| All over the world there have been many | | | | melting. The complexity of the design could |
| different ways to manipulate metals in order | | | | be increased by hammering them flat and |
| to obtain beautiful and unique shapes. | | | | folding them. |
| Although they were meant at first to create | | | | |
| practical objects, they have later become the | | | | In present days, mokume consists of the same |
| primary process of creating decorative | | | | basic process but with more modern machinery. |
| objects such as jewelry. | | | | Thus a controlled atmosphere is usually used |
| | | | in an electric furnace with temperature |
| The art of manipulating metals has been taken | | | | control. Hand forging is now replaced by a |
| to another level in the early centuries of | | | | hydraulic press that can apply far greater |
| the 2nd millennium in Japan. The swords | | | | force to the metals. The use of modern |
| obtained here were recognized as being the | | | | machinery also allows the creator to include |
| best in quality and endurance by rights, | | | | other components in the design like titanium, |
| because some of them still have a sharp edge | | | | nickel, platinum and others. |
| after a few hundred years. | | | | |
| | | | The whole process of mokume requires a lot of |
| In Japan there were many sword types: katana, | | | | concentration and also exactness from the |
| nodachi, wakizashi, tanto, kwaiken and many | | | | artist. The key to it is to know exactly when |
| others. Each of these swords is grouped | | | | to stop it, because each moment too soon or |
| according to their length or by being either | | | | too late can make the difference between a |
| single or double edged. The effectiveness of | | | | unique piece of jewelry and total disaster. |
| a Japanese sword in combat exceeded that of | | | | |
| the opponent's. | | | | If the process would be halted too soon, the |
| | | | metals would not bind together and thus the |
| After the age of war ended, in the 17th | | | | piece could no longer be obtained. On the |
| century, the manipulation of metals was | | | | other hand, if the process wouldn't be |
| undertaken for decorative purposes. This is | | | | stopped at the required moment and it would |
| when mokume-gane took birth, a process that | | | | go on for longer, the effects of this would |
| consists of mixing metals in order to obtain | | | | be the melting of the metals and the result |
| unique and distinctive patterns. | | | | would be a metal paste that could not be used |
| | | | for anything anymore. |
| The designs obtained through mokume resemble | | | | |
| those of wood fibers. In fact, if you would | | | | This is the reason why mokume should be |
| translate the expression into English, it | | | | undertaken only by those who know what they |
| means metal that resembles knots in wood. | | | | are doing. The cosmic jewelry artist David |
| Traditionally, the design is obtained by | | | | Weitzman is one of those people and he uses |
| using soft metallic elements or alloys, which | | | | this process to create some of the most |
| would form bonds with one another without | | | | unique pieces you have ever seen. |