Mokume Gane wedding rings - costs and production time
What do Mokume Gane wedding rings cost?
In our shop you will find some examples of wedding ring pairs with the corresponding prices. However, as Mokume Gane jewellery is unique and is designed individually in dialogue with you, we do not usually work with all-inclusive prices. Of course, we will be happy to prepare an individual offer for you. For this reason, we would like to invite you to a consultation in our studio, or, if you are enquiring from a greater distance, we can also offer you a non-binding preliminary telephone consultation. Simply send us a short email with your telephone number. We will be happy to call you back. You can also contact Mr. Michael Wiesner directly at +49 (0) 7062 22991 for a consultation. To give a small indication regarding the prices of Mokume Gane rings: For well-crafted, endless wedding rings you can calculate from about 2.000,-- Euro.
How much time do you have to plan for the production?
For the production of your Mokume Gane wedding rings we generally estimate a period of 4 - 8 weeks. However, in individual cases we can bring your order forward. In this case, your rings can be finished within one week. Please contact us in any case. Just send us a short email with your telephone number. We will be happy to call you back. You can also contact Mr. Michael Wiesner directly at +49 (0) 7062 22991 for a consultation or use the contact form at the bottom of the website.
Mokume Gane wedding rings - ring profiles, width and thickness
The ring thickness or profile height of Mokume Gane wedding rings is freely selectable.
The ring thickness, or profile height, of Wiesner Mokume Gane wedding rings can be individually adjusted. We usually use a measurement of 2.0 mm. However, this can be increased or decreased according to your individual wishes. Depending on the height of the stone, it is sometimes necessary to increase the height of the ring profile when using diamonds. Ultimately, however, your personal feeling when wearing the ring should be decisive for the profile height. If the profile is too high, it can sometimes be annoying on the neighbouring fingers or cause pain when shaking hands.
Ring profiles for Mokume Gane rings.
Since Mokume Gane jewellery and wedding rings are completely custom-made, almost all conceivable ring profiles are possible here. Here are some examples:
- flat on the outside
- slightly domed on the outside
- outside medium curved
- strongly curved on the outside
The curvature of a ring profile is often referred to in technical jargon as cambered or taut. The insides of our rings are usually slightly domed. This significantly increases the wearing comfort. Especially on days when your fingers are slightly swollen, the ring still glides over your finger joint. With wide rings, from approx. 6 mm and wider, there is also better ventilation of the skin under the ring.
The width of Mokume Gane wedding rings
The ring width of Mokume Gane wedding rings can be individually adjusted to your wishes. It is advisable not to go below a width of 4 mm. Mokume Gane wedding rings live from the beautiful patterns. The narrower the ring, the less of the pattern is visible. There are only upper limits to the width of the ring that can be worn. Here we consider a ring width of 14 mm to be the measure at which wearing comfort is still given. But in the end this is a subjective feeling and can vary in individual cases.
Allergies with Mokume Gane wedding rings
Mokume Gane wedding rings are often made of silver.
During consultations, we are often asked why many Wiesner Mokume Gane wedding rings contain layers of silver, and whether these can be replaced by white gold. In principle, of course, white gold can also be used. We use silver when the rings are to be given a 3-dimensional structure on the surface by etching. In this case, the silver is slightly reduced in height. This is only possible to a limited extent with white gold and often leads to unattractive results. Furthermore, the silver with its light colour forms a beautiful contrast to other precious metals such as palladium, yellow gold or red gold. White gold and palladium, on the other hand, hardly form a respectable colour contrast.
Are there any known allergies to Mokume Gane wedding rings?
Wiesner Mokume Gane wedding rings are made exclusively from nickel-free precious metal alloys. Nickel allergies, which have become widespread in the meantime, are therefore ruled out.
Diamonds in Mokume Gane wedding rings
Können in Mokume Gane Trauringe Diamanten eingearbeitet werden?
Can diamonds be incorporated into Mokume Gane wedding rings?
Of course, it is also possible to include one or more brilliant-cut diamonds in Wiesner Mokume Gane wedding rings (brilliant = brilliant-cut diamond). We usually work with the diamond quality fine white, small inclusions (TWSI). However, any other quality can be used on request. Brilliants can generally be rubbed into the surface of the ring, i.e. set flat and flush with the surface.
However, it is also possible to set a larger brilliant-cut diamond (from approx. 0.10 carat) as a stretched stone in a ring band that is open at the top. In addition to brilliant cut diamonds, we also process princess cut diamonds, navette cut diamonds, heart cut diamonds and many other types of cuts.
Ring changes for Mokume Gane wedding rings
Is it possible to change the ring of a Mokume Gane wedding ring?
Many people think that Mokume Gane rings cannot be adjusted in width. This is not correct. Wiesner Mokume Gane wedding rings can be widened or narrowed by any experienced Mokume Gane goldsmith. For this purpose, a procedure is used which is already applied during the production of your wedding rings. Of course, the surface has to be reworked afterwards, as is the case with many classic wedding rings.
Never take your Mokume Gane wedding rings to a goldsmith or jeweller who is not familiar with Mokume Gane. There is a risk that they will try to stretch the rings or saw them open to remove or insert parts. If the rings are stretched, they may crack. If they are sawn open, the beautiful pattern will be partially lost, or the rings will lose their symbolic character of endlessness.
