Q. How long
before
the wedding date do I need to order?
A. We suggest ordering as
far in
advance of your
wedding date as possible. Since all rings are made to order,
delivery times can
vary. Depending on our backlog of orders and the time of year it
can take between
one and four months. If you think you’ll order rings from us,
give us a call
first thing and find out when our next scheduled delivery date
is. We regret the
long wait period on some orders, but the only way we can guarantee that
ALL orders are
delivered on time, is to schedule a realistic workload. We
appreciate your
patience.
Q. Can you do rush orders?
A. Yes, but there is an
additional
charge and even our rush order slots
get filled up.
Q. Are mokume rings
resizable?
A. Yes, but we recommend
that you
send them to us.
Q.
If I want to
have my ring sized at some point in
the future, do you have any recommendations on my options for having it
done?
A. The best way is to send
it back
to us. Alternately, most jewelers
could do this for you. However, have them call us so we can
tell them how to
do this without cutting the band.
Q. Are these
rings resizable by ordinary methods, or would this damage the
composition of the ring?
A. Yes, we can size the
ring up or
down a full size, but this may require
refinishing the ring to restore the etched texture and finish.
Q. Can you
convert
European ring sizes?
A. Yes, European or
Japanese!
Q. Does
the
comfort fit band differ from a standard band?
A. Yes, they feel just a
bit looser
and we compensate for this by making
them slightly smaller.
Q. Do
you have a
brochure available?
A. All of our information
is
currently online. If there is anything
else you need, please call us at 800 374-6423.
Q. What
payment
method can we use?
A. When you place your
order, a $100
non-refundable deposit is charged to
your MasterCard or Visa. The balance is charged when we finish
your ring. If
you prefer you can pay with a check, but we need to have it
several weeks in advance
of your delivery date.
Q. Is the
price
listed for one ring or a pair?
A. The prices listed on our
website
are per ring.
Q. Do the
prices
fluctuate with the market prices of the metals?
A. Somewhat, but not on a
daily or
even weekly basis, unless the metals
market really does a big swing.
Q. What
is the
cost of shipping overseas?
A. The shipping will run
about $60
to European Union, and a bit more to
Asia. Also, you should check with customs officials in your
country to see if there
will be any import fees or taxes.
Q. Do you
ship
rings to Canada, and if so, are the prices you quote
in American funds?
A. Prices are in US
dollars.
We ship to you via US mail and you are
responsible for all duty and or taxes when you receive the ring.
Q. Can
you ship to
foreign countries via Federal express or UPS?
A. These carriers do not
offer
insurance for jewelry items to many
countries. The best way is usually by international insured mail
service.
Q. I don't
have a
diamond, can you find one for me?
A. Yes, we would be happy
to find a
diamond for you. We
specialize in high quality certified diamonds and would be
happy to quote you prices for several diamonds around the size and
quality you
require. Our prices are extremely competitive, and because we
sell only certified
diamonds graded by the top independent gem labs, you can be assured the
quality you order
is the quality you get. If you have any questions about diamonds
please call us!
Q.
I already
have a
diamond, can you set it in one of your rings?
A. Most likely, we can. We just need to
have an idea of the quality of the stone. We can not use stones
with major
structural flaws. If we can use your stone there will be an
additional setting
charge. If you bought the diamond from us, this would not apply.
Q. Can you get
"Conflict Free" diamonds?
A. Yes, we have a great source for certified diamonds of Canadian
origin.
Q. Are
you able
to add a standard diamond setting for a solitaire diamond
to one of your regular bands?
A. Yes, our bands can be
customized
to include a stone in any type of
setting you prefer. We can also provide certified diamonds at very
competitive prices! You
can work with us directly or make arrangements with a local goldsmith
to modify the band
we supply.
Q. Can you please explain the benefits of “flush”
setting?
A. This is a very secure
way of
setting stones, because there are no
prongs to get pulled away from the stone. It also is a very comfortable
ring to wear,
since there are not any prongs to catch on clothing or to scratch.
Q. Does
this
decrease the sparkle of a diamond?
A. This does not affect the
sparkle
of a diamond. There is a common
misconception that a diamond’s sparkle comes from the light entering in
the bottom,
or pavilion of the stone. The brilliance of a diamond actually
comes from the light
that enters the top (table) of the stone and is reflected and refracted
back out of the
top of the diamond. T o do this effectively, it is very important that
the diamond be cut
to within very close tolerances for the proper angles of all the facets
of a diamond.
This is what makes "Ideal Cut" diamonds more desirable and
expensive.
Q. I am
curious
to know if you offer any other metal combinations other
than the ones listed on your site?
A. The combinations listed
on our
web site are the only ones we offer.
Because we make large billets of the mokume it is not cost
efficient to make just a
couple of bands in a different combination.
Q. I
would like
to see platinum and white gold. Is this possible?
A. Because both of these
metals are
actually gray colored metals there
would be very little if any contrast between them. If you want a
white on white
look, consider the sterling and palladium (a platinum
family metal) Classic band or the 18K white gold and silver
Terra rings.
Q. The
pictures that
you have for platinum and gold rings look quite
different. One looks as if the platinum is dominant where the
other looks as if it
is more than 50%. How are the different metals proportioned?
A. All of our rings are
about 50 -
50 visually, but there are slight
variations due to the way the patterning process exposes the metals.
Q. I am
interested
in the 18k Gold and Platinum ring, but that is pushing the outside edge
of the budget. Can you give the
approximate percentage/wt of gold versus platinum? Is this a
mostly Gold ring with
some Platinum, or a Platinum ring with some Gold, or about 50/50?
