Stefan Schwaderlapp
| 1982 | Born in Wesel, Germany |
|---|---|
| 2003–2009 | Studied physics, Master in “Management & Policy Analysis” |
| 2009 | First attempts at forging according to the Mokume-gane technique |
| since 2009 | Has been working in his parents’ atelier |
| 2010 | Further training in Switzerland and Denmark |
The Schwaderlapp Jewelers in Rees on the Lower Rhine have been handcrafting one-of-a-kind pieces of jewelry for 30 years now. In 2009, Stefan Schwaderlapp discovered a penchant for the ancient “Mokume Gane” forging technique and has since been working in his parents’ atelier. Mokume-gane has its origin in Japan and roughly means “metal with a woodgrain pattern”. To create a Mokume-gane piece, several layers of different metals are first heated carefully in a furnace so as not to melt completely and then laminated by means of forging them with a hammer. Using different metals and alloys such as gold, palladium, silver and shakudo (a traditional Japanese gold and copper alloy) is a prerequisite for obtaining the delicate patterns in these pieces of jewelry, each of which, after days of painstaking work, is a highly individual and absolutely unique creation.
