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