Episodes
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It’s been a while! Between (2) quarantines and a terrible case of a stomach bug, we’re back on track to bring you Florida and Georgia.
00:00:00 Name that bool
01:30:00 Long time, no chat
03:18:00 So Florida
05:07:00 Moonstone (For more details on moonstone check out our episode – “Phenomenon-phe-no-me-no-me-non !!!”)
06:45:00 Popularity
07:06:00 Florida state stone
10:41:00 State shell
12:11:00 Georgia – Quartz
13:36:00 2nd most abundant mineral on Earth
14:38:00 Most common mineral on Earth’s crust
15:18:00 Most common mineral in Earth
16:34:00 The core of the Earth
18:42:00 Onto the state mineral—Staurolite
20:33:00 Fairy crystal
20:55:00 Good luck
22:00:00 The legend of the Fairy Crosses -
Hello, 2021!! It’s already been off to a crazy start but we will kick things off with the continuation of our “Gems of the US” series. Up next we’ve got Connecticut and Delaware.
00:00:00 Rabbit hole
00:25:00 We’re back
01:45:00 Storytime – wallpaper
O3:00:00 Onto Connecticut and Delaware. Neither of which has a state gemstone.
04:12:00 Connecticut State Mineral = Almandine Garnet
05:10:00 The role that Garnet has in Connecticut
05:52:00 The geology of Connecticut
08:40:00 The Garnet trail
09:42:00 Where to collect Garnet
11:19:00 Connecticut has gem-quality material and should have a state gemstone
11:46:00 Understanding mining in CT
12:24:00 Feldspar
12:42:00 Mica
13:25:00 Beryl
16:20:00 Morganite = JP Morgan
18:26:00 Onto Delaware . . . Sillimanite
19:16:00 Where does the name come from?
20:01:00 Why Sillimanite?
21:02:00 Sillimanite as a gemstone
21:56:00 What’s out on the market? -
Missing episodes?
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Up next on our journey exploring gemstones across the US we’ve got Colorado. Not only does Colorado have a state gemstone but it also has a state mineral we haven’t covered yet – rhodochrosite. Pull up a chair as we look into into this double-gemmy episode.
00:00:00 Notes
00:29:00 Colorado
01:10:00 The Charlemagne connection
03:52:00 Ranking in most hated states
05:30:00 Aquamarine
05:47:00 1880’s
08:20:00 The discovery at Mt. Antero
09:30:00 About Mt. Antero
09:55:00 High altitude gemstones
12:07:00 Mining story
14:34:00 Commercial mining
16:07:00 Largest aquamarine crystal to be found in CO
18:43:00 Renewed interest in mining
19:46:00 Get a claim
20:41:00 Rhodochrosite
22:13:00 Single-crystal versus an aggregate specimen
23:23:00 Sweet Home Mine
25:52:00 The 1960’s
26:11:50 The Alma Queen
27:03:00 1991
27:26:00 Alma King discovery
27:44:00 The Crystal Wall
29:07:00 Smithsonian
30:13:00 Off-limits
31:31:00 Other gemstones found in Colorado -
Continuing with our series Gems of the US and up next we have California. A state that encompasses a plethora of gemstones we focus dabble about Spodumene, Tourmaline, and of coarse, it’s state gemstone--Benitoite. It's a big state so it is only fair to recognize these two influential gemstones.
00:00:00 Calimocho/ Kalimotxo
01:58:00 Cookie Monster + Wednesday Addams = Happy Halloween
03:24:00 This week –California
04:41:00 Benitoite
05:16:00 Its discovery
09:10:00 What is it?
12:44:00 Gemstone matrix and removing the crystals
14:40:00 You can visit the site it was discovered at
16:24:00 Cost of benitoite
17:28:00 All other minerals in California
18:10:00 Leading gemstone mined in California
18:47:00 All the Tourmaline colors
18:57:50 Rubellite Tourmaline
19:11:00 The Chinese connection
20:24:00 Spodumene = Kunzite
21:19:00 Highschool drama w/ Kunzite
26:30:00 Color fading
27:24:00 JP Morgan + George Kunz
28:07:00 Other California Gemstones
30:24:00 [SIDE NOTE] What is California’s ranking in the most hated states? -
Working our way down the alphabet which means we’ve got Arizona and Arkansas up next. These two states bring a plethora of gemmy goodness.
