Just about as unique as your personality can be a fusion of metals you chose for your jewelry when you opt for Mokume Gane, this old Japanese technique which allows production of inimitable patterns on your rings, pendants, bracelets, portraits frames or even swords.
Rose gold? White gold? Silver? There is no need to choose one or two alloys, when there can be your own combination. Palladium white gold, nickel, silver, brass, copper, shibuichi, sharudo, even coins can be merged together to produce intricate images, which are called ‘wood eye metal’ in Japanese for their resemblance of wooden surface. Depending on the arrangement and number of layers as well as the way they are rolled, carved, bumped, twisted, filed and re-rolled you may notice that there exist some classical designs: Wave, Bubble, Raindrop, Ladder, Night Sky, etc., but no two pieces are alike.
The characteristic pattern reminds that of the Damascus steel, used to forge legendary swords reputedly capable of cutting through stone and splitting a hair on their blades due to their superplasticity and hardness.
Just as its Persian cousin Mokume Gane was initially used to make Japanese katanas (swords) for samurais. The father of this teqnique is Denbei Shoami (1651-1728), a talented craftsmen from Akita Prefecture, Northern Japan. He first called his newly discovered method “Guri Bori”, because the ornament on his first mokume tsuba (a hand guard of a Japanese sword) reminded designs referred to as Guri, achieved by applying Tsuishu – a technique in lacquer work having its roots in ancient China. Patterns there were created by carving into thick layers of different colored lacquer. Shoami’s oldest work where he used gold, silver, shakudo and copper laminates instead of lacquer was in the sword hilt called Kozuka. He later named this technique Mokume (wood grain) Gane (metal) for its resemblance to pinewood.
Shoami as a master of the highest level was given permission to use his name to start a school. At that time Shoami School was supported by a powerful feudal lord, belonging to the ruling layers of the country. The dominant caste of those times was supposed to carry katana as a symbol of their status. That might be the reason why the technique used to embellish arms was in high demand. It was predominantly applied to adorn weapons till the end of the 19th century, when the institute of samurai lost its significance and they were not allowed to carry their swords in public any longer. Metalsmiths started employing their skills to create more artistic products.
The western world discovered this technique in the early 1970s, when spouses Pijanowski brought Mokume Gane to the USA. They learned the technique from Norio Tamagawa, who was a metalsmith in the ninth generation.
Today it is possible to mix this ancient hand fabricated technique with the most state of the art high-tech ways of 3D modelling. Blending these two approaches gives fantastic results. In particular, using Mokume Gane in engagement rings, which reflect the traditions and feelings as powerful and old as the world itself, merged with cutting edge technologies gives birth to unique characteristics immanent to the only jewelry set belonging to your alliance. All that combined with your own design ideas can express this second to none spirit of your couple as a unity, at the same time highlighting each individual personality in it.
At 3D Custom Jewel, we provide an incredibly satisfying cad cam jewelry design services. It is the conjunction of our extensive experience and expertise as a bench jewelllers and cad designers. Our goal is your satisfaction and we strongly believe in a constant attitude of self improving , non-stop learning and always try to offer the best quality of 3d modelling and design.