SAPPHIRE: A Celebration of Colour
Publication date: October 2021
Thames & Hudson: Joanna Hardy traces the sapphire’s history from antiquity to today in captivating stories told in a succinct exhilarating style. Along the way, she celebrates exquisite jewels worn by many notable figures, including Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duchess of Windsor, as well as pieces by such iconic jewellery houses as Bulgari, Cartier, Chaumet, Tiffany and Van Cleef & Arpels. The book also features a rich selection of work by 21st-century creators at the vanguard of jewellery design, such as Lauren Adriana, Bina Goenka, Hemmerle, Shaun Leane and Mish. An exclusive insight into six major private collections includes many previously unpublished pieces.
A feast for the senses, Sapphire is a beautiful addition to any gem-lover’s library.
SHAUN LEANE
Publication date: July 2020.
Featuring an introduction by Shaun Leane and essays by esteemed authors Joanna Hardy, Claire Wilcox, and Vivienne Becker, this exceptional book showcases the life’s work of the renowned jewelry designer, celebrated for his collaboration with Alexander McQueen.
Printed to high standards, it features a visual record with stunning, unseen photographs by Nick Knight, Robert Fairer, and Chris Moore, plus a backstage photo essay by Ann Ray. Illustrated with striking high-fashion shots and close-ups, it showcases Leane’s modern romantic jewels, creating a new genre—precious, poetic, and timeless yet current. Divided into three parts, it explores his heritage and training (Hardy), McQueen collaboration (Wilcox), and modern style (Becker), offering a key overview. Essential for jewelry and fashion enthusiasts.
RUBY: The King of Gems
Publication date: October 2017.
This is the most ambitious book ever published on ruby, the king of gems. From emperors and empresses, kings and queens, Maharanis to Hollywood royalty, a stunning array of style icons are shown wearing their favourite ruby jewelry, alongside classic images of rubies throughout the centuries.
The book also showcases sixty of the world’s most significant and renowned pieces of ruby jewelry, including many previously unseen designs from royal and private collections. Historic creations are represented alongside pieces from major modern and contemporary jewelry houses, among them Cartier, Boucheron, Van Cleef & Arpels, Chaumet, Mellerio dits Meller and Graff. Additionally, Ruby offers practical guidance on what to look for in a quality ruby gemstone, a look at extraordinary jewelry techniques as well as Joanna Hardy's travelogue from visits to the world's great ruby deposits.
CARTIER PANTHÈRE
Publication date: June 2015.
Silently stalking its way through Cartier iconography for a century, the Panther is the proud leader of the pack of precious animals that make up the famous Cartier menagerie. A superbly stylish influencer throughout history, the panther has been a symbol of power, seduction, and triumph since ancient times. Filled with stunning imagery including rarely seen drawings from the Cartier archives, Cartier Panthère illustrates the panther in art history and popular culture, and chronicles the evolution and techniques of the Cartier Panther.
Featuring texts by art historian Berenice Geoffroy-Schneiter, jewelry historian Vivienne Becker, jewelry technical expert Joanna Hardy, and fashion editor André Leon Talley, this beautiful volume also includes a complete chronology of 100 years of Cartier Panther jewels.
GRAFF
Publication date: October 2015.
Joanna Hardy, contributing author, explores the chapter ‘Rarity,’ tracing iconic diamonds handled by Laurence Graff.
Dive into the exclusive world of Graff, the British luxury purveyor renowned for unique jewels and one-of-a-kind statement pieces. The House of Graff embodies the pinnacle of sophisticated style, blending exclusive glamour with exquisite craftsmanship. Master craftsmen unveil the hidden beauty within unprecedented gems, cementing Graff’s reputation as home to “the most fabulous jewels in the world.” Highlighted are legendary stones like the 603-carat Lesotho Promise, daringly transformed into a necklace of 26 perfect stones, the 118.08-carat Delaire Sunrise—the largest square Fancy Vivid Yellow diamond—and the 102.79-carat Graff Constellation, the largest D Flawless round diamond. This volume showcases Graff’s most dramatic, mesmerizing, and exceptional jewels. Through archival photos and Laurence Graff’s own words, the book narrates the house’s creation, offering a captivating glimpse into its legacy of brilliance and innovation in the gemstone world.
EMERALD: Twenty-one Centuries of Jewelled Opulence and Power
Publication date: December 2013.
Emerald is a lavishly illustrated, definitive guide to the world’s most valuable green gemstone. Packed with hundreds of examples of exceptional emerald jewellery, it explores the gem’s fascinating history, symbolism, and rarity—being twenty times more rare than diamond and first discovered over five millennia ago. The book opens with a personal introduction by Vogue Italia’s Franca Sozzani on emeralds and femininity. It is then divided into three sections: Hettie Judah discusses the allure and status of gemstones with imagery from renowned photographers and jewellery archives.
Joanna Hardy curates over 200 outstanding emerald pieces—many previously unseen—spanning ancient royal jewels to creations by Cartier, Bulgari, and modern designers like Hemmerle and Sevan Biçacki.
COLLECT CONTEMPORARY JEWELRY
Publication date: May 2012.
How does one identify the ‘antiques of tomorrow’ in the contemporary jewelry market – those pieces that appeal to modern taste but also have the stamp of timeless collectibles?
All over the world, talented designers and craftsmen are using an astonishing range of techniques and materials to produce covetable jewelry, but it can be difficult to decide in which pieces to invest when confronted with this vast choice.
Joanna Hardy’s selection of truly imaginative makers and pieces includes works to suit all tastes, from the more traditional to the adventurous, providing authoritative answers and expert direction in this hugely exciting and fast-developing market.
