Mokume Gane is an ancient Japanese art not unlike the process of making Damascus steel. In Mokume, different types of metal are bonded together and then shaped and polished. The resulting piece looks like a wood grain pattern. The name Mokume Gane means wood grain metal. As the different layers of metal wear differently, the wood grain pattern becomes more pronounced. When done correctly, you can create a distinctive piece of jewelry, including a wedding band that the groom will treasure forever.

1.Make a billet by stacking layers of alloy together in the punch and die assembly. Place the assembly in the stainless steel bag and surround with charcoal to create a protective environment. Pla ce the bag in the

2.Cold roll the rod on a rolling mill into smaller and smaller cross sections. You will construct your band from one of these cross sections. Rods with a 3.75-mm cross section will make a 5-mm-wide band.

3.Heat the billet until it is malleable, and then hammer it flatter. When the billet is half its original size, cut a rectangular rod from the end that measures approximately 55 mm long by 6 mm wide and 6.5 mm thick.

4.Twist the rod multiple times to form the distinctive wood grain pattern. The more times you twist the rod, the more distinctive the wood grain pattern. Heat the rod, and hammer it into the desired size and shape for your ring.

5.Heat the ring blank again and hammer it into a circle using your jeweler's anvil.

6."Pattern" the ring, or wear the edges down with a file. Since different alloys wear differently, this will cause your ring to take on the distinctive wood grain pattern. Once you have filed the edges, pass the ring blank through the rolling mill. You might choose to repeat this process five to seven times for a more distinctive wood grain pattern.
7.File the ends of the circle where they meet, and solder them together.

8.Polish your ring using a polishing and buffing wheel.

9.Size the ring correctly by compressing it around a calibrated ring mandrel. To do this, hammer the ring around the mandrel until it is the correct size. Compressing the ring hardens it and makes it more wear-resistant.

10.Finish your alloy ring by etching the surface with jeweler's etching. This will cause the layers of alloy to stand out against one another.