When you think of a jewelry manufacturing warehouse, what comes to mind? For John Hardy, the traditional factory-style work environment built of concrete and bustling with the loud heavy noises of machinery has been replaced by nature. The entire John Hardy silver factory is nestled in the middle of the Balinese landscape.

Hardy, a 30-year resident of Bali, insists that, 'You don't turn rice fields into a factory without leaving a way to convert them back again.' Perhaps this nature-infused work environment is largely responsible for the signature innovation and creativity of John Hardy jewelry.

John Hardy arrived in Bali during a 1975 trip around the world. He knew instantly that this was where he would spend the rest of his life. In 1989 John Hardy partnered with his future wife Cynthia and set out to grow the John Hardy jewelry business. And that is exactly what he has done. Today there are more than 600 Balinese artisans under the supervision of Asian and European management.

There are more than a dozen styles in the John Hardy Collection. The signature dot pattern found in several of the collections is based on ancient Balinese techniques. Hardy intertwines gold and silver to deliver a unique, ethnic design that has been warmly received in the U.S. and throughout the world. The tropics are well represented in the 2005 collection including dragonflies, leaves and flowers. The Jaisalmer Pearl Collection combined fresh water pearls with concepts from the latticework of Rajasthan's desert palaces for an elegant yet exciting look.