Diamonds and Pearls

My lovely and most beautiful friend Annelise, celebrated her marriage to Romesh in June. Unbeknown to Annelise,  Rom had secretly contacted me before the wedding and commissioned me to design and create a pair of earrings  as a gift to be opened on their special day.  The brief was simple - diamonds and pearls - but it was our long standing friendship that was the most useful reference to allow me to narrow down the design intricacies.

These earrings so versatile, and are made so that the pearl can be removed and the diamond hoop worn separately. Beautiful earrings for all occasions, but a perfect accessory for the most important day so far of her life.

"Great work from Catherine Budd Jewellery for designing and producing some lovely pearl earrings for my Bride, and now wife, Annelise. They were much adored on the day and will be forever more."

Annelise looked beyond stunning and Rom was as handsome as ever. The wedding was just beautiful and I wish them both so much love for the future.

Photograph by: www.capture4life.com  

Cat x 

www.catherinebuddjewellery.co.uk/

Perfect Palladium

This wedding ring commissioned by Kirsty is made in palladium. The brief was to design a new wedding ring to replace her husband's yellow gold band...to create something traditional but with a modern twist.   

The wedding ring is a wide band measuring 8mm in width and was designed with a bevelled edge.  I love the subtlety of the brushed finish in the centre of the ring against the high polished edges which accentuates the bevelled design. 

Kirsty chose to have the ring hand engraved  with her name and the date she married her husband, something special as a reminder of their special occasion and to tell part of their life story.

Palladium is becoming increasingly more popular.....

Due to the rising price of gold and platinum in recent years, palladium has become increasingly more popular and has now gained recognition as a precious metal in its own right.  It is a silvery white rare metal, and is part of the platinum family of metals. It is an easy metal to look after, and as it is naturally white like palladium it won't require plating and it does not tarnish. Whilst it has similar properties to platinum it is less dense and is much lighter in weight.  This metal is suitable for a large selection of wedding rings and a particularly good choice for those people wanting a fairly sizable ring but without the heavy weight and the even heavier price tag that platinum commands.

Comments from Kirsty below:

"Catherine, thank you for designing and creating my husband’s wedding ring. I can’t believe how you were able to create something based on our conversations and e-mail without even meeting me face to face! You kept me informed of the progress from start to finish; I can’t thank you enough." 

Kirsty, South Lanarkshire.

For details visit http://www.catherinebuddjewellery.co.uk/

Much love 

Cat x 

Going for Gold: Gold Vermeil Jewellery

No matter what trends come and go, people will never tire of gold. Beautiful, timeless, but expensive.

Whilst gold plate can be cheap, it is not always of good quality and the thin layer of plate can wear off quickly. Gold vermeil is different and provides the durability that is not available from standard gold-plated pieces.

So how does it work?

Ordinary gold plate is simply a thin layer of gold over any base metal. To qualify as 'gold vermeil' on the other hand a piece of jewellery must meet certain criteria. The base metal must be pure sterling silver, the gold layer with which the silver is plated must be at least 10 carat gold, and the layer of gold must be heavy - at least two and a half microns in thickness (gold plate can be as little as half a micron or less).

All my gold vermeil jewellery bears the hallmark for Sterling Silver and is heavy plated to a minimum of 2.5 microns with 18 carat gold. Nothing less.

Using gold vermeil for some of my jewellery means each piece is comparable to pure gold in appearance and craftsmanship, but offers a more affordable alternative to the pure gold pieces without compromising the quality.

Care of gold vermeil jewellery...

Whilst gold vermeil is heavily plated with gold, if you’ve owned your gold vermeil jewellery for some time and worn & loved it lots, you may find that over time it will need to be re-plated in gold. To minimise the wear of gold vermeil be careful to not shower or swim while wearing it, and be careful with hairspray, perfume, cosmetics, and lotions on your jewellery, or anything that may cause abrasion.  If you must clean your gold vermeil jewellery, use a very soft cloth or gentle hand soap and water. Don't use tarnish remover or jewellery polish as the abrasives & chemicals will strip the gold layer more quickly.

Catherine Budd Jewellery offers one complimentary re-plating to customers who have bought a gold vermeil piece. If you would like to have your piece re-plated, please contact me.  

One of a kind engagement ring - aquamarine treasure

Lisa and Rich are avid Scuba Divers  and spend most of their spare time running 'Dive South' a scuba diving club in Dorset. Lisa particularly loves nothing more than being under the water so there was no surprise that the brief was to create an engagement ring that was inspired by the sea, whilst at the same time ensuring the design  was elegant and delicate, but not too fussy or overly embellished with diamonds.

After some initial discussions, designs and a couple of adjustments we had it narrowed down to this. A striking asymmetric platinum ring set with a faceted sea-blue aquamarine and delicate accents of white diamonds.

This ring is special to me, not only because it is a beautiful and interesting design,   but because I met some wonderful people who have since become my friends.  And true to form, the proposal was not only wonderful, it was underwater, and I was lucky enough to be there to share it!

For further details, to arrange a design consultation or to purchase a piece of jewellery please visit my website or contact me on 07701 080 615.

Cat x 

A jewellery box essential...

Diamond stud earrings are a jewellery box essential. They are a timeless classic.  An elegant yet simple style of earring that hold a special place in the heart of most women. 

