John Hardy designer drops into Neiman Marcus

Nadine Kam photos
Two John Hardy naga necklaces in sterling silver with black sapphires.

Guy Bedarida, head designer and creative director for John Hardy, presented a trunk show pieces from his new Cinta, Bedeg and Naga collections, plus showed some one-of-a-kind designs at Neiman Marcus Dec. 7.

Pieces appeared to be selling fast across the board with Bedarida kept busy engraving new purchases, but of most interest now and into the new year are his Naga pieces, inspired by the dragon of Bali, said to be a protector of its people, who watches over them from the mountaintops.

His pieces cover several aspects of dragon lore, from the beast's love of pearls, which it dives into the depths of the ocean to sleep with at night, to the articulation of its scales, which drip water as it climbs back onto the mountaintops, spreading the water which gives the land its verdancy.

On his bracelets, the dragon has a mouth that opens and closes to clasp and release the jewelry, and his instructions are to wear the mouth pointed outward fro protection from the world and frenemies, and inside if you want to bring love, spirituality and peace to your being.

After an impressive career working at such prestigious houses as Boucheron and Van Cleef & Arpels in Paris and the United States, Bedarida was wooed by the beauty of Bali to work at John Hardy's 36-acre compound in Mambai, and in 2007, he and a partner purchased the management of the John Hardy Group, where he continues the company's mission of maintaining the Balinese legacy of handcrafted work, and as caretakers of the land as well. For each piece of John Hardy jewelry sold, the company plants bamboo.

The company also maintains a vast organic farm that feeds its all of its 650 employees daily. We need more of that kind of enlightened thinking here!

John Hardy head designer and creative director Guy Bedarida shows a photo of the company compound in Mambai, Ubud, Bali, where each piece of jewelry is crafted by hand.

Bedarida shows his Naga bracelets, facing outward to offer protection from any bad vibes and negativity.

Kristen Chan, left, was admiring a cuff Catherine Lin was wearing.

Some of the John Hardy's one-of-a-kind pieces, including koi bracelet.

Brianna Acosta wears some of the pieces. The unusual, and somewhat dangerous-looking earrings caught my eye.

A photo from a book about the company shows a model being carved for a lost-wax cast cuff. Bedarida said the human hand lends a fluidity and organic sensibility to each piece, so he won't be bringing in CAD-CAM technology.

Two one-of-a-kind perfume bottle necklaces carved from stone.

This dragon chomps down on a pearl ring. Its mouth can be opened to release the ring, which can also be worn on the finger—two pieces in one.

A dragon coils itself around its beloved pearl.

Bedarida is photographed engraving a piece purchased at the event.

Eva Avery models several pieces from the Naga Collection.