CollectionsMay 03, 2024
Piece of the Week: A “Bit of LUV” for the DerbyCollectionsMay 10, 2024
Piece of the Week: Carina Hardy’s ‘Birth of Venus’ Necklace
As a token of womanhood, this necklace depicts when Venus was born from the sea.
Carina Hardy’s “Birth of Venus” necklace sculpted in 18-karat yellow gold with three diamonds ($11,475)
With Mother’s Day around the corner, womanhood is at the forefront of many people’s minds.
The “Birth of Venus” necklace combines the strength and softness of women in this depiction of the 15th-century Sandro Botticelli painting.
The brand’s founder and namesake, Carina Hardy, transformed Botticelli’s artwork into a necklace for her “Venus” collection.
It portrays the moment when Venus was born from sea foam in a scallop shell, which some art historians recognize as a symbolization of the birth of beauty and love.
Hardy was inspired by the resilience and grace of women when designing this piece, said the brand.
Using 18-karat yellow gold as her medium, she created a piece that is at the intersection of artwork and jewelry.
She sculpted the scene into a water drop-shaped pendant, resembling a womb, with the goddess of love at its center, accented by three diamonds.
“We were working off the idea of water and its organic sculptural essence as well as exploring very figurative, literal artistic representations of Venus, the goddess of love and fertility that show up in many different cultures throughout the world, across time,” said Hardy.
“When we started working on Botticelli’s Venus, we had one of those wonderfully joyous and pleasurable, but elusive ‘ah ha!’ moments. Venus rises from the water; water carries her to shore in a seashell. So, we decided to place the figurative Venus in organic sculptural water drops, as women are very connected to the rhythms of water around us and within us.”
Related stories will be right here …
The “Birth of Venus” necklace combines the strength and softness of women in this depiction of the 15th-century Sandro Botticelli painting.
The brand’s founder and namesake, Carina Hardy, transformed Botticelli’s artwork into a necklace for her “Venus” collection.
It portrays the moment when Venus was born from sea foam in a scallop shell, which some art historians recognize as a symbolization of the birth of beauty and love.
Hardy was inspired by the resilience and grace of women when designing this piece, said the brand.
Using 18-karat yellow gold as her medium, she created a piece that is at the intersection of artwork and jewelry.
She sculpted the scene into a water drop-shaped pendant, resembling a womb, with the goddess of love at its center, accented by three diamonds.
“We were working off the idea of water and its organic sculptural essence as well as exploring very figurative, literal artistic representations of Venus, the goddess of love and fertility that show up in many different cultures throughout the world, across time,” said Hardy.
“When we started working on Botticelli’s Venus, we had one of those wonderfully joyous and pleasurable, but elusive ‘ah ha!’ moments. Venus rises from the water; water carries her to shore in a seashell. So, we decided to place the figurative Venus in organic sculptural water drops, as women are very connected to the rhythms of water around us and within us.”
Carina Hardy is the daughter of designer John Hardy.
She launched her first brand, Elppin, in 2018 before establishing Carina Hardy with her partner Tavish earlier this year.
The “Birth of Venus” necklace retails for $11,475 and is available on the Carina Hardy website.
Editors' Picks
Sponsored by
More on Collections
The Latest
IndependentsOct 14, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Coleman and Mitchell ClarkFourth-generation jewelers Coleman and Mitchell Clark exemplify the best qualities of their predecessors: humility, modesty, and confidence.
SourcingOct 14, 2026
Manuel Marcial de Gomar, ‘The Emerald Whisperer,’ Dies at 90The gem hunter, whose 70-year career was defined by adventure and exploration, is remembered for his steadfast faith and sense of wonder.
FinancialsOct 14, 2026
LVMH’s Jewelry Brands Turn in ‘Very Good’ Performance in Q3 Tiffany & Co. continued its full-scale store renovation project while Bulgari’s high jewelry collection generated “record-breaking revenue.”
Brought to you by
Meet Gemology’s Next Generation Microscope: GIA® Gemolite® NXT Professional EditionExperience gemstones with greater precision and comfort than ever before.
Events & AwardsOct 14, 2026
Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference Releases 2026 ProgramThis year’s sessions feature leading voices from human rights, legal, and conservation organizations.
Weekly QuizOct 08, 2026
This Week’s QuizTest your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
MajorsOct 13, 2026
David Webb Owner Purchases Lugano JewelryThe high-end jewelry retailer was sold to private investment firm Middle West Partners and a group of longtime clients.
