Month: April 2017

Categories
Special events

Brighton Festival Ditchling Open Houses

Brighton Festival Ditchling Open Houses: Over four weekends in May, artists open their doors to offer work from over 1,200 artists, exhibiting in more than 180 venues across the city of Brighton, Hove and beyond.

The Open Houses are grouped in local trails, each with their own unique character, from the fishermen’s houses of Hanover, Regency houses of Brunswick, to the urban warehouse spaces of the North Laine and cottages of the South Downs village of Ditchling.

Visiting Open Houses offers the chance to meet the artists and to buy work directly from them. The hugely diverse range of artwork on show includes original paintings, prints, graffiti arts, ceramics and textiles, as well as photography, sculpture, crafts, jewellery and many other media.

The Artists Open Houses is an inclusive open-to-all event, welcoming participation from all areas of the community, including community groups, marginalised, school and college student artists.

Artists Open Houses in Ditchling

Ditchling Village is in the South Downs National Park.  Art in Ditchling is a group of local artists who participate in Brighton Artists Open Houses during The Brighton Festival.  The Art in Ditchling Trail showcases a range of high quality art, design and craft in houses, studios and workshops.  Make a day of it to meet the artists and makers, explore the historic village as well as Ditchling Museum of Art+Craft.  As a distraction from the Trail there are a number of pubs and cafes offering delicious refreshments.

A number of venues will be open on both Bank Holidays in May.  Please check the individual houses pages for details.

Ditchling has a rich artistic heritage shown in Ditchlings award winning Museum of Art asnd Craft which includes Eric Gill, Sir Frank Brangwyn and The Guild of St Joseph and St Dominic; family members continue these traditions in some venues today.

Pruden and Smith are participating in the Brighton Festival Ditchling Open Houses as part of the Art in Ditchling Trail. Thery are designers and craftsmen in precious metals whose passion for contemporary design shows in everything they do. Their gallery and new display area within, their adjoining workshops, on Ditchling Crossroads showcases their work in gold, platinum, and silver incorporating diamonds and unusual gemstones from all over the world. This year look out for new designs featuring 2000 year old Roman glass from Afghanistan.  They offer a complete design-to-make service for any item in precious metal from engagement rings to chalices. They can also incorporate or redesign your existing jewellery in a process they call ‘A Precious Legacy’.

Brighton Festival Ditchling Open Houses

DesignerRebecca Smith takes inspiration and materials from your existing jewellery collection to generate designs for new pieces. It ensures that your jewellery is out of your jewellery box and worn whilst maintaining the sentimental connection to past pieces. Many of the designs on display are to generate ideas for this process.

During the festival take a tour of their workshops of 30 years, then follow with a look at their history by visiting Ditchling Museum of Art and Craft, which features the work and tools of Anton Pruden’s grandfather, Dunstan, silversmith on The Guild of St Joseph and St. Dominic.

Visit Art in Ditchlings Trail During the Brighton Festival Ditchling Open Houses

Call in at Pruden and Smith to pick up your copy of the brochure for all events.

Categories
Bespoke jewellery Ruby jewellery

Designer Ruby Anniversary Jewellery

40 years of marriage is something to really shout about and we have a fantastic selection of Designer Ruby Anniversary Jewellery at Pruden an Smith. When you commission a unique piece of jewellery you can be sure that you get something that you will love to wear every day. A piece that reflects who you are, your style and the lasting memory of your anniversary.

Rough ruby pendant in silver and gold string on a gold and silver nugget bead necklaceRough Ruby Stacking Ringsmodern ruby ring

This necklace combines a FairTrade mined natural uncut or polished rough ruby with recycled gold and silver metalwork. The stacking rings also feature a rough ruby set in silver and gold, combined with rough diamonds. The third ring features a faceted 4ct ruby set in 18ct yellow gold and silver with a reticulated texture. Large ruby jewellery need not break the bank, we can supply you with the real deal FairTrade or Top quality Burmese ruby or use glass enhanced ruby material at a fraction of the cost.

Ruby eternity ringDesigner ruby anniversary jewelleryRuby Diamond ring in platinum with fitted wedding bandring engagement ringruby cuff ringwedding band with micro set diamonds in 18ct yellow gold

This is a selection of ruby anniversary rings in silver gold and platinum showing a wide variety of styles and personalities. From eternity rings to a new wedding ring and engagement ring set to fabulous cocktail rings.

 

Ruby braceletRedesign your old jewelleryRuby eternity ring side hammered in 9ct white gold

This rose gold, ruby, diamond and pink tourmaline cuff bangle is an unusual and wearable modern statement piece. A side hammered white gold chunky eternity ring and a white gold, yellow gold ruby diamond and amethyst brooch converting into a pendant. these pieces were all designed using the metal and stones from the clients old inherited jewellery.

Commission your Designer Ruby Anniversary Jewellery today and have it handmade in Ditchling Sussex and delivered in four weeks

Categories
Birth Stones Diamond jewellery

April Birthstone Diamond

There are many benefits to being born in April; spring blossom, extra Easter eggs, and having diamonds as your birthstone! The April Birthstone Diamond is the perfect excuse to buy your loved one or even treat yourself to an interesting diamond ring, a contemporary diamond bracelet or pair of unusual diamond earrings.

At Pruden and Smith, we can provide you with specialist advice when buying diamonds, taking all the 4Cs into account. We are very experienced in buying certified diamonds (where the diamonds have been expertly graded, assessed and recorded) and navigating the market on your behalf. We frequently obtain diamonds on approval from our expert suppliers, so you can choose your favourite stone from a selection prepared to your requirements. We can equally buy the best available stones for your budget whilst providing advice on thresholds of carat, clarity, colour and cut and how the effect these have on your chosen design.

With 25 years of design expertise and priding ourselves on contemporary design we aim to provide you with your perfect piece of modern diamond jewellery;  be it a round brilliant cut diamond in a contemporary platinum ring,  a set of unusual stacking rings using irregular cuts of diamonds in delicate hammered metalwork, or unique diamond necklaces using uncut drilled diamond beads combined with our world famous nuggets. Take a look at our range of work using the link below…

Diamond Aquamarine Moi Et Toi Ringapril birthstone diamondSpiral diamond earringsdiamond twist engagement ringdiamond bangle

Desired throughout history, diamonds were discovered in India in around 500BC. They are the hardest gemstone, and as well as being made into stunning jewellery by designers and craftsmen such as ourselves, they have many industrial applications such as in cutting and polishing tools. Diamonds are a form of pure carbon, formed under high temperature and pressure deep into the earth’s crust (140-190km deep), over very long periods of time (1 billion to 3.3 billion years). Volcanic activity brings diamonds to the Earth’s surface, or close enough to be mined.

Diamonds are valued based on the 4 Cs – carat, clarity, colour and cut. Carat refers to weight (and therefore translates into size), with one carat weighing 0.2grams. A one carat round diamond of average proportions is approximately 6.5mm in diameter.

The colour of a diamond can vary significantly, and indeed there are other colours than white (termed as ‘fancy diamonds’ with red being the rarest, and canary yellow also being very highly sought after). Colour is a result of the composition of the diamond, and it never changes over time. Because a colourless diamond, like a clear window, allows more light to pass through it than a coloured diamond, colourless diamonds emit more sparkle and fire. The formation process of a diamond ensures that only a few, rare diamonds are truly colourless. Thus the whiter a diamond’s colour, the greater its value. To grade ‘whiteness’ or colourlessness, jewellers refer to a professional colour scale that begins with the highest rating of D for colourless, and travels down the alphabet to grade stones with traces of very faint or light yellowish or brownish colour.

The cut of a diamond, combined with some of its inherent qualities is one of the reasons diamonds reflect light with a brilliance not associated with other, less superior gemstones. When light passes from one medium to another, the light rays are refracted or bent at an angle. Diamonds are one of the (relatively few) gemstones which are termed ‘singly refractive’, meaning light entering the stone is not significantly bent or split onto different pathways. Gemstones with higher refractive index (RI) are generally more brilliant than those with low RI, and diamond is almost at the top of the scale – more light is returned back out the top or crown of the stone, instead of passing through the bottom or pavilion. The high RI of diamonds is one reasons why when more facets are included in the cut of a diamond, added brilliance shines through – one of the most popular round cuts of diamond is termed the ‘brilliant cut’. It is also reason to consider the relationship between cut and clarity of the diamond when buying a stone – for example, a diamond cut with fewer facets, e.g. an ‘emerald’ cut, to be of a pleasing quality will need a relatively high quality diamond in terms of clarity as any inclusions will be more noticeable.

