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The tradition of exchanging wedding bands symbolizes a commitment, love, and unity between two people. And there are so many options for finding the perfect rings to symbolize this bond.

Many couples choose their bands together, to find a pair of rings that feel symbolic of each individual, and the connection between them.

There is also a unique appeal of custom made wedding rings, and specialty techniques like mokume gane allow for an added level of personalization.

The Growing Trend of Couples Choosing Wedding Bands Together

In the past, couples have separately chosen each other’s rings, but in recent years, the trend of couples selecting their wedding bands together has gained popularity. This collaborative approach adds an extra personal touch to the rings.

Selecting wedding bands as a couple can be a wonderful unifying experience. It allows partners to discuss preferences, styles, and meanings behind different designs. 

When couples choose their rings together, they have the opportunity to choose what design elements would best symbolize their relationship and the marriage that they are building.

By selecting wedding bands together, couples can also ensure that their rings complement each other aesthetically. This is perfect for a pair who have distinct personal styles and tastes, but would still like their wedding bands to feel like a set.

Exploring Custom Wedding Bands

Custom wedding bands offer couples the flexibility to create rings that are as unique as their relationship. The journey begins with a design consultation, where couples share their vision with a goldsmith. This initial discussion helps both the designer and couple understand the direction to take the designs and what will be feasible for their budget, timeline, and personal preferences, in bringing their vision to life.

Choosing the right materials is an essential step in creating custom wedding bands. This is where mokume gane in particular is a great choice, both in quality of craft and symbolism of a strong bond.

Mokume Gane Wedding Ring Sets: A Unique Choice

Mokume gane, with its roots in traditional Japanese metal working, is a perfect style for wedding bands. This technique involves layering different metals and fusing them together, then manipulating the metals through carving and forging to create beautiful patterns. Mokume gane wedding ring sets are particularly appealing for couples seeking distinctive and artistic designs.

The creation of mokume gane rings involves fusing layers of precious metals like golds, palladium, silverand platinum. This stack of metals, called a billet, can then be twisted, folded, carved, all by hand. This painstaking process results in rings that are as unique 

The artistry behind mokume gane rings goes beyond aesthetics. The technique represents the blending of different elements—metals in this case—to form a harmonious whole. This perfectly reflects the concept of a union like a marriage, a strong bond forged to bring two people together and create something new. 

Couples can further personalize mokume gane wedding ring sets by selecting the metal combinations and patterns that resonate with their relationship. This customization allows them to create rings that are not only visually stunning but also deeply meaningful. Arn’s mokume gane work especially offers a wide variety of options, as each of his patterns has a distinct look and are inspired by different elements of nature, so the individual can choose a pattern that most reflects their personality and style. Choosing different patterns but the same metal palette is one example of a way to create a cohesive set that doesn’t feel too matching, but clearly complements each other.

Beginning your search for the perfect engagement ring can seem as daunting as it is exciting at the start. With so many designs, cuts, and stones to choose from, the options are limitless, especially if you’re wanting something unique like a mokume ring! We’re here to help you navigate and find the perfect design. 

The Rise of Unique Engagement Rings

Unique engagement rings are a testament to individuality and personal style. They stand apart from traditional designs, offering a sense of creativity and personal connection. Whether it's an unusual gem stone, band shape, setting style or a combination of several of these elements, your ring should tell a story—your story.

The Significance of the Gemstone

A central element of any engagement ring is the gemstone. While diamonds are timeless, exploring unique stones for engagement rings can offer a new twist. Consider the symbolism of different gemstones:

• Ruby: With its deep red hue, it represents passion and love and strength.

• Sapphire: Often associated with wisdom, virtue, and protection.

• Moissanite: Known for its’ intense  sparkle, an affordable alternative to diamonds.

Sapphires can especially be a fantastic choice for engagement rings if you’re looking for a colored stone. At a 9 on the Mohs Scale (second only to diamonds), it’s a strong stone that will hold up well to daily wear. And sapphires come in so many different varieties!

