Catherine Budd selected for the prestigious ‘DESIGNS OF EXCELLENCE’ tour at The Jewellery Show 2013

Jewellery and watch buying company The Houlden Group, who sponsor The Jewellery Show’s Design Quarter, selected Catherine as one of their top seven jewellery designers to take part in the prestigious ‘Designs of Excellence’ national touring collection. Key pieces from Catherine's Crown collection and the new Lumière collection were selected to tour Houlden members’ retail stores throughout the UK and Ireland during 2013.

THE DESIGNS OF EXCELLENCE AWARD CEREMONY AT THE JEWELLERY SHOW 2013

The expert panel of judges, which consisted of Stuart Laing, CEO Houden Group, Ashley Pugh of Brufords, Karen Bailey of Terence Lett, Mike Rice of Hugh Rice, and Judy Deuchar, Founder of the Clifton Studio, chose the designers who they thought had produced the most original, innovative and eye-catching collections. Joining Catherine on the tour are Anya K Designs, Arabel Lebrusan, Charmian Beaton, Erica Sharpe, Laura Gravestock and Rachel Galley.

THE CROWN COLLECTION RINGS WILL FEATURE ON THE  'DESIGNS OF EXCELLENCE'  TOUR

"The calibre of the designers was incredibly high and with such exciting talent to choose from there was much deliberation and discussion."  Stuart Laing, CEO Houlden Group.

THE LUMIÈRE DIAMOND PENDANT WHICH WILL FEATURE ON THE  DESIGNS OF EXCELLENCE  TOUR

"Being selected for the Houlden Group Designs of Excellence tour is a fantastic recognition of my work. Particularly being a new designer it is a huge compliment to have an acknowledgement from the jewellery industry. My big focus this year is all about breaking into the retail market so to have been recognised by the Houlden Group is tremendous, and I’m very much looking forward to building on this opportunity." Catherine Budd.

For more information on Catherine's work, see www.catherinebuddjewellery.co.uk or call +44 (0)7701 080615.

ArtDeco Bespoke Wedding Ring

Last year I was approached by a lovely couple who asked me to design and create their wedding bands.

Hers: an art deco inspired platinum and diamond wedding band to interlock and fit around a beautiful sapphire and diamond engagement ring.

His: a palladium wedding band designed with a bevelled edge and a brushed centre.

Both rings were finished with a hand engraved secret inscription which neither knew until the wedding day.

For more information on bespoke jewellery design visit the Catherine Budd Jewellery website.

Glorious Garnets

Garnet is the birthstone for January.

Commonly thought of as rusty-red, the Garnet comes in many different varieties and colours! Some of the more popular names of Garnet are Almandine, (the most common dark browny-red), Spessartite (orangey-red), Rhodolite (violet-red), Demantoid and Tsavorite (Green).

Diamond and Demantoid Garnet 'Lotus' Brooch by Gimel (www.christies.com)

Particularly popular in Victorian jewellery it is believed to have been exchanged as gifts between friends to demonstrate their affection for each other and to ensure that they meet again. 

Garnet jewellery is often given to mark a 2nd Wedding Anniversary.

Exquisite Eternity: It's all in the detail....

18 CARAT WHITE GOLD & DIAMONDS 

A beautiful and delicate eternity ring, set with 0.33ct of round brilliant cut diamonds in a scalloped egde setting. Beautifully bespoke.

"I am so pleased with my diamond eternity ring. Thank you so much for taking so much care with it. I will look after it for many years to come." Peter & Anne, Cleveland

For more information on please visit www.catherinebuddjewellery.co.uk

A sneak peek behind the Clover collection mood board...

Take a sneak peek behind the Clover collection mood board......

I  have picked my favourite elements of this beautiful range, inspired by the iconic quatrefoil motif representing the rare four-leaf clover.  Each leaf represents something different - hope, faith, luck and love. 

Click here to discover the CLOVER collection.

An Elegant Eternity

An eternity ring is classed as a band set with a continuous line of gemstones, typically diamonds.  They are designed to be a symbol of everlasting love and to mark memorable events such as anniversaries and the birth of a baby, but they are also gaining popularity as a wedding ring.  I love the idea of adding in a splash of colour - red rubies, blue sapphires, pink sapphires or maybe a particular birthstone.

 18ct yellow gold eternity bands, each channel set with 17 brilliant diamonds

These two beautiful and classic eternity rings were created to mark the 50th anniversary of a delightful lady, Janet. They were designed to be worn either side a striking diamond and ruby ring which was very much a treasured 40th anniversary gift from her late husband. 

For more information on my bespoke design service please visit the website. 

CLOVER: inspiration behind the collection

The Clover collection is inspired by the iconic quatrefoil motif - a legacy of Gothic architecture so often found in cathedrals and churches and which typically dominates Moorish architecture. It is a fascinating shape that seems to transcend time....so ancient and classic but also so modern. 

Each leaf represents something different - hope, faith, luck and love.

The collection has an elegant simplicity and is divided into two distinct ranges - Rose Clover and Gypsy Clover. The Rose Clover range features 18 carat rose gold clover leaves holding a beautiful white diamond in the centre, and is highlighted with inlaid white diamonds to bring each piece to life. The Gypsy Clover range is available in sterling silver and also in 18 carat rose gold vermeil - a heavy layer of 18 carat gold plated on sterling silver - giving a soft and feminine look with a vintage feel.

The decision to make the Gypsy Clover range using 18 carat gold vermeil has been as a reaction to its continuing popularity within the retail jewellery market, and has added a new dimension to the collections. Whilst each piece is comparable to pure gold in appearance and craftsmanship, because the primary composition is sterling silver, the gold vermeil pieces offer a more affordable alternative to the pure gold pieces without compromising the quality of the jewellery.

This stunning collection - including pendants, necklaces, earrings, and  bracelets - is made in the UK one at a time, and because of this variations in the colour of metal are available on request.

For more details of the Clover Collection, visit the website or call 07701 080 615.