Claire Ramsey | Mokume and Agate Badge

Artist:  Claire Ramsey

Materials: Copper and brass mokume, sterling silver and agate

Dimensions: 2" x 1" x 1/8"

Origin of featured materials: In class materials from Anne Wolf, unsure of origin but Anne Wolf probably made it

Story behind the piece:  This piece came about in a 5 day class in Seattle w/Anne Wolf in March 2025. Most of the class aimed to make sake cups, but I was having a lot of fun with my chisels and hammer. (The sake cups were fabulous, too.)

I love patterning mokume-gane. I've twisted rod, hammered patterns, chiseled and done metamorphic patterning, and it's all surprising and intriguing. I've even made a copper/brass billet - a lot of work but I can see the appeal. I started patterning a range of metals in mokume in about 2010, and have loved it ever since. 

Artist Bio: I am a retired UC San Diego professor, and a linguistic anthropologist by training. I spent my career focusing on sign languages and Deaf signers in the US and Mexico. I started taking metalsmithing classes at the UCSD Craft Center in 2004, and I've never looked back. 

This piece is part of, From Wave to Shining Wave: a Celebration of Phil Baldwin and Shining Wave Metals Baldwin. The exhibition is presented in collaboration with the Seattle Metals Guild. 5% of sales will be donated to help fund an endowment at Pendland in Phillip Baldwin’s name. Learn more HERE. All work will remain on exhibit through July 20, 2025.

📂 [View the entire collection HERE ]

ℹ️ [Learn more about the exhibition HERE]