Mokume Gane (pronounced moe-koo-may-GAHN-ay) is a Japanese metalworking technique. In Japanese metalworking, several types of metal are layered and worked together to form a wood grain type of pattern, usually with silver, gold and alloys of metals.
The technique has been adopted with polymer clay for making art beads using stacks of colored clay that are pierced or stamped and then thin layers are sliced off revealing the bold patterns. Mokume gane often gives a very abstract pattern to the beads with graphic and linear designs. This strand of Tucson beads by Pam Wynn is a great example of mokume gane.
If you admire graphic linear designs, in tones of gray or layers of color, look for art beads made using the mokume gane technique.
Other polymer clay beads artists offering mokume gane beads:
Shoozles
September 5, 2008 at 3:10 amI think I love the surprise of Mokume Gane as the layers reveal. Beautiful beads
wendyhumphreys
September 5, 2008 at 2:16 pmWonderful color blends! Beautiful
beads
Gaea
September 5, 2008 at 4:13 pmThese are so beautiful! It would probably work well with ceramic!
Debrsdezines
September 7, 2008 at 5:34 pmI am a polymer clay artist and this technigue is very versatile, the things you can do are endless,I use this technigue myself to make pendant, beads ect,,,, you can mix with ceramic, copper,silver,brass let your imagination fly