00:00:00 Deck issues
00:58:00 “The United States”
02:10:00 Arizona & Arkansas
03:02:00 Arizona = Turquoise
03:20:00 Rich history in Arizona
03:37:00 State neckwear
05:15:00 First mined in 200 BC
06:06:00 Turquoise legends
06:35:00 It’s found throughout the state
07:31:00 Native American translation for turquoise
08:17:00 Usage with Native Tribes
08:49:00 Healing properties
09:50:00 Famous turquoise mines
12:21:00 Sleeping beauty
14:12:00 Kingman Mine
15:12:00 Other cool gemstones in Arizona
25:37:00 Alright, Arkansas
24:55:00 State gemstone = DIAMONDS!
25:05:00 State flag
25:23:00 Feb. 22nd, 1967
27:02:00 The geology of Arkansas
28:16:00 The discovery of diamonds
29:47:00 The largest diamond found in Arkansas
30:47:00 The start of Arkansas
34:11:00 The early 90’s
35:08:00 The appearance of the diamond in their rough
36:03:00 Average diamond findings
38:25:00 Other gemstones found in Arkansas -
With so many people unable to travel beyond the US border and taking more local road trips we figured now was the perfect time to explore each state’s gemstone. To start things off we’re talking about Alabama and Alaska.
00:00:00 Who’s starting?
01:01:00 Alabama and Alaska . . . cue the states song
03:17:00 Alabama – Blue Star Quarts
03:26:00 Thought it would be something red
03:48:00 1990
04:04:00 But why?
06:23:00 How is it found?
07:32:00 Blue Star Quartz being an oddity
09:22:00 Is there any mining going on in Alabama?
09:55:00 The Lane Cake
12:16:00 Moving onto Alaska
12:43:00 Jade = nephrite jade
To learn more about Jade listen to our episode “Stone of Heaven, Hello Jade!” -- https://soundcloud.com/user-141776549-657959872/stone-of-heaven-hello-jade
13:16:00 Native Alaskan Inuits and their use of jade
13:27:00 Where is Alaskan Jade found?
14:34:00 First non-native to rediscover jade
15:14:00 [Storytime] The legend of the Jade House.
18:27:00 Jade Mountain
19:36:00 About the man who made the Jade Lamp
20:45:00 [Storytime] The Jade Lamp
25:00:00 Another modern legend
25:27:00 Washington Monument
27:19:0 0 Other gemstones that are being mined in Alaska? -
We’ve covered gold, silver, and platinum. But how do all of these different metals work within the components of jewelry design? We take you through each step of the process from molding to polish and talk about how these metals vary within each step of the process. To ensure we don’t overlook any details we brought in our production manager, Paul Hartman, to join in on the conversation.
00:00:00 Peeing in the pool
00:40:00 All about metals from a jewelry production standpoint
01:43:00 If you would like to get know more about Paul you can listen to his interview here: https://soundcloud.com/user-141776549-657959872/productionwithpaul
02:13:00 Starting out at the beginning of the process – molding
03:17:00 Gypsum used as the investment
04:46:00 What is the casting temperate
06:06:00 Cleanliness
07:30:00 Is there a lot of difference in casting between the metals?
08:10:00 Why do we like using nickel in white gold?
10:41:00 Clipping off the tree
10:55:00 The trunk of the tree
12:48:00 Polish
16:11:00 How long is the process from casting to polish?
18:21:00 Setting
24:38:00 Plating
26:37:00 Durability of silver with tarnish on it
27:60:50 Black rhodium
28:38:00 [Story time] Cyanide bomb
24:43:00 Caustic chemicals involved with metals
31:23:50 What is the most important step in plating?
34:19:00 Wear and durability
36:17:00 Stone in place casting -
What is denser than a diamond and is extremely ductile? PLATINUM. Once tossed away to be believed un-ripened silver that noble metal has become a popular choice in jewelry design. Learn about its discovery and its out of this world origins.
00:00:00 Dubba-dub-dub-dub
00:14:00 The game plan with the podcast
03:50:00 Garden Woes
05:54:00 So Platinum. . . how did it get its name?
06:13:00 Platinum’s discovery
08:22:00 Platinum group of metals
10:05:00 Studying the properties of platinum
13:36:00 First reference of platinum
15:12:00 The heaviness of platinum
15:47:00 Platinum is very ductile
16:19:00 Malleability
16:36:00 Durability
18:33:00 Melting point
19:43:00 Mining platinum
20:52:00 WWII
22:05:00 How did it get here?
