Exploring Unique Metals for Your Wedding Band| Chris Ploof Designs

Damascus steel is 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 cascaded to the ground.

Throughout history, craftspeople all over the world have made beautiful tools from carbon Damascus steel. The Damascus process involves welding multiple layers of steel alloys into one solid piece. The resulting material is then forged into complex patterns, which requires tremendous force.

At Chris Ploof Designs we work with a modern variation: stainless steel Damascus. It possesses all the beauty and qualities of the original; however, our stainless steel Damascus is made from alloys that cannot rust like carbon-based steel. Our stainless steel Damascus is easy to care for, available in beautiful and unique patterns, and offers high durability.

The evolution of Damascus steel from medieval tools to contemporary jewelry is only natural due to its amazing beauty and incredible strength. Our stainless steel Damascus rings are available with precious metals linings and accents, colored ceramic inlays, oxidized patinas, or just plain “naked” for the purist at heart. To increase the cool factor, we have a stock of antique rifle barrels, which were made using a Damascus technique.

Our meteorite rings are made exclusively from pieces of the Gibeon meteorite. The Gibeon 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) throughout the resulting meteorite.

Discovered in 1838, local craftsmen 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 one 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 resistant to stain and rust.

We cut, forge, and fabricate our meteorite, and combine it with platinum, gold, or mokume gane 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 enhance the Widmanstatten pattern, which is random, beautiful, and unique to each ring.

Mokume Gane—“wood pattern metal”—is an ancient Japanese technique. Numerous layers of precious metals are bonded into a single billet using the time-honored technique of applying heat and pressure. The billet is then transformed into exquisite patterns using the various tools in our studio to smash, twist, bend, and fold the metal.

The unique patterns and color combinations we create showcase the natural beauty of the metals; the quality of our mokume gane is second to none. We combine traditional techniques with state of the art research, which allows us to predict patterning outcomes reliably. Very few artists practice this labor-intensive technique today, but Chris Ploof has mastered the art of mokume gane.

Mokume Gane, Meteorite, and Damascus Stainless Steel rings by Chris Ploof Designs Designs can be paired with a variety of precious metal alloys. An alloy is a homogeneous mixture of two or more metals, where the resulting material has specific properties and characteristics (e.g., higher hardness, corrosion-resistance) that are more desirable than those of the pure, elemental metals. Gold, silver, platinum, and palladium are rare metallic elements. These precious metals are durable, extremely corrosion- and oxidation-resistant, and have high economic value:

Although an investment in precious metal wedding, engagement and commitment rings may seem expensive, their value as a symbol of your love will endure for a lifetime. Chris Ploof Designs is proud to offer a wide selection of precious metal alloys for use in designing your unique Mokume Gane or Damascus Stainless Steel ring. By selecting precious metal alloy channels, liners, edges, or gemstone settings in your ring design, you are able to frame the Mokume Gane or Damascus Stainless Steel bands to either subtle or striking effect. In addition, our Mokume Gane color compositions incorporate carefully selected combinations of precious metal alloys that range from vibrant to subtle and elegant to modern.

If you’re a manufacturer, designer or maker, we are happy to work with you to customize our raw materials for use in your own projects. Whether you need round bar or ring blanks for rings, flat sheet for other jewelry, or other custom forged shapes, materials and patterns, just contact us with your requirements and we’ll get started.

Our single overarching goal is to deliver quality, and our track record as an industry-leading supplier for manufacturers in fields ranging from jewelry to knives and beyond reflects that. We’ve even developed special laminates for applications outside of the jewelry industry such as aluminum patterned metals, titanium patterned metals, and various other ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

Please start the conversation with us and we will help you with your requirements, whether they are stock items or custom.

Chris Ploof Designs works with a modern variation of this timeless technique: stainless steel Damascus. While it possesses all the intricacy and beauty of the original material, this material is forged from alloys that do not rust the way carbon-based steel does, ensuring years of durability and a stunning finish on whatever medium it’s applied to.

The common ancient application of this incredibly strong forging method was in weaponry, and indeed, and we can certainly forge our stainless Damascus steel into billets and sheets that would make an excellent template for knives and blades of all shapes and sizes. However, it would be a crime to limit the natural beauty of this material to one medium alone, and our blanks also have many applications for stunning jewelry, as evidenced by our own product line, including our naked Damascus rings and precious Damascus rings, bracelets and other accessories.

