Andrew Nyce Designs is now offering a wide variety of elegant, unique wedding bands and engagement rings utilizing Palladium 500 alloys to replace 14K PW in select Mokume Gane compositions. By utilizing an innovative process, Andrew Nyce Designs’ team of expert Goldsmiths are able to create a vast selection of Mokume Gane patterns with old-world craftsmanship at new, attractive pricing. Andrew Nyce Designs continues to offer select compositions for those wanting higher gold content Mokume Gane compositions.

Andrew Nyce began experimenting with the new Palladium 500 alloy in Fall 2010. The unique use of this alloy, which has recently been introduced in European retail jewelry markets, including Mokume Gane, has yet to be adopted by jewelry designers in the United States. Throughout 2011, the price of gold experienced dramatic fluctuations as it steadily increased. We decided it was time to decrease our dependence on the volatility and price escalation of gold. It was time to introduce a new family of Mokume Gane compositions based upon Palladium 500.

Our new compositions were created by replacing the 14K Palladium White Gold (14K PW) in our Mokume Gane with Palladium 500. For our purposes, the Palladium 500 alloy shares many qualities of 14K Palladium White Gold (14K PW) – it is wear-resistant and retains its vibrant color. Palladium 500 looks exactly like 14K Palladium White Gold (14K PW). As such, the Mokume Gane rings we made using Palladium 500 retain the exact look of Mokume compositions containing 14K PW.

We continue to offer Mokume Gane with higher content Gold (including 14K PW) and Platinum for those who like the look and feel of these precious metals and for whom price considerations are not as much a concern.

Precious Metals Mokume Gane with Palladium 500 is available across all our Collections!

Andrew was interviewed by Severine Ferrari, the editor-in-chief and associate publisher of Engagement101 Magazine.

The Q&A focused on Andrew’s expertise in Mokume Gane and can be found on the Engagement101 Blog.

Andrew Nyce Designs is proud to announce that our work can now be found alongside other talented artisans at San Francisco-based Gallery of Jewels. We are very excited to have a retail presence in San Francisco! Our Damascus Steel and Stainless Steel Mokume rings will be on display at the gallery’s Fillmore Street location (2115 Fillmore Street).

The gallery was conceived in 1990 by Dona Taylor and Bill Hoover, the principals. The gallery delivers a fashion aesthetic, purely driven by passion and integrity. The entire Gallery of Jewels staff strives to build long-term relationships with jewelry artists and customers alike.

Gallery of Jewels is dedicated to creating and managing a specialized retail jewelry marketplace. The galleries represent and sell handcrafted, limited edition jewelry by Bay Area, regional and international jewelry designers. The gallery presents each artist individually and collectively achieves an attractive variety of silver, gold and platinum adornments. With more than 100 artists in our portfolio. With more than 100 artists in their portfolio, Gallery of Jewels always has something special for your fashion, engagement, wedding, and commitment needs.

Gallery of Jewels was voted one of the Top Ten Designer Retailers for 2010-2011 by JCK (Jewelers’ Circular Keystone), the jewelry industry’s leading trade publication and industry authority.

Gallery of Jewels

Today, Andrew Nyce Designs was named a finalist in Engagement 101′s 2011 Bridal Jewelry Awards. Rings were chosen during a rigorous nomination process where a committee of experts narrowed down the selections to just eight rings per category. Our rings were selected for two different categories: Men’s Wedding Bands and Wedding Band Sets. Voting begins today, May 2, through May 31st. To vote for our rings, use the button below to go to the Engagement 101 Bridal Jeweler Awards webpage and follow the simple instructions. You will need to provide your name and email, but by doing so, you will be entered to win Engagement 101′s Royal Wedding Giveaway prize which includes matching wedding bands and a tiara.

