Chris Ploof Designs - Damascus Steel, Meteorite & Mokume Gane Wedding Bands
At Chris Ploof Designs, they believe jewelry, especially wedding rings, should be unique and custom made each step of the way for every individual. The decision to spend one’s life with another person calls for a finely crafted symbol that represents the strength, creativity, and flow of a relationship over time. They specialize in handcrafting luxurious alternatives to traditional bands, honoring that union.
Their team of highly skilled artisans study, invent, master and document our work. They forge meteorite iron with exquisite attention to its longevity, have adapted the strength and beauty of ancient sword making secrets into wearable, stainless Damascus steel and we famously fuse luscious color combinations of gold, palladium, platinum and more in our mokume gane.
With these skills, plus brilliant stone setting, their team of dedicated artisans stands ready to help you express yourself, your love and the magic of your exceptional life.
Meteorite
Our meteorite rings are made exclusively from pieces of the Gibeon meteorite. The Gibeon meteorite flamed into our atmosphere as a visible star-like streak an estimated 30,000 years ago. The extreme slow cooling of its journey through deep space created a unique crystalline pattern (Widmanstatten lines) in the meteorite.
Though officially discovered in Namibia in 1838, local craftsman made spear points and other tools out of the meteorite fragments for many years. The metal of the meteorite is estimated to be about four and a half billion years old, and is one of today’s rare commodities.
Not all meteorite fragments are of equal quality. Much of the meteorite has suffered deep fractures and inclusions on its journey to our planet and others have lain exposed to the elements for several thousand years. For every piece that is suitable for use in jewelry, we reject countless others and use only the highest quality for handcrafting our rings. Due to its nickel content, the meteorite is naturally stain and rust resistant.
We cut, forge, and fabricate our meteorite using a proprietary process, then combine it with precious metals to form an extremely strong, durable and exquisite ring with a comfort fit interior. During the final stages of crafting our rings, the meteorite is etched to reveal the Widmanstatten pattern, which is random and beautiful and unique to each ring.
Mokume Gane
Mokume gane, or “wood pattern metal”, is an ancient Japanese technique that bonds numerous layers of precious metals into a single billet that is then transformed into exquisite patterns. Chris Ploof Designs mokume gane is a blend of traditional techniques, and state of the art research. While there are a very few artists practicing this labor-intensive technique today, we create all of the mokume gane used in our creations at our studio in Massachusetts.
Our mokume gane is fused using the time-honored technique, applying heat and pressure. Our unique patterns and color combinations showcase the natural beauty of the materials used and the quality of our rings is second to none. We hand craft our rings in the traditional manner, patterning a piece of mokume gane while flat, and then forming it into the finished ring.
Damascus
Damascus steel in the metal of legends. Renowned for its strength and coveted for its beauty, it was a sought after treasure during the Middle Ages. Ancient swords forged from Damascus steel were rumored to be capable of cutting a piece of silk in half as it gently floated to the ground.
Throughout history, craftspeople all over the world have made beautiful tools from carbon Damascus steel. At Chris Ploof Designs, we work with a modern variation, stainless Damascus steel that possesses all the beauty and qualities of the original. However, our stainless Damascus steel is made from alloys that cannot rust like carbon Damascus steel. It is easy to care for, is available in beautiful and unique patterns and offers high durability.
The Damascus process involves welding multiple layers of two different steel alloys into one solid piece. The resulting material is then forged to yield us steel. At Chris Ploof Designs, we work with a modern variation, stainless Damascus steel that possesses all the beauty and qualities of the original. However, our stainless Damascus steel is made from alloys that cannot rust like carbon Damascus steel. It is easy to care for, is available in beautiful and unique patterns and offers high durability.
Our Damascus rings are available with precious metal linings and accents, colored ceramic inlays, oxidized, or completely unadulterated, for the purist at heart.
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