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.

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. 

To help you visualize, here’s an example. These two rings are both 7mm wide, made in our Firestorm palette (14kt red gold, 14kt yellow gold, palladium and sterling silver) and Twist pattern, with a low dome profile and etched and oxidized finish. There is no difference in the metals used or the proportion of the metals in the billet used for each ring, but they each have little details and differences that make them unique and distinct from one another!

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, say you love the pattern but would like a different stock palette 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.  

Here are a few examples of custom designs. This can include custom patterns designed by Arn, a custom billet different from our usual stock options, a custom setting for an unusual stone, the possibilities are wide open!

We hope everyone is having a wonderful February, and we look forward to creating with you!

Much Love,

Arn Krebs Mokume

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!

One of Arn’s favorite aspects of mokume is pattern creation! When he has the time, he loves testing out concepts he’s been thinking about and using his knowledge of metalwork and forging to figure out how to bring his ideas to life.

Here we have a compiled process of a forged mokume pattern experiment Arn worked on recently, using a billet of silver and copper. This resulted in a swirling, wavelike pattern, curling and rolling across the band!

And here’s a video turnaround of the ring!

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