Michael Daniels Mokume Rings

Michael Daniels Mokume is unparalleled in its beauty and quality and they are a great group of people to work with.  If you are looking for an engagement ring or wedding band that is a little out-of-the-ordinary then take a minute to explore mokume.

About Michael Daniels Mokume Jewelry

Mokume gane (moh’-coo-may gah’-neh) is the art of fusing layers of precious metals to form a single piece with unique markings (Mokume in Japanese means wood-grain; gane means metal). It was first developed in feudal Japan by a Seventeenth Century mastersmith, Denbei Shoami, who used Mokume in decorative elements for Japanese swords. These fabulous pattern-welded steel blades constituted one of the highest art forms in Japan at that time, and with Mokume furnishings, they sold for a king’s ransom in Europe. The Japanese closely guarded the secret art of fusing precious metals over generations of masters and apprentices.

In the 1970s, a few modern artisans studied with mastersmiths in Japan, and brought the art to the West. But creating Mokume has always been difficult. Even now, most billets, or working blocks, are formed by hand, and aside from some art pieces, nearly all the products on the market are wedding bands–a simple celebration of the material itself and the fine art of creating it.

MD goldsmiths have developed a proprietary combination of heat, pressure, forging, and carving to produce the bold MD patterns. Their process of solid-state diffusion bonding starts with making their own alloys, including the 18K golds, as well as the dark and light contrast layers. This gives them a stable billet with crisp, clear layers of the different metals, and provides fine control of color balances. It also helps prevent melting during bonding, and delamination later.

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