(pronunced "moe-coo-may gone-ay") Mokume gane is an ancient art of forging metals that has it's origins in 17th century Japan. A Japanese artisan named Denbei Shoami developed mokume gane, and called the process “guri” after a type of woodworking popular in the region called guri-buri where layers of red and black woods would be glued together, then carved through to show variations in coloring that allowed for unique designs. To achieve the same layering, Shoami layered copper, gold, and silver into a billet then fired them in a kiln until the metals fused. He then carved through the layers to develop patterns. The amount of pattern development depended on the use of the piece and the desired goal. Many of the pieces were used to adorn swords, and were highly prized for their beauty. The term “mokume gane” was originally one specific pattern, and translates as “wood-eye (burl) grain,” and is characterized by circular waves. When the art of mokume gane was introduced to the United States in the 1970's, the variations in nomenclature used in Japan were reduced and the term “mokume gane” became the general name for the art. All of our mokume rings are all hand forged and individually created. Pattern will vary from ring to ring, just as carvings from wood have different patterns depending on how it was carved and how the layers contrast. Two or more rings made from the same billet would appear as though they were cut from the same cord of wood, and except by request, most of our wedding bands match this style. Our rings are made of different combinations of gold, silver, platinum, palladium, and shakudo. Shakudo is a copper-gold alloy where gold is about 4-8% of the alloy. (This is 1 to 2 carat gold). Shakudo can be treated to hold a patina that ranges from black to deep purple.