22:43:00 The moon
22:58:00 Platinum in the Earth’s crust
24:19:00 Producing pure platinum
26:06:00 Platinum in jewelry
26:51:00 Other usages for platinum
27:28:00 Platinum vs. Gold $$$ -
Moonbeams and ocean reflections are just a few ways to describe the beauty of Moonstone. This week we explore the world of this translucent yet, opulent gemstone.
00:00:00 That’s an “I”
00:44:00 Moonstone
02:50:00 Why is it called moonstone?
03:43:50 The phenomenon, adularescence
04:31:00 What is moonstone?
06:36:00 Where does the name/word adularescence come from?
07:10:00 Quality factors
08:14:00 Moonstone has two cleavage planes
09:08:00 There are (2) types of moonstone
12:28:00 Moonstone is really a trade name
13:12:00 Where is moonstone found?
13:44:00 State gemstone of Florida
14:23:00 Cultural beliefs with moonstone
16:26:00 Ancient Rome
18:46:00 The lovers stone
19:25:00 The travels stone
20:34:00 Skincare
For more information head to: https://www.gia.edu/moonstone -
We’ve been away for 6 weeks and we’re all excited to be back at the office! Take a seat as we recap about our quarantine experience and explore the ancient world of Lapis Lazuli. Being one of the oldest gemstones mined, it has an extensive involvement with history and folklore that will lure you in.
00:00:00 Has it really been 6 weeks?
00:29:00 The COVID experience
08:53:00 Ok, we’ve got a gemstone for you—Lapis Lazuli
09:30:00 How long has it been around?
10:12:00 It is a rock!
11:27:00 Its gorgeous blue color
12:53:00 Translucency/ luster/ hardness
13:14:00 What it has been used for
13:23:00 Trade grades and mining locations
15:34:00 How long it takes to mine
17:14:00 A prized procession during ancient time
17:49:00 Citation and translation
18:30:00 Marco Polo
18:56:00 A LOT of history and lore associated with Lapis
19:01:00 Highly favored by the Egyptians
20:24:00 King Solomon
24:45:00 Using semi-precious stones for religious purposes = Egyptian's “Book of the Dead”
28:02:00 Ancient Rome
28:49:50 What it is like in the market today and things to be mindful about when purchasing -
This week we're getting back to our roots and talking about a gemstone—chrysoprase. Its golden-green tone has a rich presence in history and folklore. We also explore its healing properties and its ability to be a beacon of courage through a time of change.
00:00:00 Social distancing
00:55:00 2020 has already had it's high and lows
06:38:00 What gemstone are we talking about?
06:58:00 The meaning of chrysoprase
07:37:00 Crystal structure
08:17:00 It’s colored by nickel
11:21:00 The finest color
12:13:00 This gemstone has a rich history
13:58:00 Storytime – negotiating a chrysoprase
14:47:50 First mention of it
15:07:00 Fun stories of chrysoprase
17:19:00 The stone of Venus
17:35:00 Healing/magical properties
18:20:00 To save those who were thieves, to be hung or beheaded
18:53:00 Romanian folklore
19:49:00 King Frederick VII
19:59:00 Saint Wenceslaus Chapel
20:32:00 Assist you to embrace your courage
21:15:00 Emotional balance -
One of our goals with the podcast this year is to focus on career paths. Up next, is an interview providing another perspective in opportunities within the jewelry industry--journalism. We sit down with Brecken Branstrator, with National Jeweler, to learn a little more about her role as an editor and of course, talk about the name “Brecken.”
00:00:00 I’m so bossy
01:32:00 “Oh, you’re the other Brecken?
02:22:00 Brecken Branstrator for National Jeweler
03:25:00 How did you get your name?
04:48:00 What do you think the name Brecken means?
06:38:00 How did you get into the gemstone/jewelry world?
08:06:00 Take us through your average day?
09:03:00 What are your favorite things you’ve learned and/or wrote about?
10:04:00 Back to the name Brecken
11:15:00 Anything exciting coming up with National Jewelers
11:48:00 What does your day look like while at Tucson?
15:38:00 If I was going to do something else in the industry . . .
18:03:00 How did you feel growing up with that name?
20:20:00 What is your favorite gemstone?
21:35:00 What is your first memory of a gemstone or a piece of jewelry?