Unique Diamonds

If you’d like to go the diamond route but are looking for something less traditional, there are many options! Black diamonds are inky and opaque creating a dark and moody feel, salt and pepper diamonds have naturally occurring speckles and quirks, or raw diamond crystals combine rustic with elegant. And all of these aesthetically organic styles pair beautifully with a handcrafted mokume gane ring.

Vintage and Contemporary Inspirations

Unique vintage engagement rings evoke a sense of nostalgia and depth. These rings often feature intricate detailing and craftsmanship that are hard to find in modern designs. On the other hand, contemporary unique engagement rings embrace modernity, with sleek lines and streamlined shapes. Our work embraces both traditional quality craftsmanship and techniques, paired with innovative and modern design. 

Materials and Craftsmanship

The choice of metal can significantly influence the ring's appearance. Gold engagement rings, whether white, yellow, or rose, provide different aesthetics and can complement the chosen gemstone beautifully.

Unique handmade engagement rings possess a charm that mass-produced items lack. The meticulous attention to detail and craftsmanship ensure each piece is a work of art, reflecting the artisan's skill and the wearer's personality.

When choosing an engagement ring, consider practical aspects such as durability and comfort. Unique engagement ring designs should not only draw you in with their beauty but also withstand daily wear. Gemstone choice is especially important here, as many beautiful stones can be too soft or delicate for the regular wear that a ring takes on. We highly recommend diamonds, sapphires and moissanites. 

Engravings and Personal Touches

Personalizing the ring with engravings adds sentimental value. Common engravings include significant dates, initials, or meaningful quotes. The question of what to engrave in a ring is personal, and the options are endless.

Mokume gane also offers additional customizations, as there are many patterns and visuals to choose from. Find what speaks to you! Are there certain patterns that remind you of you or your partner, your story, your relationship?

Crafting Your Love Story

In conclusion, finding the perfect unique engagement ring is about more than just selecting a beautiful piece of jewelry. It's about crafting a symbol of love that is as unique as the relationship it represents. From simple and classic to complex and completely custom, the options are vast and varied. Enjoy the process and choose a ring that resonates with your personal story. 

Your engagement ring is more than a piece of jewelry—it's a reflection of the life you are building. Let it be as unique and beautiful as your love story.

Mokume is a beautiful craft dating back to 17th century Japan for use in sword-making, characterized by a woodgrain like appearance of many layers of different metals fused together to make one piece. This specialized technique of successfully forging together sheets of metal into one billet so that they are bonded and structurally sound requires great skill and years of experience as a metalsmith. 

And with this method of creating and patterning rings by hand, either through forging or carving, there is an inherent variability to how the appearance of the ring will ultimately turn out! One of the things Arn loves about mokume and the practice of making it is that not all aspects of how the final ring will look is controllable, which makes each one truly unique. We know that you love this aspect of mokume as well.  Nature never makes the same thing twice and this is one of the most striking and under-recognized aspects of what we attribute beauty to. Much like life, handmade things are unpredictable and beautiful.  

When you order your ring with us there a few paths to consider. We can help you unravel the work of choosing by walking you through the process a bit here.  We offer Custom and  Bespoke options. 

Firestorm in particular of all of our billets has a range of variation that can be more noticeable and less controllable, as it is a four color combination, rather than two or three. As in its name, this palette is meant to be a whirlwind of color all mixed together to echo the complex and mesmerizing varieties of nature. 

Custom vs. Bespoke 

Our bespoke options are studio-approved alterations to existing AKM designs. For example you love the pattern but would like a different stock pallet that we offer ; while custom orders are designed from the ground up! This requires much more communication time as well as time at the bench, than a bespoke alteration.  

We wish you all a happy holiday season and a bright new year, and look forward to continuing to create with you!

Much love,

Arn Krebs Mokume