Canadian artist John Hardy seems like the unlikely creator of Bali inspired jewelry, but for over 40 years he and his artisans have created jewelry by hand using time-honored traditions. Hardy’s suppliers of diamonds and gemstones go through a rigorous vetting process to ensure they adhere to the company’s high ethical guidelines. This, combined with an undeniable passion for creating distinctive and memorable jewelry, is the very essence of each piece. There are 7 unique steps to creating each and every John Hardy original:
Step One: Design
Every piece begins by hand-sketching a concept, which evolves into a series of watercolor illustrations.
Step Two: Wax Carvings
Using the designer’s sketch as a guide, the next step is to carve the design into a hard green jeweler’s wax.
Step Three: Molds
Molds of the master are made with a blue casting wax. Every future reproduction will be made from that mold.
Step Four: Wax Trees
Wax trees are then set in a gypsum mold. Once this is placed in an oven, the wax melts and is replaced with silver or gold.
Step Five: Silver or Gold Trees
The wax trees from step five now become silver and gold trees as a result of the casting.
Step Six: Assembly
Each piece is put together by the hands of an artisan and cleaned to form a singular piece of John Hardy Jewelry.
Step Seven: Finishing
The final step involves a variety of techniques including polishing, soldering, or adding intricate details such as signature hinges, clasps, and setting each gemstone by hand.
Through the years John Hardy has stayed true to the authentic techniques of the Balinese royal courts; chain-weaving, hand-hammering precious metals, carving intricate back grille scenes, and the textured jawan motif, traditionally found in the decoration of sacred objects. Regardless of today’s technology, it is all still done by hand. Each John Hardy bracelet is its own one-of-a-kind piece imbued with meaning through powerful design and dramatic details.
Stop by our Downtown Columbia location and check out our entire John Hardy collection.