Overview
You're the type of gal who loves to splurge on something special and stylish, especially if your hard-earned cash is helping a worthy cause. Enter John Hardy, a luxury brand and recognized green company known for giving back to nature through its nature-inspired handmade jewelry and lifestyle accessories. But before you start showing off that recycled-silver cuff at the next Earth Day event, you'll want to make sure the John Hardy jewelry you're buying is the real deal. After all, you're saving the planet, super girl. John Hardy design and merchandising director Polly Purser tells you how.
1.
Ask the salesperson to let you hold the jewelry so you can examine the quality and workmanship carefully. According to Purser, the design details and finishing techniques should produce clean lines and high polish. The piece should also have some weight to it. And don't forget to make sure the mechanisms such as the toggles and clasps work correctly, and to play with the incredible movement of each piece. If it doesn't swing, drape or bend properly, say thanks but no thanks.
2.
Compare several of the same John Hardy pieces side by side. If they're identical, that should raise an eyebrow or two. Since John Hardy jewelry is completely handmade, each piece is unique. Machine-made jewelry not only erases this handmade quality and individuality, but also erases "the soul of the piece," according to Purser.
3.
Check the jewelry for the John Hardy logo. If it isn't there, you can bet it's a fake. According to Purser, all John Hardy jewelry is stamped "JH" on the back. Some pieces are also personally signed "GB" by head designer Guy Bedarida. John Hardy jewelry also bears a "925" mark if it's sterling silver or an "18K" mark if it contains gold. Without these markings, you can't guarantee the quality of the gold or silver and are likely to get ripped off.
4.
For each piece of jewelry purchased from John Hardy's bamboo collection, the company donates a portion of the proceeds to plant bamboo in Bali. If that's got you going green, check the inside of the piece. If it's real John Hardy jewelry, you'll see a number corresponding to how many bamboo seedlings were planted with the purchase. Now that's declaring your commitment to style and sustainability.
