BAJ Podcast

A conversation with Jonathan Boyd, a multi-award winning Artist and Jeweller working with a variety of materials, specialising in conceptual and narrative-led jewellery and objects. Jonathan is the Reader in Jewellery as well as the Head of Programme in Jewellery and Metal (Acting) at the Royal College of Art in London. He is an active practitioner and researcher in the areas of Jewellery and Metal.

A conversation with the four powerhouses (Lynn Speake, Lucy Spink, Juan Riusech, Spam Glam) behind Precious Collective, a collective with over 300 members from around the world, who organises exhibitions, charitable calls and much more. 

​Precious Collective was formed to celebrate Art Jewellery; showcasing this art form to new audiences. Through building a community, networking and creating a dialogue between members in various countries, Precious Collective supports the sharing of ideas and knowledge. With around 300 members across the world what binds Precious members together is their ambiguous relationship to notions of what is ‘precious’. Makers who wish to become part of the group either follow this line of thinking or work in ways that challenge traditional jewellery making through materials, techniques or concepts. The collective offers opportunities to makers at all stages of their jewellery career and as a result, creates opportunities that may not normally be financially viable or even possible on a personal level. 

https://www.preciouscollective.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4RF1a1i4C8flEu3PFHNSCA

A conversation with one of the female founders of the Antwerp based jewellery label Studio Collect about running a label as a team, working with retailers and more.

A conversation with Julia Maria Künnap who is an Estonian jewellery artist and self-taught gemstone carver who transforms gems into sweeping brush strokes and molten forms. We will discuss her contemporary take on the material and how she got started with gemstone carving, as well as what it is like to be a contemporary jeweller today.

Julia Maria Künnap graduated in 2004 from the Estonian Academy of Arts' Jewellery Art Department under Professor Kadri Mälk. A 2018 recipient of the renowned Herbert Hofmann Prize, Künnap is known for her mysteriously and meticulously carved lapidary work. Her work has been included in group and solo exhibitions around the world. Julia Maria Künnap currently lives and works in Tallinn, Estonia.

A conversation with Matthew Manos, founder and managing director of verynice, a design strategy practice that gives half of its services away for free to non-profit organizations. Matthew details the work he does with his company as well as one of his toolkits, Less (Bad) Design: A Toolkit For Ethical Ideation, that challenges designers to consider the ethical impact of their designs.

With a portfolio of work that has reached millions of people across the globe, verynice’s client experience spans 1,000+ brands including the American Heart Association, Apple, the City of Los Angeles, Disney Imagineering, Google, REI, and the United Nations. We will talk to him about his company, his ambitions for the future and the idea of a toolkit he published to eradicate bad design.

A conversation with stone cutter Justin Prim, on the art and craft of faceting stones, his digital YouTube platform, and his life in Thailand.

Justin K Prim is an American lapidary, author, and gemologist living and working in Bangkok, Thailand. He has studied gemcutting traditions all over the world as well as attending gemology programs at GIA and AIGS. He recently launched his first book, The Secret Teachings of Gemcutting, about the art of gemstone cutting. Justin works as a Lapidary Instructor as well as writing articles, producing videos, and giving talks about gem cutting history.

A conversation with graduate Paul Morris, who is working in the gemstone city Idar-Oberstein as a jeweller and stone carver.

A conversation with Harriet and Rosie about their jewellery brand Tatty Devine, the world's go-to for fun and original statement pieces, on their journey from the brand's start in 1999. Since then, through Tatty Devine, Rosie and Harriet have achieved much, including collaborations with industry greats and recognition for their contribution to the fashion and jewellery industries.

A conversation with Sarah Rothwell, the Curator of Modern & Contemporary Design at National Museums Scotland, about her work and the various elements that have impacted her career choices. She currently holds responsibility for the collections of British, European and other 'Western' glass, ceramics, metalwork, jewellery and industrial design circa 1945-present. 

In this episode, we speak to Tamara Gomez, finalist of BBC show All That Glitters. Tamara details what led her to become a jeweller, her experience on the reality TV show and her career in jewellery.