In the Men’s Wedding Band category, our BOLD Damascus Steel Ring with Black Diamonds was selected as a finalist. Bold. Daring. Confident. This Stainless Steel band with the Starlight pattern and black oxide coating, is set in a 950 Palladium channel with one 0.11 carat flush set square cut white diamond and two 0.1 carat round black diamonds flush set in 950 Palladium bezels. Starlight Damascus possesses a dense pattern with a distinctive star or cross shape.

In the Wedding Band Set category, our Essentials Glacial Mist Mokume Gane rings with channel set diamonds and accent diamonds were selected as a finalist. Glacial Mist Mokume Gane evokes the silvery shimmer of a crisp, swirling mist rising from an arctic glacier. It is composed of layers of 14K Palladium White Gold and Palladium-enhanced Sterling Silver. The Engagement ring has a 1 carat round diamond in 6-prong setting and four 0.015 carat channel set round accent diamonds on each side. The wedding band has 9 channel set 0.015 carat round diamonds.

We would appreciate your vote.

Andrew Nyce Designs is proud to announce a new collection of fine jewelry that will be available in late August 2010. The Balance Collection is an Asian-inspired line of Mokume Gane earrings and pendants. This stunning new collection reflects on the Japanese origin of Mokume Gane and was created through a collaboration between jewelry designer Deborah Spencer and Andrew Nyce Designs. The earring and pendant designs will be interchangeable with each other and will complement our line of Mokume Gane wedding and engagement rings. Initially, the Balance Collection will be offered with Glacial Mist Mokume Gane.

Kinkou is the Japanese word for balance and means having or wanting balance in one’s life. The unique designs of the Balance Collection jewelry are meant to foster a sense of well-being and balance. Please inquire if you are interested in learning more about the Balance Collection.

[left: BOLD Starlight Damascus Men's Ring with white and black diamonds]
[right: Embraced Ashes and Snow Mokume Gane Wedding Band with Ceylon Blue Sapphires]

Andrew Nyce Designs has launched a number of new designs and patterns for Summer 2010 with the theme Something New and Something Blue. Because, who really wants something borrowed or old? Designs this Summer incorporated more gemstones not only into traditional engagement rings, but into men’s rings as well. Black diamonds are a trend we could not afford to ignore. Blue Sapphires are a pleasing complement to both the steely tones of our Damascus rings as well as to the subtle hues of our white-metal Mokume Gane palettes like Ashes and Snow. In addition, we have worked to created some new Damascus patterns and refreshed a few others.

[top: Glacial Mist Mokume Gane Blue Sapphire Engagement Ring]
[bottom: Glacial Mist Mokume Gane 3-Stone Diamond Engagement Ring]

For our Mokume Gane Engagement Ring Collection, we have added a three-stone diamond engagement ring. This refined, traditional setting works well with our lighter Mokume Gane palettes, like Glacial Mist or Ashes and Snow. A Blue Sapphire sitting in the 6-prong setting adds just the right amount of color to make the ring truly eye-popping.

[left to right: Essentials Damascus Rings with Wave Rider, Quasar, Safari, Thor, Remington and Woodcut patterns]

Four new Damascus patterns have been added to our line: Wave Rider, Quasar, Safari and Thor. In addition, we have refreshed Remington (circles and ovals are more distinct) and Woodcut (now with broader lines). Wave Rider is a Special Edition pattern that is available in limited stock. When the stock is used up, the pattern will no longer be offered. The image above shows the new patterns as Essentials Damascus wedding rings. Below, the patterns are shown as JET Men’s Damascus ring.

Our men’s rings are offered in a narrow size range (7 to 13) and wider overall width (8mm and 10mm) than our Essentials rings (sizes 4 to 13 and widths 4mm to 10mm). JET rings come standard with a black oxide coating; black oxide coatings are an option for Essentials rings.

Canyonlands TriGold is a new Mokume Gane color palette composed of layers of 14K Yellow Gold, 14K Palladium White Gold and 14K Red Gold. Canyonlands TriGold evokes the dramatic and colorful landscape of Southeastern Utah.

