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.

Making mokume gane is an incredibly complicated process that is truly a labor of love. There are a handful of quality mokume gane artists in the world that are currently making mokume gane rings.  The community is small, dedicated, and inspired. The reason for this is that it takes countless hours of practice and a great amount of hand and jewelry skills and tools to create these works of art.

When you buy pre made mokume stock, it has been produced by one of these makers who sell it in bulk to jewelry supply companies.

Most mokume artists offer a small range of palettes and patterns and the reason for this is that each change in design or modification requires more and more precision, skill and time. With each new metal combination the melting point, forging point, firing schedule, and more needs to change accordingly. For each of Arn’s custom orders he must calculate and take into account the metals needed, color, patterning, stones and settings (if applicable), and any other additional design elements. Each order is individually worked out and given the needed attention and time needed. 

Arn has become widely recognized as one of the best mokume artists working today. His work is in high demand with a waitlist of 3-9 months depending on the complexity of the design. We are so incredibly grateful that Arn is able to do what he loves and is experiencing such success and recognition for his work.

We can’t thank you enough for your support! 

When you order with us we place you into our work queue and we order your metal and stones asap. The time between your initial order and when the ring is started is dependent on how long it takes to complete the orders that have already been placed, it varies depending on how booked up we are at the time. 

Each order is different, and there are also vital day to day studio operations and tasks that have to be factored in as well. So we aren’t able to know precisely when your order will be complete, but we do understand that a general estimated completion date is needed, especially as many of our customers are intending to use the rings for weddings or other planned special occasions. This is why we give an estimated window instead of a firm date. Because we’re dealing with a large number of very intricate orders and we are a team of 3 we don’t correspond often during the wait time and will only reach out once your ring is complete with photos to show you. We are not able to offer process photos due to the nature of our shop and in the interest of not disrupting the work process, but if you are interested in seeing glimpses of the studio and work area please check out our Instagram.

We hope this gives a picture of the inner workings of the studio, making mokume and our practice, and we thank you all for your ongoing support and love for Arn and his work.

Interested in a custom order? Here’s some info on getting started!

We know choosing the details for your custom ring can be overwhelming, so many choices! So we wanted to put together a checklist of factors to consider when deciding on your ring design.

Ring Dimensions 

Ring size (if you aren’t 100% sure on your size but have a general idea, we have a ring sizer service! More info here.)Ring width.

Pattern and Palette
See all of our pattern and palette options here on our design guide page! 
 
Stones (if applicable)
You can repurpose stones you already have (depending on suitability and their condition), or we are happy to source stones for you!
For rings we usually recommend certain stones over others, for more info on choosing stones check out this blog post. 

Specific likes and/or dislikes
Each mokume ring is a unique handmade piece, there will be variations in pattern, color, etc. Please let us know if you have specific preferences, not all factors are controllable (as is the inherent nature of Mokume Gane), but we can advise on which options would be best suited for what you’re looking for.
It can be helpful to pick out a few example rings from our listings to show us what you like!

Timelines
Different patterns and designs have different wait times, some rings will require only a 6-8 week timeframe, while others can be booked out 6 months or more. 
Please let us know if you have a specific date you would need to have your order delivered by! Each order in our work queue is worked through one by one, so we offer an estimated completion window rather than a firm completion date. To guarantee delivery by a specific date requires a rush order (if we are able to accommodate it in our calendar at the time).
 
Returns
Please contact us before returning any items. Not all custom orders may be returned. 
Our return/restock policy

Take a look at these behind the scenes shots from Arn’s process while making a recent custom order! This is a customized cathedral style setting to hold this big and beautiful Alexandrite stone. 

This ring is also a great example of the Star pattern, which is a variation of Twist, this usually occurs with carving into a Twist ring, we love seeing how carving a different profile (in this case this beveled look for a more crisp and geometric feel) affects the pattern on the ring.

(The palette shown here is Embers – 14kt Red Gold, Palladium 500 and Sterling Silver)

Ancient Egyptians believed that the ring finger, or the fourth finger of the left hand, contained a “vena amoris” or “vein of love” that connected directly to the heart. The blood was thought to circle around the ring finger and return to the heart and in that way recharged the ring with life. The Romans adopted this custom and wore wedding rings on their ring finger. Although their belief isn’t anatomically correct, the tradition of wearing rings on the ring finger continues to this day.

Mokume gane is a poetic choice for your wedding ring set. Each set of rings can be created from the same billet of metal.  Once the metal is made the rings are both cut and formed from the billet and then patterned so that the set is the only one like it. The rings you share are as unique as the bond you share.

We have created a large vocabulary of patterns, colors, and styles over the years and we hope you will dig into to our collection and find the set that speaks to you and your love.  Please inquire for more info here.

Woodgrain (left) & Twist (right)

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 woodgrain pattern, twist pattern, and the droplet pattern. Forged patterns include vortex, flow, echo, labyrinth, infinity, metamorphic, as well as others.

Our two most popular patterns of Arn’s are the “Woodgrain” and the “Twist” pattern.  The term “Woodgrain” is also synonymous with the word mokume which translates roughly from Japanese to “wood eye metal”. 

We have created this side by side comparison to help see the differences in these two patterns across our most popular pallete: Firestorm ( 14kt red gold, 14kt yellow gold, palladium and sterling silver). 

You will see the the twist pattern has a diagonal orientation with fine lines running across it.  The woodgrain is more of a horizontal orientation with figured areas or islands as we call them.