Flowing Mokume Gane Ring with Red Gold

A new installment of our video series is up on our YouTube channel! In this episode of making a mokume wedding ring, follow Arn through the process of continuing to form and shape the stock into a ring. Forging, pressing, annealing, and making preparations for the stone that will be set later!

The second installment of our new YouTube series is up! In this episode of making a mokume ring, early steps in patterning and shaping the metal billet!

Interested in more behind the scenes peeks? Follow us on Instagram!

We know that designing your ring can feel daunting with so many options to choose from so we have put together this guide to explain the options.

Ordering Online~ Please see our design guide to choose your rings size, width, pattern, palette, and any stones or add ons that you might like. From there reach out to us and we can build you a quote, discuss timeline, and send an invoice for 50% deposit to get your order into our work queue.

Seeing Rings in Person~We make every piece to order so we don’t have a large collection of rings on hand, once the ring has been made and photographed its off to its new owner! We do have an intimate collection of already made rings that are ready to size and ship. These samples may not necessarily be the pattern, size or width that you are interested in but you’ll be able to see what metal colors look like in person and get a feel for Arn’s craftsmanship. You can choose which ring(s) you would like to see from our available now section which is the inventory we currently have in stock. You can find a link to our available rings here. If you would like to see any of these rings in person please know that our showroom operates on limited hours and is by appointment only. The fastest way to be in touch and to book an appointment is via email.

Showroom Hours of Availability

~by Appointment only~

9am – 2pm, M-F

Call us at: (401) 287-8050

Email us: info@arnkrebsmokume.com

Seeing Rings By Mail~ To see any of our available now rings by mail please reach out to us and let us know what you are interested in seeing. The cost of the Ring Sample mail program is $100-$300 depending on how many rings you would like to see. Up to 3 at ($100 per ring) This fee covers shipping and insurance and is non-refundable. If you decide to proceed with your order, we will apply $75 per ring towards your order. Rings may be kept for up to 48 hours. We ask for a copy of your driver’s license and your credit card info to authorize the full retail value of the rings in the event that they are not returned to us with 48 hours. Please be mindful that these rings are your responsibility while they are in your possession.

The Flow pattern is one of Arn’s signature designs, an original forged pattern that he’s continued to hone over the years. One of Arn’s favorite aspects of working with mokume is creating and developing new patterns and exploring the possibilities this beautiful and complex craft can offer.

This pattern is characterized, as many forged patterns are, by a more linear look. Flow evokes the imagery of moving water or air, with long lines wrapping around the ring, but also still referencing the “woodgrain” style of more traditional mokume by including knots dispersed throughout. These knots can be either solid metal, in a color that matches the palette of the rest of the ring , or they can be patterned.

One row of knots works best for a narrower ring, we’d recommend this for widths from 3mm up to 6mm.

Two rows of knots looks best for the mid widths, around 4mm wide up to about 8mm.

And then for very wide rings, we’d recommend doing 3 rows of knots, from 6mm to 10mm.

There is overlap in the different widths and number of rows of knots, as Flow can have many different appearances and it will depend on your preference. Because we use the same stock billets, the more rows of knots, the more the layers in the ring are compressed. If you prefer a finer look to the patterning, you may prefer more knots on a more narrow ring, whereas if you’d like the pattern to be more bold you would want a wider ring.

The other elements to consider are knot type and knot placement! We’ve touched on solid vs patterned knots, but with patterned knots, there are two types.

We have upright knots, which contrast the direction of the patterning on the rest of the ring:

Or angled knots, which tend to blend in more with the rest of the flow pattern:

The last consideration is knot placement! When Arn is arranging the knots for the ring, he can place them more evenly, or in more of an organic, staggered way. Placing the knots more staggered creates extra movement in the patterning and a more natural look.

With all of this said, just keep in mind that many of these factors are customizable! Flow especially is a very versatile type of pattern that can suit a variety of looks and design preferences. One of the beautiful and exciting parts of mokume is how even small changes can create something entirely new and unique. Arn loves exploring new ideas and the process of creating different patterns, so if you are interested in customizing an existing design we have please just inquire! We can also explore adding stones, pictured here are a few examples we feel work beautifully with this patterning.

Flow is one of Arn’s specialty forged patterns! This is one of his most complicated patterns, so he wanted to document some of the process to show you how he brings it to life. Come along on the journey from stock to ring!

Some assembly steps, those little rods will be the knots, and the flat stock will be the linear part of the mokume pattern running around the ring!

Here Arn is torch firing the stack to fuse everything together:

And then it’s over to the press to compress the stack, check out that satisfying squash!

Here’s what the stock for the ring looks like reduced down: 

And Arn continues to shape the stock into the dimensions for a ring:

Here he is etching the silver: 

And oxidizing the silver:

And the final reveal!

Arn just completed this beautiful tension set style ring! We love tension settings, they create such a fantastical illusion of the stone floating. Arn documented his process in creating this design, from stock billet to forming and patterning, to setting the stone and finishing the ring.

This ring also features one of Arn’s signature patterns, Guri Bori, inspired by the natural landforms and topography of the western US. The added thickness needed for this style of setting really helps to create that mountainous look!