Our Top 5 Jewelry Artist Podcast Episodes About Gemstones
Love gemstones? Hear stories from experts on pearls, raw diamonds, turquoise, and other wonders from the world around us in Jewelry Artist podcast episodes about gems. In each conversation, jewelry artists share their passions in such engaging ways that you can hardly resist being swept along with them. The confessional quality of podcasts really comes through in these episodes where people are talking about their treasures.
ABOVE: Rough diamonds. Courtesy of Getty Images.
Top Jewelry Artist Episodes About Gemstones
Here are the top 5 Jewelry Artist podcast episodes about gemstones to listen to now or add to your playlist. The links in each paragraph below will transport you to articles where you can learn more about each artist and their topic. After I interview each guest for the podcast, Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist Editor Merle White writes a corresponding article. Special thanks to Merle for her insightful episode descriptions and interviews.
Tammy Jones: Passionate About Pearls
If there’s one thing I know about Tammy Jones, it’s that she’s a pearl girl. Not only does Tammy adore pearls of all kinds, she continues to learn as much as she can about her favorite gemstones. She says, “I think it’s in my roots. At one time, most of the cultured pearls in the world were nucleated with bits of shell from the rivers of Tennessee, and there are a few pearl and shell companies still operating there. I was born and raised in Tennessee, so I take pride in that and claim it as part of my heritage. When I was in middle school, all the girls had to have a Tennessee pearl ring.”
In this episode we talk about how pearls form. Tammy also shares pearl buying tips and discusses GIA’s 7 Pearl Value Factors.
Alex & Keith Horst: Rockhounds for Life
Join Alex and his father Keith for a peek into the life of a rockhound. Wait until you hear how Alex used to pass the time as a kid in the family business. Keith Horst encouraged his son’s youthful interest in geology and gem cutting, and today the pair are in business as A&K Gems, based right down the street from me in northern Arizona. They’re legends in the local and national lapidary community and have shared their love of lapidary and jewelry making with many people over the years.
From finding inspiration in gemstones to cabbing, gem carving, and other lapidary work, plus making jewelry from their discoveries, they share stories and tips in this episode that will make you want to go outside and do some rockhounding of your own.
Todd Reed and the 5th C of Diamonds
Jeweler Todd Reed has been redefining luxury and championing ethical sourcing of gemstones ever since becoming one of the first artists to use raw diamonds in elegant jewelry. We talk about why uncut, unpolished diamond crystals appeal to him and how diamond quality is more than just the famous four C’s of cut, color, clarity and carat weight. More than 30 years ago, Todd was drawn to concepts of sustainability and being close to nature – and he has built his business around these ideas that have since become trends. He’s grateful for the success he’s seen so far and loves connecting with people through the story of his art.
John Cornish: Mineral Hunter in His Element
Spending time with Jewelry Artist guest John Cornish is a guaranteed pick-me-up, whether you love all things geologic or not. Hear how John’s passion for rocks has grown into his life’s work and a passion for sharing his own excitement, wonder, and knowledge with others. John says seeing nature’s treasures in their natural environments, never-before seen by another human, is an amazing privilege. It can also be a little oasis of calm and refreshment anyone can enjoy or remember when life’s craziness gets to be too much.
John has found calm inside crystal-filled caverns in Australia and while discovering a new species of fossil whale on the coast of Washington. But he says we can all find the same wonder wherever we are. Talking with John made me look at my hikes in a whole new way. He says to go outside and look around: you never know what could be right under your feet.
Pete Leyba: Totally Turquoise
Always in style, a birthstone for December, and a go-anywhere kind of gem, turquoise is instantly recognizable, yet as varied as snowflakes falling from the sky. My Instagram feed is frequently full of turquoise pix from Thunderbird Supply Company so, when we were thinking of featuring turquoise on an episode of Jewelry Artist, I called Pete Leyba.
Pete is a buyer at Thunderbird and has been surrounded by turquoise gemstones and the jewelry business all of his life. He’s super knowledgeable about turquoise varieties and it’s fun to hear his stories about almost everyone’s favorite stone. From what makes turquoise valuable to which types are popular now, this episode will make you look at your jewelry box – and your shopping cart – with new eyes.
Beyond Gemstones: More Episode Recommendations
Each Jewelry Artist episode is its own conversation with an outstanding member of our jewelry-making community. If you want your inspiration with a side of laughs, listen to Brenda Schweder: Creative Wrangler. Or learn about Karen Smith’s mission to provide metalsmith training to young women of African descent in Oakland, California. You can explore all of them here.
Subscribe to Jewelry Artist podcast (it’s free!) so you don’t miss an episode of the upcoming season. It’s available on Apple podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you listen to podcasts.
Thanks for listening,
Katie Hacker, host of Jewelry Artist podcast
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