Trends

Piece of the Week: John Hardy’s Tagua Nut Locket

TrendsSep 01, 2017

Piece of the Week: John Hardy’s Tagua Nut Locket

Designer Hollie Bonneville Barden’s debut high jewelry piece presents a sustainable alternative to ivory.

20170901_POTW-JohnHardy1.jpg

It took 13 John Hardy artisans five months to develop the first piece creative director Hollie Bonneville Barden has designed for the house’s “Cinta” high jewelry collection.


Here, the Tagua Nut Locket is depicted from sketch to carving to final creation.
The result of those efforts is the inventive and unusual Tagua Nut Locket. The tagua nut is a rare palm seed found in Ecuador, Colombia and Panama, with brown skin covering a white core, which will darken to a cream color with age.

Bonneville Barden envisioned the material as a sustainable alternative to animal ivory, an end goal shared by some other designers.

The tagua nut locket is carved to depict Naga, the mythical dragon featured in many John Hardy designs, and embedded with a citrine and blue sapphire. Inside the locket rests a Madeira citrine hung from a mother of pearl, yellow gold and andalusite bead necklace. The entire design is adorned with brown diamond and orange sapphire pave.

The tagua nut locket can be removed from the necklace and displayed as an objet d’art or worn around the hidden citrine.

Bonneville Barden’s first high jewelry piece will be available for purchase Sep. 6 by contacting John Hardy. It will retail for $29,500, with 20 percent of the proceeds going to elephant conservation efforts led by the Wildlife Conservation Society.


Here is a view of the citrine pendant without its accompanying Tagua nut locket.
Ashley Davisis the senior editor, fashion at National Jeweler, covering all things related to design, style and trends.

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