I'm going to start by looking at my acrylic bracelets. These were discussed quickly in my necklaces post.
They are made by saw-piercing and heat-forming acrylic and adding cold enamel domes, silver discs or filling half-drilled 'holes' with cold enamel then joining the elements with hand-dyed nylon or silver fittings.
I really enjoy these pieces, both making and wearing them. They are very striking and have been popular with customers. I have made bracelets with the cold enamel domes in a blue and green colour way as well and I think the results are really beautiful.
I will continue to make these bracelets but with a few tweaks. The design is evolving, which is healthy.
Staying with bracelets, I have a number of 'charm' bracelets made from enamelled discs, semi-precious beads and silver.
So onto bangles...
One of my favourite and most popular designs is my cluster bangle. They are chunky silver bangles with clusters of cold enamel filled silver domes attached in various positions around the shank. They are fun and quirky and make an excellent jangling sound when the wearer moves their wrist! These will be a Ruth Gordon staple for many years to come.
The design inspiration behind these bangles is quite interesting. As I have mentioned in the past, I was inspired by the Smarties atop my 'top hat' cakes (see above picture) but the idea to attach these coloured, filled domes to a bangle came from a piece of jewellery my Grandad gave me years and years ago.
My Grandad used to go to the local market in Dens Road, Dundee (pictured above) and buy big bags of jewellery and bits and pieces from house clearances so I could fiddle about with the oddments and make jewellery of my own. In one of the bags was a bangle with little bells attached at three different points. I thought it was great and the design must have stuck in my head all these years. The picture below shows one example of a Ruth Gordon cluster bangle inspired by Grandad Lindsay's discovery (and cupcakes).
I also make several bangles with nylon charms, including the ones pictured below. I make bangles with both round and square frame charms. The square charms have knotted nylon rather than the loops shown in the round frame.
I also make bangles with silver rings and loops of nylon as charms. These also make a lovely jangling noise when worn but are less statement pieces and more for those wanting a slightly subtler adornment.
I have also introduced a few bangles incorporating semi-precious bead charms. These are intended to complement my new semi-precious bead necklaces.
All of my bangles will continue to feature in my ranges, evolve and inspire me to make new work.
The next and final range review will be on rings.
