ABOUT THE ARTIST

California artist James Binion has been making jewelry for over thiry years. In the early 1980’s he discovered mokume gane and developed his own technique for making this rare Japanese lamination/fusion process. Since 1991 he has worked exclusively with this technique and is considered an authority in the technique. James teaches many metalsmithing workshops around the country.

ABOUT THE WORK

James’ works consist mostly of rings, which he fabricates using the mokume gane technique. Mokume gane means, “wood eye metal”. It is a technique developed by Denebei Shoami, a 17th century master metalsmith, who used it to adorn samurai swords.

Binion’s process begins by fusing sheets of platinum, gold and silver alloys together in a kiln. Under carefully controlled conditions, the combination of heat, pressure and protective atmosphere allows the layers to fuse but not melt. Unique patterns are created by hand carving and drilling into the layers of metal. The sheet of mokume is then passed between two steel rollers to flatten out the carved area. The process of carving and rolling is repeated many times to create the finished pattern. Each ring has its own unique pattern. Binnion believes that this patterning is especially suited to wedding rings. “The blending of metals into one, each with a unique pattern, can be seen as a reflection of what occurs when two people marry, blending their individual lives into one.”

Sometimes the ring has an etched surface. This style requires that sterling silver is in the laminate. Nitric acid is used to etch the silver. This process gives the ring a textured look and feel. The pattern of mokume gane is more clearly seen. The non-etched finish provides a more subtle view of the mokume. The rings are typically matte finished since a high polish obscures the colors of the mokume.

Metals typically used are 18K yellow gold, 14K red gold, 14K palladium white gold and sterling silver or 18K green gold with platinum.

Exhibitions

2007 "What Lies Beneath" group exhibition curated by Allison Barnett, Patina Gallery, Santa Fe, NM