T

he artistic appeal of Bali has over the last few decades drawn more than just buyers and collectors. Jewelry designers the world over have settled on the island and forged ties with local artisans to craft collections that consistently sell amid a lackluster global economy.

Guy Bedarida, the creative director behind the oft-mentioned Bali-based jewelers, John Hardy, said the exchange of jewelry-making savoir-faire went both ways between designers and artisans.

The French-Italian jewelry designer spent his early years at haute joaillerie brands lining Place Vendôme, a Parisian square noted for its rows of high-end fashion boutiques. John Hardy then hired Bedarida in the late 90’s as head
designer.

“I brought my experience and expertise from my time in Place Vendôme in Paris to the domestic market in Bali to share with my artisans. Meanwhile, the artisans had already inherited the talent and craftsmanship of their ancestors,” he said.

He added that the collaboration has given birth to jewelry with contemporary designs which he “would not have been able if I had stayed in Paris”.

He further pointed out that it was essential to train, and moreover, provide the best tools of the trade to artisans as these determined the artistry of each piece.

“The secret to maintaining high-quality jewelry is investment,” he said. “If you don’t spend enough time in training people and providing them with the right kinds of tools, the products would not be great,” said Guy, who saw the company's business grow by 25 percent last year.

Paul Ropp, a New Yorker who is known in Bali for his clothing brand, similarly engages craftspeople who live near his design studio to produce 7,000 pieces of jewelry and accessories per month, fashioned from leftovers from his clothing production.

Ropp said that “the jewelry being designed and made in Bali has its own characteristics that appeal to a wide audience and is a great investment on many levels”, reflected by the fact that his jewelry went from contributing nothing to contributing 22 percent to overall revenues to his fashion business.

A wide audience is what Bali-based designers have, even in times of an economic slowdown in the US and Europe — the key export markets for Bali-based jewelry designers.

Tricia Kim, the head designer behind Nagicia, is expecting business to rebound from the roughly 25 percent slump between 2010 and 2011, which she said was “definitely due to the markets”.

“Overall, people spent less on jewelry as a whole,” she remarked on conditions last year.

This year, however, Tricia is expecting approximately 20 percent growth in her US, European and Australian markets thanks to stronger marketing efforts and new business alliances.

“My biggest overseas market in the past was the USA, but it then shifted to the EU and now, it is Australia,” she said.

Bedarida also foresees the brand maintaining business growth. He said that the business has grown 25 percent between 2010 and 2011 and was now aiming for double-digit growth this year as new markets open up.

“The US is our main and well-established market for growth. Asia is a new market for us and one where there definitely are growth opportunities as well,” he said.

With price tags surpassing the US$2,000 mark, the brands can be found in the US at Neiman Marcus and Plaza Indonesia in Jakarta.

Ultimately, the mélange of foreign designers, Balinese artisans, Asian as well as Western buyers exemplifies how Bali, in Paul Ropp’s words, is “a fertile bed of creative minds from all over the globe with access to an international market that appreciates good design”.

“Bali has been a kicking design haven for many years and things will only continue to get better and better as new talent is trained and groomed here,” he said.