 

April Birthstone Diamond commissions are also welcome, do get in touch with your diamond ideas!

prelive.prudenandsmith.com

Categories
Bespoke jewellery

Handmade Jewellery Haywards Heath

Handmade Jewellery Haywards Heath

Handmade Jewellery Haywards Heath

Give a gift in the form of jewellery with Pruden and Smith specialising in unusual bespoke Handmade Jewellery Haywards Heath.

If it’s not exactly what your loved one is looking for, they can pop into the shop and exchange it!

Jewellery can be a personal taste that is unique to the individual. If you’re not sure that your loved one will be 100% happy with the gift, they are more than welcome to come into the shop where we will spend time with them to find the perfect piece for them.

We create unique, bespoke pieces that are entirely individual.

Get in touch today!

 hammered wedding rings   Side hammered wedding rings

About Pruden and Smith Handmade Jewellery Haywards Heath:

Rebecca Smith, designer in precious metals, specialises in taking your jewellery that you no longer wear or want and restyles it into a stunning new piece or pieces using your existing metal and stones. She originally trained at Farnham Art College and creates unique, bespoke pieces that are a reflection of her artistic style.

diamond pendant

 Water pendant in diamond 18ct yellow and white gold

Anton Pruden is a gold and silversmith. This craft has been in his family for generations – his grandfather Dunstan Pruden was a member of the St Joseph and St Dominic’s Guild based in Ditchling which was a community focused on artistic expression in the early 20th Century.

Diamond and Black Spinel Rough Pebble Stacking Rings

Diamond black onyx and 18ct white and yellow gold stacking rings

Read what our customers thought:

“I’ve been buying silver jewellery and gifts from Pruden & Smith for over 15 years. Their helpful, friendly customer service is why I like going back. They have such a great selection of quality hand crafted jewellery.”- Alistair

“Thank you very much, I know I will enjoy wearing the beautiful necklace and earring we bought.” – Marie-Claude

“We cannot be happier with the finished design and the diamond looks stunning in the new setting! Rebecca was so right to suggest it should be set in platinum – it looks very stylish.  I will definitely recommend your services to all of my friends and I wish you much success and prosperity in your business!” – Antonina

Tourmaline earstuds 18ct Gold "Roman" Design

18ct yellow gold yellow and green tourmaline earstuds

Categories
Bespoke rings Diamond jewellery Dress rings

Update your jewellery: old diamond rings

Update your jewellery. Inherited or unworn jewellery sits in your jewellery box for years. Why not bring it in to us and have it redesigned into a stunning unusual contemporary piece. These rings are all one off unique pieces of jewellery designed with the client to suit their character and expression. Here are three rings from this year just photographed:

 

diamond stacking ringsUnusual Diamond Stacking Rings

This 1.5ct diamond was set in a traditional platinum claw setting which had worn thin and the client felt was not fun to wear. They loved our rough diamond stacking rings with rough hammered silver and 18ct yellow gold shanks. the rough diamonds have a brown to champagne colour and come in interesting shapes complimented by the rough hammered texture that was applied to the three ring shanks.

spinning ring gold and diamond eternitySpinning eternity ring in 18ct yellow gold set with staggered baguette diamonds

This remade ring features a 0.5ct emerald cut diamond and variously sized baguette diamonds from an old engagement and eternity ring. The central 18ct yellow gold band spins inside the 10mm handmade wide hammered convex shaped ring.

Roman hesart ring diamond 18ct yellow rose goldRoman hesart ring diamond 18ct yellow rose gold

This Roman inspired ring features a 1.5ct recycled diamond. A heavy planished (hammered) 18ct yellow gold shank. A rose gold and yellow gold top with a pierced heart pattern.

 

Update your jewellery this year, call for an appointment with our designer Rebecca Smith

Update your jewellery18ct Gold Nugget Ring with 4 Diamonds

We can also reuse your small diamonds like in this rough hammered 18ct yellow gold eternity ring with the 2mm round diamonds from an old necklace.