Mokume Gane Wedding Bands

Home Mokume Gane Bands FAQ Contact Order

Jewelry designer specializing in the ancient art of mokume gane.

mokume gane

Please visit my new website at domokume.com to view the most current styles.

All of my mokume gane bands are made at completely from scratch. No outside made billets, laminated bars or patterned sheets are used. All bands are made starting with sheets of colored golds and/or silver which are fused into solid billets, forged, patterned, and fabricated into custom made bands.

Archive of past mokume gane bands

Additional examples of rings made over the last few years are shown below. Certain past rings can still be made on a custom order basis. Please Contact me for questions about custom rings.

raindrop_pattern_mokume_ring
1. This is a 7mm 18k yellow gold and sterling raindrop pattern band with 18k yellow gold rails. The sterling has been etched to add texture and bring out the pattern. This ring can also be made without rails.

star_pattern_mokume_rails
2. This star pattern mokume band is made with 14k palladium white gold and platinum enhansed sterling silver. The palladium white gold is the darker of the metals. One seamless piece of 14k palladium white gold tube was used to make the liner and rails. It is 6.5mm.

3. This is a 4mm twist pattern mokume band made with 11 layers of 14k palladium white gold and sterling silver. The sivler has been etched.

twist_pattern
4. This ring combines 18k royal yellow gold, 14k palladium white gold, 14k red gold and platinum enhansed sterling. It's pattern was created by twisting 2 times an selectivly removing metal.

star_pattern_mokume
5. This is a 4mm star pattern ring with broad lines. It consists of 18k yellow gold, 14k palladium white gold and sterling silver.

woodgrain_pattern
6. Here is another variation of the classic woodgrain mokume gane pattern, with 14k palladium white gold and platinum sterling silver. The silver has been etched and it's 6mm wide.

7. This is a random woodgrain pattern. The ring is 4mm and the platinum sterling has been etched.

Metals used in mokume gane bands

My mokume gane bands are offered in metal combination that balance durability
and color contrast. Etching can be used on all of my mokume gane bands to
enhance the pattern. Surface treatments such as patinas on high copper alloys
or tarnishing sterling silver are not used bring out the mokume gane pattern
because they may wear off quickly or use matals that can self etch or cause
staining on the skin.

Hardness ratings for precious metals

Below is a table listing metals that I use in my mokume gane bands and other metals.
Note that different carats and colored golds vary in hardness and that fine is very soft,
so is not appropriate for every day use in mokume gane bands.
Metal Vickers Hardness
14k yellow 140
14k royal yellow . . . . . .195
18k royal yellow 125
14k red . . . . . . . . . . 125
18k red 195
14 k palladium white . . . .150
18k palladium white 130
Pure Palladium . . . . . . .81
Pure Silver (fine silver) 35
Traditional sterling silver 75
Platinum Sterling 3.5% . . 90
Pure Gold (24k gold). . . . 30
Platinum/Iridium 902 115
Platinum/Ruthenium 952. . . 130

Tarnish resistance for metals used in mokume gane bands

My mokume gane bands contain only contains precious metals which are tarnish
resistant. I use platinum sterling silver in my mokume bands, which contains
3.5% platinum and is much more tarnish resistant than traditional sterling silver
which is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. The high copper content in traditional
sterling silver causes tarnishing. I also don't use high copper alloys including
shakudo in my mokume gane bands for this reason. Shakudo usually contains 96% pure
copper and 4% pure gold. While these are sometimes used in mokume gane bands, they
are inappropriate because they may react to your body chemistry and the environment
which can discolor your finger, the patina may wear off, or they can self etch deeply
over a few years.

Finishes available for mokume gane bands

Mokume gane patterning is best brought out with a matte finish and etching. The
depth of etching can be controlled for with a light or deep etch. Platinum sterling
can be etched. The outside and inside of my mokume ban can be etched or just the outside.

Profiles for mokume gane bands

My mokume gane rings are available in comfort fit profiles.
Squared profile options are also available, but the mokume gane pattern shows better
on the comfort fit profiles because there is more surface area to show the pattern.

Thickness available for mokume gane bands

My mokume gane bands are from 2mm tall. Because all my mokume gane bands
are comfort fit, taller bands feel more comfortable and are more wear resistant.

Widths available for mokume gane bands

My mokume gane rings are available from 3mm to 10mm wide. Wider bands show the
mokume gane patterning better. Men most often order the 6mm or 7mm wide mokume gane bands
and women most often order the 4mm or 5mm mokume gane bands.

How mokume gane bands are patterned

My mokume bands are patterned by twisting a 11 - 20 layered bar of colored gold
combinations or gold and platinum silver combinations 2 - 8 times. The bar is then rolled
square and the mokume gane pattern are revealed by selectively removing layers by using files
and various shaped drill bits. The simple woodgrain, random woodgrain and twist mokume gane patterns
appear after several steps of metal removal, each time refining the pattern

Sizing mokume gane bands

Mokume gane rings can be sized up or down 1 size without changing the pattern. Ring sizers
are available in the width, heigh and profile orderd, to ensure that your mokume gane band
will fit perfectly.