Who

The creation of Mokume (Wood-Grain) Gane (Metal) is credited to Denbei Shoami, a 17th century Master Metalsmith from the Akita Prefecture in Japan.

​

How

Mokume Gane is primarily created by heat and pressure fusing 6 - 120 alternating layers of ferrous and non-ferrous sheets of metal. The unified fused billet is then forged and uniquely carved using contemporary techniques before being fabricated into a finished piece of work.

​

Skill

Traditionally, Mokume Gane was and still is a very difficult process to learn and practice. This is partly due to the difficulty of successfully fusing the metals and the skill required to forge the laminated billet down to a useable sheet (or wire) without separating the layers. The creation of Mokume Gane is physically demanding and time intensive. Each individual sheet of Mokume Gane takes between 3 - 7 days to hand-make from start to finish. However, once done correctly, the successful result is a priceless perfectly fused and patterned sheet of Mokume Gane.

 

The uniqueness in each piece of Jewellery made from Mokume Gane is at all times guaranteed. The working process of Mokume Gane is such that no pattern can ever be precisely replicated a second time!