The brief from my client was to design the earrings to hold a half carat diamond in a bezel setting. To allow lots of light to enter the diamond and maximise its sparkle, the design featured 'light spaces' at the sides of the collet and underneath the earring base.

As with any diamond purchase, we discussed the 4 C’s of a diamond - the cut, colour, clarity, and carat weight, and selected a pair of the most suitable, and best quality diamonds at an affordable price.

One thing to keep in mind when choosing and making diamond earrings is the match. Both diamonds should be as close as possible in terms of size, cut, clarity, and colour so they appear to be identical. No two diamonds are ever completely alike so it is important to source matching pairs which were most similar.

These earrings are made in 18ct yellow gold, and the total diamond weight is just over 1 carat.

Diamond stud earrings can be made to any specification. Prices start from £400.

For further details see www.catherinebuddjewellery.co.uk

Much love

Cat  ©

A perfect wedding and engagement ring match...

Having personally designed this two stone engagement ring, Sam and Steve contacted me about designing a wedding ring to fit the shape.  The brief was something delicate. A wedding ring to enhance the shape of the engagement ring rather than detract from it.  After some preliminary sketches, we narrowed the design down to a beautiful platinum band delicately curving around the shape of the engagement ring with crossover detail in the centre. 

Getting Sam to part with her engagement ring was no mean feat and took some gentle coaxing but it was important to have the engagement ring to use as a guide from which to make the wedding ring, and to ensure the angles and lines were precise. It didn't take long though and within a week we had the exact shape from which to work on, and Sam was reunited with her beloved engagement ring.

Thefinished piece. The design is beautiful, the finish excellent and the fit against the engagement ring is superb.

The wedding took place July 21st 2012 at Culeaze House in Dorset.  It was a warm, sunny July day with the most magnificent blue sky.

To Steve and Sam, thank you for sharing your big day with me. I wish you a vast amount of congratulations as well as an eternity of happiness together!

Much love

Cat ©

http://www.catherinebuddjewellery.co.uk/index.html

Have you ever thought about having a piece of jewellery commissioned?

There is something so romantic and utterly special about a piece of beautiful jewellery that has been designed especially for you....

This year has been so exciting with the launch of the 'Crown Collection' but I also have a growing number of clients for whom I have designed unique and one-off pieces of bespoke jewellery - engagement rings, wedding rings, wedding rings to curve and shape around irregular shaped engagement rings, eternity rings, earrings, pendants....

Being a jewellery designer, I love working on commissioned pieces. To me, it is all about understanding you and your individuality, so that together we create a piece of jewellery to match your style, personality and your budget. Classic or contemporary, bold or understated, it is all about designing a piece which is right for you.

A selection of one-off creations 

Typically I visit each of my clients for a design consultation in the comfort of their own home - alleviating the need to trudge up and down a high street from one jeweller to another. There is no charge for a design consultation, and if you decide my service is not right for you it's fine to just walk away.

Commissioning a piece of fine jewellery is about having fun and enjoying the process. 

Every person is different. Some people have quite clear ideas about what they want and if this is the case I will work with you to bring your ideas to life as a practical design. If you haven't decided on exactly what you would like, or have absolutely no idea at all I will talk about jewellery styles, perhaps draw inspiration from things you are passionate about, favourite colours, family heirlooms, or aspects of your life to find a design that is right. However much or little creative input you would like to have, I always make sure that through my knowledge and understanding of both the aesthetics of design and the practical limitations of jewellery construction, that the piece is not only beautiful but that it actually works from a technical point of view. This is important. Some ideas look great in your head but won't work when translated into a 3-dimensional structure!

2D technical drawing of a bezel set engagement ring 

As the design develops, I will explain all that there is to know about different metals, diamonds and precious gemstones, so that you can make decisions and choose what is right for you, with confidence and at a price that suits you, your lifestyle and your budget.

You may worry that you can't picture what the finished piece will look like. Don't fear. With the help of design sketches and particularly with the use of CAD software, it's possible to actually see a 3D render of your finished piece before it is actually made - which is a fantastic option if you aren't very good at imagining what the finished piece will look like. I also have a collection of jewellery which whilst not intended as a 'catalogue' for clients to choose from, are to give a taste of the jewellery I create, the quality of workmanship, and to also serve as points of reference when discussing what you really want.

3D CAD images of a bezel set engagement ring

Many people think that bespoke jewellery will cost the earth. Think again..... I always strive to give the best possible value for money, regardless of how much you decide to spend - part of the meaning of good design is knowing how to produce beautiful results within a specified budget. And if a particular design is going to cost more than your budget allows, it is more than likely that I can find a way of doing a very similar design, that is to your budget. This is the beauty of bespoke design - changing the quality or type of stone, or perhaps a simple design change could considerably alter the time it takes to make, the materials, and hence the price.

The finished piece - made with white gold and set with a 0.50ct diamond 

Bespoke jewellery and good design should be accessible to everyone.

So next time you are thinking about buying a piece of jewellery....why not consider commissioning a bespoke piece and create something as beautiful and unique as you are?

If you have any questions or would like to arrange a design consultation, please contact me.

Much love

Cat ♥

www.catherinebuddjewellery.co.uk