A. It is about 50/50 by
weight. However our ring prices do not
necessarily reflect metal content nearly as much as labor.
Platinum is especially
difficult to work with in mokume and because of this it costs more.
Q. I have
seen other
Mokume-Gane wedding bands that use three or more
materials. Do you use three or more materials in your wedding
band designs?
A.Our 18K white and 18K
yellow gold
Classic rings incorporate 18K red gold. I put a
very thin layer of the red gold in between each layer of white and
yellow and then remove
this by acid etching. It helps define the color of the white and yellow
and does not
degrade the karat of the ring like using copper or silver for this
purpose as some
designers do. We also have 18K Tri-colored gold rings
available in the Terra designs. In these rings the metals are
used in equal
proportions.
Q. How
many layers
do you typically use In your bands?
A. Usually between 12 and
20 layers.
Q. In the
photos
it looks as if each band has a slight texture to the
surface. Is this true?
A. Yes, all of our rings
now have a
texture which is acid etched into the
surface of the ring.
Q. Is
the purpose
of the etch to accentuate the border between the
similarly colored metals? And is the effect simply to add a
little ridge between the
metals?
A. Yes. The texture
helps
define the pattern and colors and adds
another dimension to the designs.
Q.
Which rings
are etched?
A. All of our rings are
etched.
Q. Can I
order my
rings with a smooth surface and no etch?
A. Yes.
Q. Why
don't your
rings have a high polish finish on them?
A. A high polish finish is
a highly
reflective surface, where as our
standard finish is the soft matte finish that you see on the
website. I recommend
the matte finish as the colors of the metals show up better like
this. We can put a
high polish finish on your ring as an alternative to our matte
finish, but we do not
recommend it because it does not show the colors of the metals.
Q. If
the ring
was polished, would that increase or decrease the contrast
in metals observable?
A. Decrease the contrast.
Q. Is there
any
special care I should take with this ring, such as
cleaners to use or avoid. Also, I have already managed to get a
few rub marks and
small scratches on the ring from everyday wear. Can these be
buffed out
periodically? If so, is this something I can get done locally?
A. As for the scratches
(they are
probably burnish marks) your ring will
go through an awkward period of about a month where it will change from
our uniform matte
finish to the uniformly scratched/burnished look of a well-worn
ring. Don't worry,
just be patient. Its a bit like the adjustment period for
newlyweds, it takes a
little while for things to smooth out and find a new and different
level of being.
Q. I work
outdoors in
the garden etc., and want a ring that will hold up
on a working man's hands. What do you think about the durability
of your rings?
A. These rings are as
durable as
just about any 18K gold ring. I
would recommend taking your ring off for working with stones or other
highly abrasive
materials. If you can’t do that, our most durable rings are
probably the 18K yellow and red, palladium and
sterling, platinum and 18K, 18K
yellow and white and 18K white gold and sterling in that
order.
Q. We
like the
look of the sterling silver and palladium rings, and the
18K white and silver rings, but are concerned that the silver will
tarnish or oxidize.
Is this true or will the bands require any special care?
A. The sterling silver in
our mokume
bands acts just like any other
sterling ring. For most people this is not an issue. If you
have had problems
with silver in the past, these most likely will do the same. The
palladium and white
gold will not change and no special care is required.
Q. We both
live an
active lifestyle, and were wondering what effect if any
perspiration might have on the sterling/palladium mokume ring
combination in terms of
tarnish?
A. As far as tarnishing
goes, it’s
really an individual body
chemistry kind of thing. However, if you order the sterling and
palladium, you
should be prepared for that possibility. Mokume rings will hold
up as well as any
other band. Plus they have the advantage of wearing in a way that
accentuates the
pattern of the mokume. Common chemicals found in cleaning solutions and
swimming pools can
also affect sterling silver.
Q. Do you
ever
rhodium plate your rings? If so, what effect would
this have on the sterling/tarnish problem, as well as the "etched" look
of the
mokume rings?
A. Rhodium plating is not
really an
option. One of the nice things
about silver is that it is the whitest metal in nature, and this
creates a good contrast
with the palladium. Rhodium is much darker, and besides, on a
ring the plating
eventually wears off.
Q. What is
the
difference between the “Star” and
“Twist” Classic designs?
A. The pattern of the
mokume is what
is different. Both are based on
classic metalworking patterns that have been used in mokume work and
Damascus steel swords
and knives for hundreds of years. The Star pattern is more formal
with a 4-pointed
star or cross form that repeats 3 or 4 times around the ring.
Areas of diagonal
lines separate the stars. The Twist pattern also has 3 or 4
repeating design
elements separated by diagonal lines. However, the pattern is
more freeform and
organic which makes it look a bit more like woodgrain.
Q. What
about the
Terra rings; how are they different from the classic
bands?
A. The Terra bands are even
more
organic looking than the Classic Twist
bands. All sides of the ring are different with a busy "wood
burl" looking
area on one side flowing into quieter swirling pattern on the other,
then back around to
the more detailed area.
Q.Do you
make
jewelry other than rings?
A. Yes, check out our Art Metal Gallery
page. We are also happy to talk to you about custom orders.
Q.
Do
you offer
any discounts for jewelers?
A. No. Currently we
only sell
via our website and are not accepting
wholesale orders.
While
there are many basic patterns created with mokume gane, in the hands of
a master, extraordinary control of the medium may be achieved.
Accepting
Commissions
I will be accepting
limited commissions on the original line of
Steve Midgett Mokume /Earthshine Mokume Gane wedding bands. Please
contact me via email or phone to discuss commissioning a ring or other
piece of work.