Mokume Gane wedding rings are made by us in a traditional way by slitting and splicing in order to preserve this symbolic character. For more detailed questions, simply send us a short email with your telephone number. We will be happy to call you back. You can also contact Mr. Michael Wiesner directly at +49 (0) 7062 22991 for a consultation.
Everyday suitability of Mokume Gane wedding rings
Mokume Gane wedding rings are suitable for everyday use
Mokume Gane wedding rings are in no way inferior to conventional wedding rings in terms of the durability of metal colours and surface structures. Traces of wear are completely normal with both conventional wedding rings and Mokume Gane wedding rings and occur to a greater or lesser extent depending on the wearing habits. Incidentally, you may return your Wiesner Mokume Gane wedding rings to our goldsmith's studio once a year free of charge (except for postage) for reconditioning.
Tarnishing of Mokume Gane wedding rings
Colour changes due to the well-known tarnishing of precious metals only occur in very rare cases. The cases known to us so far were caused by water additives in swimming pools, such as chlorine or silver ions (the latter is often used in pools in the USA). In such cases, it is advisable to remove the wedding rings before going into the swimming pool.
Mokume Gane wedding rings and surface abrasion
The popular structure of Wiesner Mokume Gane wedding rings can change minimally over the years and decades due to abrasion (1/100 millimetre range). The long duration of this process, however, hardly allows a conscious perception. Since the wood-like structure of Wiesner Mokume Gane wedding rings moves through the entire ring cross-section, it is impossible for the pattern to disappear.
Mokume Gane and wedding rings
Mokume Gane is a centuries-old forging technique from Japan.
It developed from the art of sword forging. The far better known technique of Damascus steel forging, which in our culture takes its name from the first place where it was found, Damascus in Syria, produced the welding and structuring of the Mokume Gane.
Decorative elements on the hilt and the end of the hilt, as well as the scabbard, were first made by Denbai Shoami from softer alloys with a high copper content. As the precious metal gold was very rare in Japan and therefore very expensive, the gold content of the Mokume Gane alloys of the time was limited to about 4%. The remaining parts were primarily copper and silver.
Even today, the Mokume Gane goldsmith often works with alloys such as Shibuichi, or Shakudo. After sampling the layered and welded sheets, wonderful colours can be created with these alloys by producing a patina using various stains.
However, as these are purely superficial, they can rub off very easily when worn on, for example, wedding rings. For this reason, all these beautiful colours are not applicable in the production of mokume gane wedding rings. Here, the time-honoured precious metals such as gold, silver, platinum and palladium have proven their worth. Of course, white gold alloys can also be used, but this is rarely used due to the lower contrast to the other metals and the higher price compared to palladium.
We always weld the mokume gane base material for the wedding rings from our workshop ourselves in a temperature-controlled welding process in the kiln. Depending on the composition of the material, the layers of precious metal remain in the kiln for between 10 and 15 hours. Without any solder or other bonding agents, a so-called sintering process takes place in which the atoms begin to mix at the boundaries to the respective neighbouring sheet. This happens in the 1/1000 millimetre range. Every small impurity or fingerprint between the sheets disturbs this sintering process and renders the Mokume Gane ingot unusable. This can then only be broken down again chemically in a refinery.
Once the welding is successful and the ingot has cooled down again, the actual production of the Mokume Gane wedding rings begins. First the Mokume Gane ingot is forged and rolled to the right length and cross-section. At regular intervals the material has to be relaxed by annealing. During this so-called recrystallisation annealing, the partially broken atomic structures are realigned. The precious metal regains its pliable properties and can be further shaped. Once annealed too late, the material also visibly cracks or welds loosen, making the mokume gane ingot unusable.
Once the material is the right length, the splicing process begins. For this, slits are sawn into the strand, which are then expanded into round rings using small chisels and later a steel mandrel. This is the only method by which Mokume Gane wedding rings can be made without pattern interruption and unsightly seams. Not all mokume makers use this seamless technique, as it is very time-consuming and requires a lot of practice.
But the result is all the more beautiful. The symbolic power of endlessness.
More Mokume Gane jewellery and collections: :
Mokume Silver Collection
A Mokume Gane jewellery collection by Michael Wiesner
The collection "Mokume Silver" was designed by Michael Wiesner, one of the two owners of "Wiesner - Die Goldschmiede". The aim was to offer a small but fine line of Mokume Gane jewellery, which combines both the uniqueness of this wonderful craft and the cost advantages of small series production. The aim was to create unique pieces that are priced well below the usual one-off production of Mokume Gane, in order to open up this wonderful forging technique and its visual charms to a wider circle of enthusiasts.
Mokume Gane jewellery and CAD design
For the reasons mentioned above, Michael Wiesner designed the four basic models Funa, Kora, Gongu and Kokoro by means of CAD construction and thus already prepared the basic bodies of these jewellery pieces for jewellery casting. Today, the basic bodies of the Mokume Gane Silver collection can be cast in silver from moulds made directly from the CAD drawings. Steel moulds could also be milled as negative moulds in which Markus Wiesner can forge the artistically prepared Mokume Gane elements into shape. These then fit exactly onto the previously cast basic bodies of the jewellery pieces. The mokume gane elements are then soldered on and the transitions to the plain silver are trimmed.
Which models are available so far from the "Mokume Silver" collection?
Basically, there are the following models, of which there are pendants, rings and ear studs:
- Mokume Gane jewellery Funa
- Mokume Gane jewellery Kora
- Mokume Gane jewellery Kokoro
- Mokume Gane jewellery Gongu
Further lines are planned for 2022 and are already in design.