Strength and Skill: Chris Ploof Design Studio’s Tools 

The Tools and Techniques Behind the Making of Our Damascus and Mokume Gane Materials and Jewelry 

Prior to the process of refinement is the brut force necessary to tame our materials. We have machines that exert the greatest strength in order to bend, pound, shape, twist, and more! If a project requires muscle, we have a machine with the power to make it happen. After the storm of strength comes the delicate process of refinement. We have tools that act with rigorous precision. Elegant and refined, we have the ability to create masterful details with the most discerning skill. 

The Power Hammer

Imagine the pummeling force of a hammer bearing down on a piece of metal great enough to bend it effortlessly. That’s what metal is like in our power hammer, the most powerful machine in our shop. From the gentlest of strikes to the heaviest of blows, it is how we get metal to do our bidding. We use the power hammer to shape and bond; it is vital during the process of patterning our metals.

The Hydraulic Press

This rugged tool offers up enormous strength with far more restraint than the power hammer. The hydraulic press allows us to bend and shape metal with more control. It is an important tool for several key jewelry-making processes and affords us a number of options when force is needed in addition to accuracy.

The Rose Engine

This ornamental rose engine lathe has been around for centuries and once ran on hand or foot power. Our Armbruster Mark II Rose Engine is one of 30 in the world. Originally designed to cut wood, we use ours for metal. The stylus traces a series of interchangeable rosettes carving out the most unique and beautiful patterns. With the number of rosettes we own there are over a quarter million pattern possibilities to explore. 

The Waterjet

This is a machine that creates a stream of water as precise as a laser, with the ability to cut through most any material. Our waterjet harnesses thousands of pounds of water pressure, allowing us remarkable control to cut metal into any shape. We can be nimble with prototyping and experimenting with the designs. Our waterjet plays an important role for product development.

About

jewelry

JEWELLERY THAT RESPECTS NATURE AND HUMANKIND

All of our jewellery is handmade with Fairmined gold in our workshop in New England

The Chris Ploof Designs Studio Story

More than a century ago, there was a worldwide craft movement in reaction to the Industrial Revolution. Artisan makers asserted the genius of their hearts and hands to create works of art that changed the history of design. Today, we are seeing a similar reaction to the Digital Age. The influence of the Handmade Movement is being experienced everywhere. Chris Ploof Designs is at the heart of it—put better, Chris’s head, heart and hands are in 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.

Meet Chris Ploof: Award-Winning Mokume Gane, Meteorite, and Damascus Jewelry Designer and Master Jeweler

Hailing from a small town in Massachusetts, award-winning master jeweler Chris Ploof was once a skinny boy lurking around the local living history museum, watching awestruck as the craftspeople manipulated what had previously seemed unyielding: glass, tin, iron. All the while, his spirit was fusing itself to the use of heat and tools to ingeniously create utility and elegance.

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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.

Our Process: Crafting Damascus and Mokume Gane Materials and Jewelry

At Chris Ploof Designs in Massachusetts, we pride ourselves to be the industry-leading makers of Damascus steel, mokume gane, and meteororite wedding rings and accessories. Every piece begins with Chris, and every item he designs passes rigorous review by our skilled artisans. As a team, we make sure the design is beautiful and will stand the test of time:

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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. 

All our materials are world class and made in-house.

Click through each material to learn more about what makes us different

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.

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Inside Etch Damascus Ring – Matte

The Undara Ring

The Krakatoa Ring

Supernova Damascus Ring – Oxidized

Pathways Damascus Ring