23:22:00 Where are you based?
26:16:0 0 Let’s talk about National Jeweler. How did it start?
Website: https://www.nationaljeweler.com/
Instagram:
@nationaljeweler
https://www.instagram.com/nationaljeweler/ -
In honor of #womensinternationalday and #womenshistorymonth we sit down with Jennifer Markas to learn more about Women’s Jeweler Association (WJA). We dive into WJA’s history, its mission and get to know Jennifer up close and personal.
00:00:00 Are we ready?
00:16:00 We’re going to Disneyland
00:57:00 Introduction to Jennifer Markas of WJA
01:58:00 Where id WJA start?
05:06:00 A common misconception of WJA
06:57:00 What does it mean to be a member of WJA?
08:26:00 WJA connect
11:17:00 What are some of the goals of WJA?
13:49:00 Equal pay
16:38:00 Young female designers
19:20:00 How do people get involved https://www.womensjewelryassociation.com/
20:23:00 What is going on in March with WJA?
22:08:00 How is it being promoted?
25:45:00 Tell us about yourself
30:11:00 What is your first memory of a gemstone or a piece of jewelry -
We’re back with another interview from Tucson at the JCK show and continue to delve into the world of career paths within the jewelry world. Behind every brand is a marketing team that helps bring life to its story. We sit down with Ben Smittee, of The Smithee Group, to get to know a little more about him and his passion supporting the future of the jewelry industry.
00:00:00 Worse topic ever
00:29:00 Ben Smithee
01:20:00 What do you do in the industry?
02:57:00 First memory with a piece of jewelry or gemstone
05:50:00 A little background that brought you to support the jewelry industry?
12:45:00 Helping bring out the story that needs to be heard
14:58:00 Women’s Jewelry Association and involvement at the Tucson Gem Fair
15:06:00 What about Gem Legacy made you say “yes” this is soething you want to be a part of?
17:03:00 Gem Legacy providing its way to give back and telling its story.
20:34:00 Educating retail jewelers
22:33:00 Tell me about my twins -
We regularly get asked, “What can I do with a GG? How do I obtain a GG?” We went straight to the source and sat down with Kimberly Overlin, the Dean of Students from GIA. We discuss the nuts and bolts about GIA (Gemological Institute of America), what it offers to students and review career paths that one can obtain.
(Recording took place on the show floor of the AGTA Gem Fair. Some of the background noise was able to get reduce but not fully eliminated.)
00:00:00 Losing an episode
00:27:00 Live from the AGTA with Kimberly Overlin from GIA
01:09:00 Tell us a little bit about you and what you do for GIA?
02:44:00 You got your degree and then what?
03:41:00 The unique part of GIA
04:-2:00 When did you start working for GIA
05:11:00 No family background associated to jewelry and paving a path
05:53:00 Education being key
06:27:00 How does one learn/access more information about GIA
07:05:00 Opportunities for scholarship and financial aid
08:24:00 How to search for scholarships through GIA
09:08:00 Campuses
10:47:00 How did you get from recruitment to Dean of Students
12:34:00 Take us through your day
14:08:00 Carlsbad being a different type of campus
14:29:00 What are the career paths that you’ve seen happen?
19:08:00 What was your first memory of a piece of jewelry or gemstone?
23:34:00 Getting your GG through distance education
27:03:00 Why and how did GIA get started?
28:58:00 Value vs. Pricing
31:53:00 What was your first gemstone purchase after getting your GG? -
2020 is in full swing and we thought it would be a good idea to give you an idea of things to look forward to from the podcast.
00:00:00 It’s Brecken!
00:06:00 Back from Hong Kong
05:43:00 What to expect this year
07:33:00 Delve into the world of less known/obscure gemstones
08:32:00 Speaking of Tucson . . . -
We’ve been busy bees getting ready for trade show season but don’t worry Gem Junkies we haven’t forgotten about you!! For awhile we’ve teased about putting together an episode about birthstones and it’s finally come into fruition. From it’s early biblical beginning to its influence in the jewelry world we delve into its long history.
00:00:00 Take 2. Press Record.
00:24:00 Parle tradeshow line-up
01:28:00 Birthstones
01:49:00 How did it all start?
01:55:00 Biblical – Aaron’s Breastplate
04:27:00 What stones we set up in Aaron’s breastplate
06:50:00 How did we get from breastplate to birthstone?
