News

We offer two, three, and four stock metal combinations that use 14kt Yellow Gold, 14kt Red Gold, 14kt White Gold, Sterling Silver, and Palladium. My Mokume Gane jewelry involves any combination of these five metals, as the listings will picture. Custom combinations, or upgrades like 18k gold, can be done for an additional fee.

Any piece with Sterling Silver can also receive an oxidized finish, which is a surface treatment that darkens/blackens the silver. This treatment will wear off, but you can oxidize your own Mokume Gane jewelry at home and there are instructions on how to do this at the bottom of this guide.

Please note that we do not offer copper in our metal combinations. As much as we would like to offer copper in our metal palettes, copper unfortunately corrodes rapidly. A common occurrence you might’ve noticed after wearing copper jewelry is a green stain on your skin. Unfortunately, mixing copper and silver will cause the destruction of your ring and we want them to last you a lifetime!

All of my metals are responsibly sourced.

All of this info and more can be found on our guide page : https://www.susanfredastudios.com/pages/about-mokume-gane

                 Forged in our Imagination

Arn Krebs Arts is proud to offer forge patterned Mokume. This is a premium pattern as it requires extensive skill and experience to produce. 

All Mokume is patterned using two techniques, carving and forging or a combination of the two. Most Mokume is patterned by twisting and carving or carving alone, very few Mokume artists pattern their Mokume using only forging and Arn Krebs Arts is one of the few!

The forged patterns have several advantages over carved patterns. They are more durable as the pattern runs through the ring and will never change even as the ring wears. Forged patterns also offer the opportunity to book match a mirrored pattern on one ring or make a set of rings which have mirror images. Forging the pattern also offers an insight into the process and our inspiration as the pattern is a record of exactly what has happened to each layer, much like geologic and growth processes are revealed by the eroded shapes and patterns in rock in mountains, valleys and canyons or the grain of wood. Forging the pattern in Mokume also expands the possibilities for patterns exponentially, allowing for different aesthetics and the ability to tap into a thousands year old history of pattern welded and damascus steel patterns. This blend of the old and new anchors us to our roots and allows us to reach our branches for the sky! 

All our rings are made start to finish in our studio and are always solid Mokume, not thin veneer of Mokume over other metal or a thick liner. When you buy one of our rings you can be sure you are getting an heirloom quality piece of jewelry as unique as you are. 

If you would like to commission a new piece or pattern specifically for you, we are always excited to work with you to create your ideal piece of jewelry. We have many patterns and metal combinations available which are not published or represented in our portfolio, and our design philosophy allows us to integrate seamlessly any stones you may want to highlight or include in the design. We strive to create jewelry as meaningful to you as it is to us.

                 Forged in our Imagination

Arn Krebs Arts is proud to offer forge patterned Mokume. This is a premium pattern as it requires extensive skill and experience to produce. 

All Mokume is patterned using two techniques, carving and forging or a combination of the two. Most Mokume is patterned by twisting and carving or carving alone, very few Mokume artists pattern their Mokume using only forging and Arn Krebs Arts is one of the few!

The forged patterns have several advantages over carved patterns. They are more durable as the pattern runs through the ring and will never change even as the ring wears. Forged patterns also offer the opportunity to book match a mirrored pattern on one ring or make a set of rings which have mirror images. Forging the pattern also offers an insight into the process and our inspiration as the pattern is a record of exactly what has happened to each layer, much like geologic and growth processes are revealed by the eroded shapes and patterns in rock in mountains, valleys and canyons or the grain of wood. Forging the pattern in Mokume also expands the possibilities for patterns exponentially, allowing for different aesthetics and the ability to tap into a thousands year old history of pattern welded and damascus steel patterns. This blend of the old and new anchors us to our roots and allows us to reach our branches for the sky! 

All our rings are made start to finish in our studio and are always solid Mokume, not thin veneer of Mokume over other metal or a thick liner. When you buy one of our rings you can be sure you are getting an heirloom quality piece of jewelry as unique as you are. 

If you would like to commission a new piece or pattern specifically for you, we are always excited to work with you to create your ideal piece of jewelry. We have many patterns and metal combinations available which are not published or represented in our portfolio, and our design philosophy allows us to integrate seamlessly any stones you may want to highlight or include in the design. We strive to create jewelry as meaningful to you as it is to us.

We are so lucky to have such a great crew of friends and family, far and wide, who help to make our business a success!   We wanted to send out a thank, you along with some faces to see, of the people behind our studio practice and our daily life.  

Thank You !

www.susanfredastudios.com

http://www.susanfredastudios.com

Mokume gane is an ancient metalworking technique in which layers of precious metal are alloyed together with heat and pressure, then twisted, carved, and forged to create beautiful organic patterns. Mokume Gane translates is Japanese and translates to "wood eye metal" which reflects the wood grain patterning admired by the Japanese craftsmen. This rare metal lamination process is similar to Damascus and was developed and used by Japanese swordsmiths in the 17th century to adorn samurai swords.

All mokume patterns are achieved by one of two processes; carving or forging.  Guri Bori mokume requires the most involved carving, resulting in a ring that has recesses or layers that resemble topography. Other carved patterns include the wood grain pattern, the twist pattern, and the droplet patterning. Forged patterns include end grain pattern, wave pattern, flow pattern, bookmatched endgrain, as well as others.

My mokume patterns are made in various combinations of yellow gold, red gold, silver, and palladium. In my many years of making mokume I’ve developed the skillset to make bands that resemble wood grain, topographical canyons, oceanic waves, and other natural formations. I take pride in the custom nature of the work and offer the widest selection of mokume patterns that you will see at any shop. Arn chooses not to line his rings with silver or gold and rather to let the beautiful wood grain patterning of the mokume shine through to the inside of the ring.  The integrity of the metal is featured this way and assures that you are getting a quality ring, not a thin sheet of mokume hidden by a liner.  The texture and feel of mokume is something to be treasured. 

Please note that all mokume patterns are unique and so the ring you take home will vary from those pictured. The images below and in the listings are meant to give an example of our different style options and quality of the ring, but please keep in mind that every item is individually made by hand and will inevitably vary from other rings in the same pattern category.