Lab-GrownOct 13, 2026
Stephanie Gottlieb Takes Lab-Grown Diamond Collection WholesaleThe jewelry designer has partnered with Sofer Jewelry to distribute her 85-piece lab-grown diamond collection.
Brought to you by
Your Piece Could Be the One Editors Talk AboutSubmit your pieces for a chance to win in this year's competition.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Retailer Hall of Fame 2026: Sean DunnDunn, this year’s Single-Store Independent inductee, is passionate about innovation and telling the story of natural diamonds.
AuctionsOct 13, 2026
Christie's Geneva To Auction 'Bulgari Pink' DiamondThe 24-carat fancy intense pink diamond ring could fetch up to $18 million at the November sale.
IndependentsOct 13, 2026
Greenwich St. Jewelers’ New Candle Smells Like HomeThe “Island Jewel” candle honors New York City and Puerto Rico and raises money for the island’s water relief efforts.
TechnologyOct 13, 2026
GemFind Is a New JA Member Benefit Partner The partnership will give JA members access to preferred pricing, exclusive benefits, technology solutions, education, and resources.
SurveysOct 09, 2026
These Will Be the 10 Busiest Days for In-Store Shopping This Holiday SeasonStores should expect to see the most customers on Nov. 27, and Christmas week is expected to be hectic too, as Dec. 25 falls on a Friday.
AuctionsOct 09, 2026
8-Carat Blue Diamond Goes Unsold at UK Jewelry Auction The top lot of Elmwood’s recent fine jewelry sale in London was a 1.84-carat, D color Tiffany & Co. solitaire diamond ring.
WatchesOct 09, 2026
Movado to Sell Majority Stake in Ebel for $66.5MThe watch company agreed to sell a 95 percent interest to a group comprised of F.P. Journe, Chanel, and Swiss watch exec Pierre Jacques.
Policies & IssuesOct 08, 2026
Third Wave of IEEPA Tariff Refunds Begins This round of tariff refunds is for importers that have sued over IEEPA tariffs in the Court of International Trade and won.
SourcingOct 08, 2026
Ethical Gem Fair Heads Back to BrooklynThe trade-only event includes buying opportunities as well as educational sessions on artisanal mining, the new Paraíba source, and more.
Events & AwardsOct 08, 2026
Pattons Fine Jewelry Sweeps Local Design ContestAra Chanakian, a jeweler at Pattons, took home top honors in every category at Jewelers of Louisiana’s annual jewelry design competition.
AuctionsOct 08, 2026
Reba McEntire’s Jewelry, Watches Head to Julien’s AuctionsThe live charity benefit sale in Nashville will also feature gowns, boots, and other memorabilia from the country music legend.
Supplier BulletinOct 08, 2026
Overnight Mountings’ Bridal Builder Helps Jewelers Turn Custom Design into a Hands-On Selling ExperienceSponsored by Overnight Mountings
Policies & IssuesOct 07, 2026
The Plumb Club Amplifies Its Voice as Geopolitical Pressures MountThe supplier organization recently joined JA and JVC to have more input on political issues affecting the jewelry industry.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
Blue Nile, Royal Asscher Collection Highlights Natural Diamond BeautyBlue Nile, a Signet Jewelers-owned brand, is now Royal Asscher’s exclusive licensed retailer in North America.
CollectionsOct 07, 2026
4 Standout Pieces in Audemars Piguet’s First High Jewelry Collection “Royal Oak” pays homage to the brand’s most popular watch model using 18-karat gold as well as diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires.
MajorsOct 07, 2026
Empire Safe & Vault Promotes Juan Morales to CEOAs part of the transition, Joseph Nicosia has stepped into the role of COO.
SourcingOct 07, 2026
AGTA Extends Deadline for 2026 Spectrum Awards EntriesParticipants now have until Oct. 14 to complete their submissions.
CrimeOct 06, 2026
6 Charged in Connection to String of New Jersey Smash-and-GrabsThe alleged thieves used crow bars and sledgehammers to smash into jewelry stores across the state.
ColumnistsOct 06, 2026
Sherry Smith: Is the Consumer Really Trading Up?Ahead of the holidays, Smith urges jewelers to take a hard look at who’s buying jewelry, what they’re purchasing, and who’s stopped buying.
