Milgrain Finishing on Forged Metal
Within our forging collection, there are rings featuring milgrain. Milgrain, consists of finely aligned decorative beads, symbolizing eternity and abundance. It's a auspicious technique wishing for the couple's everlasting happiness and family prosperity.
The knurling tool, a commercially available jewellery tool, features a roller with round indentations that rotate. The knurling tools used in our forging collection are modified by craftsmen for use on a lathe.
Milgrain as the Star of the Wedding Rings
There are two rings in our forging collection where milgrain decoration takes the center stage in the design.
The decoration of milgrain, applied one bead at a time by hand, requires the delicate work of craftsmen. The milgrain applied using a lathe creates straight, unwavering lines, with each bead clearly defined in size. This method allows the milgrain to align orderly on the hard, forged metal surface, offering a different shine and durability than handcrafted techniques.
Pianissimo
The design features a single round of milgrain on a platinum ring and three rounds on a yellow gold ring.
Pianissimo, meaning 'as softly as possible' in musical terms, reflects the design where milgrain is closely arranged on the narrow width of the gold ring.
Initially, prototypes were made with a 2.5mm width, but the gaps without milgrain were noticeable, and the balance was off. Therefore, a 2.0mm width prototype was remade, arranging three lines as densely as possible to achieve the ideal design.
The precision of the lathe-applied milgrain allows for straight lines and uniformly sized beads, resulting in a beautifully finished look. Diamonds are also delicately set close together using shared prong settings.
Amabile
One design features milgrain and hairline finishing on both sides, while the other has milgrain and decorative patterns on one side.
"Amabile", meaning 'lovely' in musical terms, has a cute appearance as if round decorations are bouncing on the ring. The varying sizes of round patterns are inspired by splash of waves and ripples. After experimenting with the density and size of decorations, arranging them in three or two rows, the perfect pattern embodying 'lovely' was created.
Creating Beautiful Milgrain
The key to inserting beautiful milgrain decoration is preparation. Without the precise width and thickness of the ring's base, the orderly aligned milgrain cannot be achieved.
The milgrain created through the dedication to manufacturing precision, using forging and cutting techniques, offers a charm different from handcrafted work.
Aya Takahashi, Concierge
