What is Mokume Gane?
The sheets are degreased and cleaned to remove contaminents such as oxides
The sheets are then stacked into a torque plate; a clamp that will apply pressure to the sheets while being heated
The ring is then final finished, with stones being set if desired
The sheets are degreased and cleaned to remove contaminents such as oxides
Our jewellery is created using the process of Mokume Gane. Roughly translated as "wood eye metal", or "wood grain metal", Mokume gane is a Japanese process developed by Denbei Shoami in the 17th century.
It is produced by layering alternate layers of metals, such as copper, silver or gold, and fusing them together, using heat and pressure, to create a billet. The resulting billet is then forged down to size. A combination of twisting and carving, followed by reforging, brings out the hidden layers, creating unique, woodgrain-like patterns. Each pattern is a one of a kind; just like a finger print, no pattern can be identical to another.
Mokume was originally used to ornament the weapons of a samurai, such as a katana or a wakizashi, to show wealth and power. But, as the samurai was diminished towards the end of the 19th century, the need to apply this art else wear arose. The process almost died out, but was revived when it was brought to the west 40 years ago.
