Brenda Smith is an artist, wife, mother and grandmother, metal smith and award-winning designer, currently living in Atlanta, Georgia. Her work has been on the Red Carpet, has won many design competitions, including 1st place in the International Pearl Design Competition multiple times, the MJSA Jeweler of the Year Award, the MJSA Custom Design Distinction, the INSTORE Jewelry Design award and has pieces in private and public collections including the Smithsonian.
A former creative director with more than 25 years of advertising, design and teaching experience, she easily transitioned from graphic arts to innovative jewelry design. “Jewelry design is just another form of art utilizing metals and gemstones as the medium. I also enjoy teaching jewelry design since it is a win-win situation,” she says. “It keeps me thinking creatively in a communicative way, be it verbally or visually. As an artist, I don’t strive to fit into a preconceived box, but I do strive to push boundaries. Hence my tag line, ‘The Jewelry of Fine Art.’ My pieces are an eclectic expression of my creative self.”
These dynamic, highly unique, one-of-a-kind and custom designs are her specialty, meticulously handcrafted in sculptural and conceptual designs with gold, platinum and silver, and gemstones. Her brand has been described as classic, pure, refined, clean and organic. She has small, diverse collections that differ from each other, expressing her expansive creativity. Current collections include Jewelry of Faith, Black n Gold n Diamonds, Stix, Men’s, Pearls, Simply and her One-of-a-Kind.
Brenda has been referred to as “The Jeweler of Fine Art” whose work is influenced by a myriad of thoughts, symbols and unique materials. She strives to create jewelry that fuses exceptional design with powerful symbols and inspirational messages. Inspiration comes from experiences, themes or the stone itself (she prefers working with uncalibrated stones since it encourages creativity from the start), “The design is inside just waiting to emerge as wearable art. It is a part of who I am.”
She earned her BF&PA from Kent State University and her MBA from Kennesaw State University. Brenda Smith is a member of the American Gem Trade Association, the Cultured Pearl Association of America, the Society of North American Goldsmiths,
Florida Society of Goldsmiths, Manufacturing Jewelers and Suppliers of America,, the Southeast Federation of Mineralogical Societies, Inc., the Women’s Jewelry Association, Southern Jewelers Association, and is on the Advisory Board for the School of Visual Arts, Kennesaw State University, past president of the National League of American Pen Women, Atlanta, teaches jewelry design at William Holland School of Lapidary Arts and silver-smithing locally. She is currently earning her Graduate Gemology degree from Gemological Institute of America.
