First developed by Denbei Shoami, a master metalsmith from the Akita prefecture, mokume gane was originally used to decorate samurai swords to symbolize wealth and status.
The color of mokume gane engagement rings depends on the types of metals fused together to create the final, patterned sheet.
Most mokume gane designers will allow you to select which metals you are interested in using, and they will often have sample sheets or rings available to demonstrate what the different shades look like together.
While all mokume gane rings use two or three types of metal, you can create a monochrome ring by using different karat values of the same type of metal - a high and a low karat white gold, for example.
The mokume gane technique creates a distinctive pattern on the resulting metal.