[Canyonlands TriGold Mokume Gane Wedding Ring Set]

Finally, if you see some design elements of our rings that you like and want to combine it with other design elements into a totally new ring, ask us. We’d be happy to make a custom-designed work of art for you. Who wouldn’t want to see Black diamonds combined with Ceylon Blue Sapphire. The Black & Blue Men’s Ring…a new design for the Fall, perhaps?

[Mockup of a Black & Blue Damascus Men's Ring]

Andrew Nyce Designs is dedicated to expanding and improving the Mokume Gane compositions we offer our customers. During the past few weeks, Andrew has been making a number of Mokume billets for the New Year. We thought you might be interested in seeing what these billets look like. And you might be interested in the new alloy combinations.

Billets 1 through 3 represent Mokume Gane compositions where we have introduced different precious metals to our existing color palettes. These new compositions may be added to our existing Mokume Gane color palettes in 2010. We continue to explore lower cost Mokume compositions that do not sacrifice elegance for affordability. Our goal is to provide Mokume Gane to suit your budget.

• Billet 1 – In this billet, we have taken the Desert Sunset palette (14K Palladium White Gold and 18K Royal Yellow Gold) and substituted the 18K Royal Yellow Gold with 14K Green Gold.
• Billet 2 – In this billet, we have taken the Glacial Mist palette (14K Palladium White Gold and Palladium-enhanced Sterling Silver) and substituted the 14K Palladium White Gold with 950 Palladium.
• Billet 3 – In this billet, we have taken the Ashes and Snow palette (950 Platinum, 14K Palladium White Gold, and Palladium-enhanced Sterling Silver) and substituted the 950 Platinum with 14K Green Gold.

Aside from being a lower cost alternative to Platinum and 18K Yellow Gold, the aesthetics of 14K Green Gold are very pleasing. We like it and hope you will too. And using 950 Palladium in place of 14K Palladium White Gold is a great way to provide a Mokume Gane with the classic, sophisticated look of Glacial Mist at a lower cost and with a more subtle contrast.

Billets 4 through 7 represent some of our standard Mokume Gane compositions. These billets are being made into rings for customers or for use in new ring designs that we will introduce in the first quarter of 2010.

• Billet 4 – Glacial Mist comprises layers of 14K Palladium White Gold and Palladium-enhanced Sterling Silver.
• Billet 5 – Maui Sunset comprises layers of 14K Palladium White Gold, 18K Royal Yellow Gold, 14K Red Gold, and Palladium-enhanced Sterling Silver.
• Billet 6 – Santa Fe comprises layers of 14K Palladium White Gold, 14K Red Gold, and Palladium-enhanced Sterling Silver.
• Billet 7 – Painted Desert comprises layers of 18K Royal Yellow Gold, 14K Red Gold, and Palladium-enhanced Sterling Silver.

So far in 2009, Andrew Nyce Designs has added three new Damascus patterns to the five other patterns that we offer. Art Deco was introduced earlier this year. The Woodcut and Cosmic patterns were introduced in late Summer.

The Art Deco pattern has bold rounded and linear elements that intersect each with other forming modern motifs. Shown below are two rings with the Art Deco pattern: a JET Men’s ring with a black oxide coating (top) and an Embraced Wedding ring with an 18K gold channel.

Woodcut pays homage to the thick, flowing lines of a woodcut print. The pattern also reflects more Earthly forms such as the furrows in a freshly plowed field. Shown below are two Men’s rings with the JET ring sitting atop a BOLD ring. Both rings have the Woodcut pattern and a black oxide coating.

The wider Cosmic pattern mirrors the vast emptiness of space punctuated by striking and beautiful interstellar bodies. Shown below is a JET Men’s ring with the Quasar pattern and a black oxide coating.

All of these patterns are available for any ring within any of the Andrew Nyce Designs Damascus Collections.

