About 40 jewelry designers including Cinta by John Hardy, Bvlgari, Cartier, Graff and Judith Ripka will be among the internationally recognized jewelry brands to be presented at the 2008 Designer Showcase, the first exhibition of contemporary jewelry by the National Jewelry Institute.

Cinta by John Hardy was launched in 2002 under the creative direction of John Hardy’s head designer Guy Bedarida. “Cinta” means love in Balinese – Bali being the home of the renowned John Hardy jewelry company.
“Cinta is an ever-evolving collection with designs taking form from several streams of inspiration: travels in Asia, old European jewelry traditions, nature, and pure fantasy,” Bedarida said. “The Cinta collection has been one of the most fascinating challenges of my career. Every setting must ‘respect’ its stone, yet maintain the signature John Hardy design aesthetic. I wanted each piece to feel organic, as if the stone had been born in the setting.”

Ralph Esmerian, a leading jewelry expert, will serve as curator for the Designer Showcase, with Beth Rudin DeWoody, Saks Fifth Avenue, and the World Gold Council serving as guest curators.

The exhibition is free and will be on display through June 28, 2008, and will open with a press luncheon on Monday April 21, 2008 in New York. On July 19, the same exhibition will re-open at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Pittsburgh, and will show until January 18, 2009.

Cinta is a collection featuring limited edition and special one-of-a-kind jewelry pieces. It is unclear whether such pieces will be part of the exhibition. However, given the all-star line-up of luxury jewelry companies slated to be presented, the exhibition is sure to delight with every diamond sparkle, gemstone color and unique design. Bvlgari, Cartier, Graff, Judith Ripka and Cinta by John Hardy represent the pinnacle of luxury in design, presentation, contemporary emotion and overall grandeur.