Mokume Gane hotsell Earrings

These hand-made mokume gane earrings were forged and patterned in my shop. They are made from sterling silver, shibuichi, and copper. Each mokume gane panel measures about 1 1/4” tall by about 3/8” wide, has a slightly convex shape, and hangs gracefully from a sterling silver French hook. Mokume gane, which translates roughly to “woodgrain metal” is a metal art developed in Japan in the 1700's that was originally used to decorate samurai swords. Shibuichi is a traditional Japanese alloy made from mixing silver and copper, and is the darkest color in this 3-tone pattern. This metal combination creates a beautiful contrast between the coppery tones and the silver and really lends to the “wood-grain” feel of the pattern. Treat yourself or a friend to this pair of one-of-a-kind earrings!

Mokume gane is a traditional metal forging art that originated in Japan in the 17th century. Mokume gane translates closely to “wood-grain metal” or “eye of the wood-grain metal” because of the organic patterns that can be created. The origin of mokume gane is rooted in samurai culture and was used to create ornate handles and sheaths for the samurai sword. The process of making mokume gane was invented by Denbei Shoami (1651-1728), a master metalworker, who found a way to beautifully pattern laminated sheets of alternating metals.

I use a method inspired by Shoami to create my hand-made mokume gane. I start by using extreme heat hotsell and pressure to fuse a stack of different precious and semi-precious metals into a single piece that has 15-25 layers. The stack of metals is bonded together at very high temperatures where a eutectic alloy forms between the layers that essentially fuses the stack into a single piece called a billet. The beauty is that each of the metals in the billet retains its own colors and properties, but the stack can be worked as if it were a single metal.

I then forge the billet down by hand with hammer and anvil, compressing the metals and strengthening the bonds between them. I must take care to avoid putting too much stress on the metals or they will delaminate. By heating the billet until it glows red-hot (annealing), the molecules in the metal relax and the bonds holding the billet together stay strong and flexible. Many rounds of forging and annealing are required to successfully create this material. The billet can then be patterned by any combination of twisting, grinding, filing, and forging. Even before I start making a piece of jewelry, the mokume gane must be skillfully prepared, an art in and of itself. There is a quote by Japanese master, Hirotoshi Itoh, that speaks to me when I make mokume gane. He says, “Work always from the heart. Love the hammer, let every blow gently knead the metal… love the metal, and it will love you back.”

Thank you for your interest in my hand-crafted mokume gane jewelry!