Pendant made using mokume gane technique. Photo: peggierobinsondesigns.com Mokume Gane is a Japanese metalworking technique. If we try to translate its name literally, we get the following set of words: “mo” - wood, “kume” - texture, “gane” - metal. Its essence lies in obtaining a composite product consisting of several different metals, which form a decorative pattern on its surface, reminiscent of wood in texture.
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History of the birth of technology
The mokume gane technique appeared at the end of the 17th century thanks to the samurai sword maker Denbei Shaomi. It is believed that the idea of connecting dissimilar metals together is the result of an eastern economical approach to production. Due to the shortage of precious metals, they tried to find a worthy replacement that would not detract from the nobility of the samurai sword.
One way or another, Shaomi passed on the developed technology to numerous students who continuously supplemented and improved it. Over time, Mokume began to be used not only for decorating weapons, but also in the manufacture of household items: vases, dishes, jewelry.
Modern tendencies
For more than two centuries, the mokume gane technique remained unknown outside Japan. Only at the end of the 19th century did unusual products begin to be exported to European countries. It took Western craftsmen a lot of time and effort to unravel the mystery of eastern metal wood. Due to the complexity of technology, high-quality products are still very rare today. Despite modern achievements in jewelry production and the availability of technological equipment, there are hardly a hundred truly qualified craftsmen working in this direction in the world.
Rings made using the mokume gane technique. Photo: christophersfjd.com
Today, jewelry made using the mokume gane technique is considered exclusive jewelry and has an appropriate price. In addition to the uniqueness of each item and the labor-intensive process of its production, an additional factor increasing the cost is the large amount of irrecoverable waste, since the precious metals used after diffuse welding cannot be further processed.
Luxurious necklace using the Mokume Gane technique made of polymer clay – master class
Luxurious jewelry made from natural stone is expensive, but there is a modern material from which you can make original jewelry with your own hands, taking into account all your whims and wishes.
This master class describes in detail the process of creating a necklace using the Mokume Gane technique from polymer clay. Thanks to multi-layering and the use of different shades, the plastic acquires a spectacular structure. After varnishing, the products shine and shimmer nobly. For the set, you can make earrings and a bracelet in the same style.
- Materials for jewelry making
- Step-by-step master class and nuances of technology
Materials for jewelry making
To make a necklace from polymer clay, you will need:
- polymer clay of different colors that create beautiful combinations;
- rolling roller and/or pasta machine;
- plastic knife;
- round or oval cutters of different sizes;
- cling film;
- metal fittings for creating jewelry;
- plastic varnish if desired.
Step-by-step master class and nuances of technology
The most important thing is to choose colors that will create a beautiful color scheme and will be in harmony with each other. If some shades are not enough, mix different ones until you achieve the desired range, and then roll them into thin layers. It is advisable to use more than five shades.
White can be replaced with black, then the color scheme will be more saturated and contrasting. First, connect the layers in pairs, rolling them out additionally with a roller, then put everything together and roll them out so that the layers are preserved, but become as thin as possible.
Divide the resulting mass in half, combine and roll it out a little more.
Thus, when rolling out the layers, you need to increase the number of layers, dividing the mass and placing the halves on top of each other. Trim uneven edges so that the pieces acquire the correct rectangular shape.
The result should be a block with many thin layers. The thinner the layers of polymer clay are, the finer the pattern on the necklace elements will be. It is convenient to work with a piece about 5 cm in length and height and 3-4 cm in width. You can further shrink it to the desired size.
Now your task is to disrupt the parallelism of the layers inside the block as much as possible. Take curved cutters and push along the entire height of the piece or cut with a straight blade and then connect again. When pressing, use the blunt sides of cutters and blades to deform the layers. Be careful not to cut yourself on sharp edges!
To create circles and dots in the Mokume Gane technique, pierce the plastic with knitting needles or other tools. When cutting, some parts of the block can be turned 180 degrees to complicate the design. The more “damage” the block receives, the finer the texture of the plastic will be.
Having sufficiently destroyed the structure, give the block the correct shape and try to cut off a thin layer with a sharp blade.
By cutting thin elements, you will see how the pattern changes and what beautiful combinations of colors and lines are created.
Mix all the trimmed pieces into one and roll out into a layer 2-3 mm thick. Place thin slices close to each other on this base.
Cover the resulting mass with cling film and gently roll to smooth out any unevenness.
Without removing the film, use cutters to cut out the required number of polymer clay elements for the necklace. For decoration you will need parts of different sizes: the largest in the center, and towards the edges they will decrease.
Remove the film, carefully separate the cut pieces with a blade and place them in the order in which you plan to use them in the product.
Using a toothpick or knitting needle, make holes on both sides, turning each piece over to the other side.
You can complement the necklace with fragments using the Mokume Gane technique of a different shape and arrange the overall composition in your own way. When all the pieces are ready, bake them according to the instructions for the plastic and our tips for beginners. After the polymer clay has cooled, begin assembling the necklace.
Necklace using the Mokume Gane technique made of polymer clay
Did you enjoy working with this malleable material with unlimited possibilities? See how to make an imitation stone bracelet and pendant using the micro-mosaic technique. For more instructions on how to make your own jewelry, see here.
A master class on making necklaces using the “Mokume Gane” technique from polymer clay for readers of the online magazine “Women’s Hobbies” was prepared by Inna Rogacheva.
