Designer: John Hardy
View our inventory of John Hardy JewelryDrawing inspiration from diverse resources such as nature and tribal art, John Hardy has created one of the top international luxury brands of jewelry. Each handcrafted piece is “More than just looking good. It’s about feeling good and doing good while doing well in business. This is sustainable luxury.” said Hardy.
After graduating from art school in 1975 Hardy went on a round-the-world trip where he stopped in Bali, fell in love with the inspirational island and natives, and decided to stay. There he studied techniques with the Balinese craftsmen in silver. Some of whom were descendents of artisans who made jewelry for the royal courts of Bali. In 1980 John married his business partner Cynthia and together they created one of the most sought after international luxury brands of jewelry.
In order to keep up with the vast success of his line he created a design studio and workshop near his home in Central Bali at the edge of rice fields. They had concerns with converting a food-producing land into their workshop, so the entire land is an organic farm filled with livestock. It’s like nothing most people have ever seen before, absolutely remarkable. This land would take less than a week to completely turn back into a farm, as there is no concrete. Each structure is built right from the earth with materials such as bamboo, thatch, adobe, and river stones. The wax is carved in the top of a tree house where ten men work in a peaceful serene surrounding. The wall panels can adjust to ensure complete comfort to the craftsman. “Machines can’t make this stuff, the best we can do is to create the circumstances for our people to do there best work,” said Hardy.
Almost everything growing on their land is food. A healthy lunch is served to over 700 employees everyday under a banyan tree, which shades the kitchen area and several dinning tables. Many of the artisans take their lunches in shifts, but managers and executives meet at the long wooden table at one o clock sharp. Any visitor who is intrigued by this incredible jewelry production is invited to tour the workshop free of charge as well as eat lunch with the staff. The two executives who are Indonesian women bear more than just the responsibility of overseeing the precise quality of each design, but also with contributing in the community. The workshop is a member of the village banjar association allowing them to contribute and participate in the village’s communal rituals. Although it is very time consuming being a member, the Hardy’s feel it is extremely important to be on good terms with the Balinese, and show they are sincerely engaged in all events.
Its not easy producing such an exquisite line of fine jewelry in the middle of a third world farming community, but John and Cynthia Hardy make it look easy. While living in Bali and working in New York, John makes one of the world’s longest commutes monthly. This 25-hour flight seems like a small price to pay for the Hardy’s to live in paradise. After crossing 12 time zones jet lag is a big issue. It takes him one day to adjust for every hour time difference. While traveling with his family they rarely make the trip in one day. Instead they take a daylong stop to take advantage of traveling half way around the world and experience new places. “After being cloistered in the featureless interior of an airplane, arriving in a new place can seen even more colorful and surreal,” said John.
This couple is far from ordinary. They are a perfect team who still today succeed beyond expectations in their work and their lives. Their amazingly simple and inspiring practices enable them to craft beautiful jewelry while being respectful to Bali’s culture, land, and people. This is a story like no other jewelry designer. They give back to the Balinese community by supporting a mid-wife clinic, initiating large recycling programs, providing healthy lunches, and recently starting his mission for “sustainable advertising.” By planting bamboo he hopes to offset the greenhouse gas emissions set off by his printing campaigns. As much hard work that John and Cynthia put into their serene quality of life, they put even more effort into crafting amazing jewelry. Each remarkable handcrafted John Hardy design can be found in fine jewelry stores across the world.
View our inventory of John Hardy Jewelry
