John Hardy: Empowered by a Renewed Craft

One of Bali’s biggest success stories is John Hardy, a home-grown craft tradition that has gone international. The global appreciation of the brand’s handcrafted jewelry has not only fueled the continuation of a craft, but has helped shape the island’s reputation as more than just a vacation destination: it’s an island populated by skilled artisans.

Beginning in 1975 with a collective of silversmiths, John Hardy has brought new excitement and attention to the time-honored traditions of jewelry. Decades later, the brand continues its commitment to handmade jewelry, with 500 multigenerational artisans – from watercolor artists to blacksmiths – working at the John Hardy’s Workshop and Kapal Bamboo Boutique just south of Ubud.

The Balinese artistry of chain weaving, hand hammering and carving continues today and forms the foundation of jewelry making. Through innovative and conscious design these processes are able to elevate the elements, transforming something raw into something delicate, intricate and refined.

The latest example of this can be seen in John Hardy’s Spring 2023 Rata Chain collection. Showing how an ancient craft can be renewed, the collection amplifies forms of self-expression through bold, contemporary design, amplified with circular patterns and mixed materials paired with his signature chain weaving techniques.

Classic Chain Rata Collection

A must-have in John Hardy’s collection, the iconic Classic Chain Rata collection showcases a special weaving craft that produces a wide yet thin chain which is then stretched and hammered for softness and comfort. Translating “flat” to “flat” or “smooth” in Balinese, Rata is presented as elegant, supple ribbon-like chains that have been consistent bestsellers. Bold circular motifs, V-silhouettes and the intersection of fluidity and sharpness take center stage this season.

Featuring strongly tactile chain ribbons, the Installment collection is punctuated by subtle twists and understated woven details. The design language is integrated and seamless, with multi-row bifurcated shapes diverging and converging fluidly. Elegant and flexible necklaces and bracelets conform to the contours of the wearer’s body, with seamless clasps supporting the streamlined integrity of each piece’s profile.

Touches of latticework add raw, raw contrast, showcasing the wide and virtuosic range of sterling silver under the Master Craftsman’s hand. Offered in both men’s and women’s versions, it is a collection that brings its own dramatic potential into play; an ability to be both minimal and monumental, silent and loud.

The creation of

As a heritage revival collection, the Rata collection takes a traditional concept of display jewelry into new forward-thinking territory, with an emphasis on sustainable precious metals paired with an attention to clean lines and pure, unified silhouettes.

Their craftsmen trained for a month to technically master the technique for making Rata’s flat, smooth finish, which involves working with smaller links than John Hardy’s classic warp weave. It takes 3 days to weave a single Rata chain bracelet and 4 days to weave just 14 inches of necklace.

The process begins with hundreds of salvaged metal links, which the craftsman weaves simultaneously into stacked horizontal rows. Working crosswise rather than vertically produces a full, unbroken silhouette with a structure that echoes that of a hand-knitted fabric. Next, the craftsman hammers and stretches the piece by hand on a traditional hand rolling mill. It is during this stage that the warp is worked into a flat ribbon-like shape with a wider and thinner surface area than other classic weaves.

The collection features seamless clasps with flame forged raw texture, showcasing the virtuoso range of sterling silver under the hand of the Master Craftsman.

Follow @johnhardybali or visit johnhardy. com learn more. Discover the Rata chain and other collections in two John Hardy boutiques available in Bali: