He creates one-of-a-kind jewelry.
Gold and silver work is the extremely detailed art of creating decorative items out of gold, silver, platinum or other metals. It is said to have originated in the Heian period (8th ? 12th centuries) when skilled gold and silversmiths began to decorate the metal fittings of temples, etc.
Products have varied in accordance with the demands of the times, such as the guards on samurai swords during the Edo period and delicate ornamental hairpins and obi sash clips during the Meiji period. Today, although work centers around rings, necklaces and earrings, genuine craftsmanship and hand-workmanship are still the rule in this field.
Making a gold/silver ring with arabesque decoration
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- Preparing the necessary metal
- Hammer and spread a nugget of metal. Measure and cut the necessary amount of metal.
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- Fabrication
- Fabricate the various parts (stone rest, ring and joint) by cutting and filing the metal with fine saws and files.
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- Polish the parts
- File the parts, scrap away irregularities on the surface with an edged tool called “Kisage”, and then polish with a steel pallet.
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- Connect the parts
- Connect the stone rest to the ring and add the joint between them by brazing.
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- Fabricating arabesque patterns
- Cut and bend the metal wire into arabesque patterns and place them between the stone rest and the ring.
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- Polishing
- Polish the whole ring by pressing the ring against the edge of a disk-shaped grinding cloth to which scouring powder is applied.
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- Mount the gemstone
- Mount the gemstone in the stone rest and fasten it down with attached claws.
