On Sunday September 2nd, 1945 , upon this very teak decking, aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu signed the documents formalizing Japan’s surrender and the close of World War 2.

How can I possibly have acquired wood with such historical significance? Same way I acquire all of the material for my greatest projects - my creative and resourceful customers!

In this case, the customer was in the Navy stationed on the U.S.S. Missouri Submarine (SSN-780), and due to being part of that crew, he was given a portion of the original teak deck from the Battleship Missouri (BB-63).

He opted for an 18k White Gold exterior. He also generously allowed me to retain the remainder of the material - enough to make 8-12 additional rings, depending on size and style. Here are some pictures of the accompanying plaque for this outstanding material.