Jewelry Studio Notes (a technical discussion of Andrew’s work on new Damascus patterns)

Woodcut and Art Deco are both produced from the same starting material. We use a stacking arrangement consisting of alternating layers of 316L and 304L stainless steel. This assembly is bonded using a proprietary process. Then, the material is forged into a round bar of a predetermined diameter, twisted, forged into a square and then machined into a round bar. The Art Deco pattern is found on the surface of the round bar. If, after the twisting step, the round bar is forged flat instead of into a square, the result is the Woodcut pattern.

The Cosmic pattern is similar in appearance to both the Wood Grain and Celestial patterns. The starting materials for Cosmic are parallel layers of Damascus that have been twisted to a 70-degree starting angle, forged into a square shape, and then machined into a round bar. Both the Cosmic pattern and subtle variations of the Cosmic pattern are found on the surface of the round bar. From a production standpoint, the Cosmic pattern is an undistorted Wood Grain pattern.

[Blue Flame Rings set in an 18K gold channel (left) and platinum-enhanced sterling silver channel (right) ]

About 7 years ago, I began making jewelry using a unique process that incorporated an oxyacetylene torch to sculpt the surface of semi-solid silver alloys into ripples and waves. I enjoyed the challenge of this work and created some strikingly beautiful jewelry. However, I became so intensely interested in Mokume Gane and Damascus that I set this third jewelry-making technique aside. Until now. I have returned to the idea of creating jewelry with this process under the name Blue Flame.

Blue Flame Jewelry is created by sculpting silver alloys into ripples and waves using an intense oxyacetylene (blue) flame. The initial step involves subjecting a specially formulated sheet of silver alloy to a pre-oxidation and acid-etching treatment. This treatment creates a thin layer of pure silver on the surface of the silver alloy sheet.

Using an oxyacetylene flame, I preheat the sheet to just below the point where the interior of the silver alloy sheet begins to melt. The surface layer of pure silver, which has a higher melting point, remains solid. The challenge is to prevent the liquid metal alloy from “burning” through the solid pure silver layer. As I move the oxyacetylene flame across the sheet, liquid/solid regions are created which, in turn, create the ripples and waves as the alloy beneath the pure solid silver alternately melts and solidifies. The size of the flame and the pre-oxidation conditions determine the size of the surface features. Waves, ripples, swirls and even writing are possible in various scales with this technique.

Although this technique, also known as reticulation, can be used on gold or silver alloys, I have chosen to focus my efforts in the jewelry studio on silver alloys embraced in a channel of precious metal alloys. My initial emphasis will be on making rings, the first of which will be offered through one of our retailers, Taboo Studio in San Diego, California. The plan is to expand into more of our retail outlets into next year. In late 2010, I intend to offer other Blue Flame jewelry, such as pendants and earrings.

If you have any questions or would like more information about Blue Flame rings, please contact us.

[Flame-sculpted necklace handcrafted by Andrew Nyce Designs in 2003]

Andrew Nyce Designs has added a new Stainless Steel Mokume composition to our Mokume Gane Men’s ring lineup. Golden Light Mokume is composed of stainless steel and 18K yellow gold. Golden Light Mokume features a stainless steel channel, which is the standard for all Mokume Gane rings in the Men’s Collection.

Andrew’s research in the jewelry studio enabled him to engineer this innovative marriage of precious metal alloy and stainless steel. Like Shadows and Light Mokume, our stainless steel and platinum-enhanced sterling silver composition, Golden Light Mokume is made with a random pattern. Both the Golden Light and Shadows and Light Men’s rings are relief polished with an aggressive abrasive that erodes away the precious metal alloys at a faster rate than either the 316L or 304L Stainless Steel. The result is a contoured relief on the surface of the ring that accentuates the pattern.

The Golden Light Mokume Gane Men’s ring would be a fine accessory for stainless steel and gold watches. Andrew is currently working on a red gold stainless steel Mokume composition that we intend to add to the Men’s Collection by year’s end.