sterling w/ Yellow & White Gold
Sterling w/ Red & White Gold
Yellow Gold & Palladium
Red, Yellow, and White Gold
The pricing on my website for mokume gane workshops includes the cost of metals if you choose any of the first three precious metal combinations. The last two combinations are much more expensive, and will incur additional cost.
