The way that the rings are made, the uniqueness of the patterns…there are so many ways that Mokume Gane is the perfect art form to symbolize marriage, and even more incredibly…..it can be made into wedding rings.
Let’s consider how mokume is made:
The Mokume Gane billet (or metal) is created by layering alternating metals to create a sandwich of sorts of metal. The metal is then forged together with heat and pressure and then patterned. Essentially the material of two different forms is made into one. Once this fused bond of metal is created it is incredibly strong. So strong that it was used in the hilts of swords in ancient Japan.
The next step is the patterning. The metal is twisted, carved and forged to create beautiful swirls of color and pattern. This stage to me is the metaphor of the dance between the two souls ,the experiences of lives lived in unison and the way the two swirl together.
Lastly the metal is split into two pieces of which each individual ring is formed. There will never be another set like it, its impossible to recreate. So there you have it. The love story of mokume and the marriage of the metals.