By incorporating precious metals into the billet, the ancient Japanese technique of Mokume Gane produces a material that is unlike any other ancient forging technique on Earth. We have combined this traditional technique with state-of-the-art research that has enabled us to reliably predict the patterning outcomes on each piece of Mokume Gane that we forge. As a result, Chris Ploof is one of the few modern artists to have mastered this labor-intensive technique.

As with our stainless steel Damascus, Mokume Gane is available in sheets and billets that can be adapted for a wealth of applications by artisans and crafters in a variety of industries. The most common applications include jewelry, such as our own line of Mokume Gane rings, and decorative blades, for which we can specially forge our materials. However, these are far from the only mediums appropriate for this gorgeous form of steel, and we encourage you to get in touch with us so that we can discuss your own application and how we can help supply you for it.

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The combination of head, heart and hands defines where everything comes together. Chris Ploof Designs does more than check boxes and steer consumer choices. We blend thought and emotion with our materials to create the most unique designs. When entrusted with the single-most important symbol of a union between two people—a ring—we believe every one should be as unique as the love it represents. It is no mere token: It is what shows the world the value of your bond. We take commitments seriously. We value the people who love our work: connoisseurs, tastemakers, geek chic nerds, individuals who value more than status quo.

At Chris Ploof Designs we are crafting a new tradition in jewelry. We don't strive to be different. We just are. With everything we make we have longevity in mind—not temporary fads or trends. We use ancient techniques to create timeless designs.
We forge meteorite—truly out of this world! We fuse luscious color combinations of gold, palladium, and platinum to create the most sensual wood-grain patterns known to jewelry making—mokume gane. Most famously, we have evolved the strength and beauty of ancient sword-making metals to create our own proprietary formula of bio-compatible stainless steel Damascus. Within a quarter century our combined skills have made Chris Ploof Designs the leading industry supplier of Damascus steel and mokume gane for both raw materials and finished products.
Our expertise is knowing how to make jewelry that will last a lifetime and beyond. We use the best materials because our overarching goal is to deliver heirloom quality. All of our jewelry is handcrafted with its lifetime in mind so you and your family will enjoy our designs forever. That is legacy.

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After traveling the world trying hands-on careers that spoke to his historical influences and technical skills, Chris found himself back on his boyhood path, attempting to make a forge improvised by a 55 gallon drum, some fire bricks, and a hair dryer. Eventually his knowledge seeking led him to jewelry making classes. At last, he was home.

Chris has studied with many well-known artists, and apprenticed under a master goldsmith. He has an insatiable curiosity and drive that lead him down long roads even after the challenges at hand have been met. “Impossible is only a temporary condition,” he likes to say. “If my customer wants a Damascus bathtub, we will make it for them!” This intense drive is balanced with a wry, wonderful sense of humor that is one of his greatest assets when things don't go as planned. “Sometimes my best discoveries come from my biggest mistakes,” he admits.
The Santa Fe Symposium has chosen Chris twice to receive the Industry Leader Award. His work appears on the cover of Showcase 500 Rings: New Directions in Art Jewelry (Lark, 2012), and he has been featured in countless other publications.

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Our engineer ensures your Damascus, mokume gane, meteorite, or precious metal jewelry piece will be durable and stand the test of time.
Our craftspeople make each design to the high-quality standards Chris demands.
Our finishing expert brings out the beauty of the material allowing it to radiate from every angle.
Our stone setter ensures that all stones are set to bring out the brilliance nature intended.

A quality inspection is the final step, just before the jewelry is shipped to you. In the end, your jewelry is crafted using as many as 50 steps per item. Some pieces take well over 500 steps! The team we have assembled at Chris Ploof Designs comprises the best of the best—true experts in the field of jewelry making.

Naked Damascus

Precious Damascus

Mokume Gane

Meteorite

We cut, forge and fabricate our meteorite, combine it with platinum, gold or mokume gane 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 enhance the Widmanstatten pattern, which is random and beautiful, and unique to each ring.