John Hardy Amethyst

After John Hardy left his home country of Canada to travel the world, he settled down in Bali, Indonesia, and became one of the world’s most-lauded designers of bracelets, necklaces, rings and other jewelry.

Hardy had studied at the Ontario College of Art & Design in Toronto before he set out globetrotting. In Indonesia, he became so smitten with the people, culture and landscape that he decided to stay, and in 1975 he started selling artisan jewelry and eventually designing his own pieces through his studies of local silversmithing. From the start, the focus was on time-honored jewelry-making traditions and details of craftsmanship.

In 1983, Hardy met an American named Cynthia Boesk who also had a small jewelry business. After they married, they merged their businesses and officially started John Hardy, making a name for themselves designing elegant and eclectic bracelets that reflected centuries-old Balinese techniques. In 1998, Italian-born French jewelry designer Guy Bedarida became the creative director of the company, staying on for 16 years and leading the brand in innovative new directions. Its Bamboo collection, with designs reminiscent of bamboo stalks, directs its sales toward planting bamboo seedlings in Indonesia, while the Kali collection takes its design cues from the distinctive pebbles found in Bali.

After learning about the harmful effects that silver mining has on the environment, Hardy became extremely committed to sustainable luxury business practices, promising that every piece is conflict-free and ethically produced during each step of the design process.

In 2017, the brand was among the jewelers challenged by Vogue Italia to craft pieces from the tagua nut in lieu of using elephant ivory and has used recycled sterling silver in its designs. Its first diamond-centered collection in 2019 concentrated on ethical sourcing and mines where workers are paid fairly. Although Hardy sold his business in 2007, it continues to operate with his name and adhere to the artisanal practices he promoted, including under jewelry designer Hollie Bonneville Barden, who served as creative director from 2016 to 2020. Along with online and global retail sales, the John Hardy Workshop and flagship Kapal Bamboo Boutique in Bali also offer the brand’s enduring designs from an open-air sustainable bamboo building.

Find a collection of John Hardy earrings, cuff bracelets and other jewelry on 1stDibs.

There are few gemstones in the world that are both affordable and worthy of a duchess’s attention. But then not many stones are as beautiful as amethyst. Indeed, vintage and antique amethyst jewelry has innumerable fans, and February’s birthstone has many unique attributes. For the romantics, there are several tales in Greek mythology that tell the story of Bacchus and Amethyste, a maiden that he pursues yet is rescued by Diane by turning her into a white stone. Bacchus, mourning his love, pours a glass of wine over the sculpture, dyeing her purple.

Amethyst has adorned many royal jewels. One of the most enviable jewelry collections of all time belonged to Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. In 1947, the Duke gifted her with a Cartier amethyst and turquoise bib necklace. This special order piece was made with twisted 18-carat and 20-carat gold, platinum, brilliant- and baguette-cut diamonds, one heart-shaped faceted amethyst, 27 emerald-cut amethysts, one oval faceted amethyst, and turquoise cabochons. The Duchess was not the only Royal with a penchant for the purple gemstone. The tiara now owned by Queen Silvia of Sweden is set with amethysts that once belonged to the French Empress Josephine. A stunning 56-carat cushion-cut, square-shaped amethyst set in an 18-karat yellow gold necklace designed by Tiffany & Co. is now in the collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History.

The Smithsonian also has in its possession an even more rare example of fine amethyst: the 96-carat Morris Amethyst Brooch. The brooch features a deep, rich purple heart-shaped amethyst. The museum states that the piece was likely made during the Edwardian period (1901–15) “when platinum and diamonds were often used, and amethyst, a favorite stone of King Edward VII’s wife, Alexandra, was often included in jewelry of the era.”

Another amethyst necklace, with an even richer story, can be found in the Natural History Museum of London. Known as the Delhi Purple Sapphire (even though the stone is an amethyst), this stone was stolen from the Temple of Indra during the Indian Mutiny of 1857. Anyone in possession of this stone is bound to have terrible luck, including its owner Edward Heron-Allen, who gifted the gemstone to the museum thinking that this would save him but ended up transferring the bad luck to the museum curators overseeing the stone.

Find a wide range of vintage and antique amethyst necklaces, bracelets and other fine jewelry on 1stDibs.