Bali is my muse says jewellery designer Guy Bedarida

Guy Bedarida's business card says a lot about him. It also speaks volumes about the direction of John Hardy, the jewellery brand for which he is creative director and head designer. The list of mobile numbers for Paris, New York, Hong Kong, London, Bangkok and Bali not only reflects the brand's expanding reach, but also perhaps indicates that he can blend into a sophisticated crowd in the French capital as easily as the art-infested Ubud.

Bedarida is in Hong Kong for the city's jewellery fair and staying at the Upper House in Admiralty, where the hotel's serene, simple Asian-influenced design appeals to his aesthetic.

Unsurprisingly, the half-Italian, half-French designer is decked out with chunky pieces from John Hardy. "This dragon bracelet is my favourite. It's related to a Balinese legend that represents eternal love, prosperity and protection. These bracelets here are a typical John Hardy hand-woven design, but this one does not exist in the collection. It's made with natural purple diamonds from a new mine in Russia ... I'm testing them for a collection. The colour is very subtle - I love it."

Talking about jewellery ignites a passion in Bedarida.

"I have always loved jewellery. My mother's from Florence and my father from Paris so I was exposed to many beautiful things growing up. Jewellery has always fascinated me, even in the religious sense," he says.

"I was raised Catholic and loved all the beautiful churches covered in semi-precious stones and the cloth and jewels of the priests and bishops.

"Fashion, interior design and photography tempted me but jewellery design won. I love how jewellery goes through time - heirlooms that people keep forever, pieces that a woman wears for a long time. That is not the case with the trend-driven fashion industry where clothes are discarded after a year."