09:14:00 A developed notion of switching out jewelry every month
10:27:00 Vedic astrological system associated to gemstones
11:25:00 Why are gemstones are connected to planets?
12:32:00 How do we get to the idea of a person always wearing and only wearing a gemstone corresponding to their birth month?
13:49:00 In 1912 – standardization of birthstones
21:05:00 The additions of birthstones
24:20:00 Chrysolite, what? Birthstones associated to zodiac sign.
26:45:00 Birthstones for mother’s jewelry
28:30:00 Parle Xmas story -
Hello 2020!! For the first podcast of the year we sit down with Craig Danforth from Jewelers Mutual. With all the jewelry received over the holidays we talk about the importance of acquiring a policy for your jewelry, the history of Jewelers Mutual and of course, we get to know Craig up close and personal.
00:00:00 Sea Legs
00:42:00 Introducing Craig Danforth
02:09:00 First memory of a piece of jewelry or gemstone
02:50:00 Take us through your life
03:43:00 How did you get involved with jewelry
04:32:00 The silver run at @tiffanyandco
06:32:00 And then . . . @cartier
07:19:00 What was your favorite part about that job?
08:21:00 Working with GIA
10:52:00 Transition to Jewelers Mutual
11:36:00 The polar vortex of Wisconsin
12:39:00 The “Gem State”
13:01:00 What do you do for Jewelers Mutual?
14:10:00 The history of Jewelers Mutual
18:31:00 How do I insure this?
23:21:00 A care plan through Jewelers Mutual
24:54:00 How to learn more about Jewelers Mutual?
26:22:00 Jewelers Mutual’s involvement within the industry
29:12:00 The gem gallery at Jeweler Mutual
32:47:00 What’s your favorite gemstone? -
If you’ve been wondering who is often laughing in the background when we’re recording a podcast it’s me, Stephanie Major. Hey Gem Junkies, I’m the producer and marketing coordinator at Parle. We thought it might be time to step up to the mic and for you all to get to know a little more about me.
00:00:00 Hey, @spencerpratt
03:34:00 Happy Birthday Abbey
01:39:00 [Going down a rabbit hole] A look back of the past
02:29:00 The interviews we’ve done
03:14:00 Which one was your favorite interview?
04:47:00 Another interview. . . Stephanie (our podcast producer)
06:41:00 I don’t wear a lot of jewelry
07:20:00 What’s your life story
10:19:00 10 years ago – A BIG YEAR
14:54:00 Never say no . . .fake it till you make it
16:00:00 How did you get to Pocatello
17:36:00 I am done with homeschool
19:11:00 Sh*!, what am I going to do?
21:08:00 A day in the life
22:56:00 A learning curve to get started
23:44:00 A week overview
25:45:00 A personal initiative
26:59:00 Brand Building
27:57:00 Changing the whole vibe
29:57:00 There’s another thing that you do . . . -
It’s the season of giving and during this years Giving Tuesday we donated $1000 to Gem Legacy . Thus, it’s a perfect time to interview Rachel Dery of Gem Legacy. We learn about her childhood growing up in the gemstone industry and about Gem Legacy--a non-profit organization that help support communities closest to the mining source.
If you would like to learn more about Gem Legacy you can head to www.gemlegacy.org or go to www.gemlegacy.org.donate to make a donation today.
Also, a quick apology for the intermittent audio issues. It’s our first time recording through zoom so we’re still learning about it. Thanks for you understanding.
00:00:00 The voices are calling
00:34:00 Rachel Dery with Gem Legacy
01:33:00 Tell us a little about you
03:00:00 The grassroots of Gem Legacy
03:55:00 How did it happen?
05:26:00 What are some of your initiative
06:59:00 The initiatives
08:00:00 Understanding what Gem Legacy is doing
10:47:00 Finding the opportunities of gemstones making a positive impact
11:53:00 Gemstone educational training
12:32:00 [Story time] Garnets from the sky
16:15:00 The gem cutting school
19:23:00 How it supports the country
19:54:00 What small amounts can do from a donation
24:18:00 There must be more within our industry to give back to the community
25:37:00 Sustainable giving
26:11:50 What are you most proud of?
28:00:00 Gem Legacy’s ability to adopt to the need
30:38:00 What is your first memory of a gemstone or piece of jewelry?
34:04:00 100% of donations goes back toward the initiatives - Show more
