What beautiful stories can artisanal mining tell us?

Cristina Villegas, the globally respected Pact director, shares her bright, gem-rich fantasy Jewel Vault and describes what ethical jewellery means at a human level, ultimately choosing that one special treasure to keep safe forever.

I hope you enjoy listening!

Based in Washington DC, Cristina is Director of Responsible Sourcing and Minerals at PACT, a respected global NGO advancing development and sustainability and her projects range from mining safety in Indonesia, to child labour in gold mining in Columbia via many projects in African nations including the pioneering Moyo Gems women’s social enterprise in Tanzania.

What special treasures would you put into your fantasy jewel vault, and why? Every so often I’ll compile your stories into a podcast of their own.

To get in touch with me and also to access show notes and images, go to: https://www.juraster.com/blogs/insidethejewelvault/inside-the-jewel-vault-with-cristina-villegas

Produced by Lizzie Wingham.

Series engineered Asa Bennett.

What gems would fill a field gemmologist's vault?

Lace up your hiking boots and get ready to find out in this episode as I ask GIA Field Gemologist, Wim Vertriest, to select six pieces from his travels and career in gemmology and put them into a fantasy Jewel Vault, ultimately choosing that one special treasure to keep safe forever.

Welcome Inside the Jewel Vault hosted by me, jeweller and gemmologist Jessica Cadzow-Collins, with guests drawn from the great and the good across the jewellery world, who chose six special pieces from their life and career in jewellery to save in a fantasy jewel vault, before ultimately picking just one to treasure forever.

I hope you enjoy listening!

Guest Bio: Wim Vertriest is manager of Field Gemology at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and Curator of the Institute's Colored Stone Research Collection. Originally from Belgium where he graduated as a geologist, Wim is now based in the global capital of gemstones, Bangkok, where he is the

He has first-hand knowledge of gem mining and has travelled, lectured and written extensively on coloured gems. He says he can find his way around the world’s gemstone mining areas just as easily as navigating the microscopic internal world of gemstones.

I want to hear from you!

What special treasures would you put into your fantasy jewel vault, and why? Every so often I’ll compile your stories into a podcast of their own.

To get in touch with me and also to access show notes and images, go to: https://www.juraster.com/blogs/insidethejewelvault/inside-the-jewel-vault-with-wim-vertriest

Produced by Lizzie Wingham.

Series engineered Asa Bennett.

Welcome Inside the Jewel Vault hosted by me, jeweller and gemmologist Jessica Cadzow-Collins, with a guest drawn from the great and the good from across the jewellery world.

In this episode I ask Vogue jewellery editor, author, historian and fellow podcaster, Carol Woolton, to select six pieces from her life and career in jewellery and put them into a fantasy Jewel Vault, ultimately choosing that one special treasure to keep safe forever.

I hope you enjoy listening!

Guest Bio: Vogue jewellery editor, author and historian, Carol Woolton stands as a leading light across both fashion and jewellery industries, renowned for her discerning judgement of style and meaning in jewellery design. In this conversation with Jessica, Carol describes six superb gems & jewels which have influenced her during the course of her life and career in jewellery.

I want to hear from you!

What special treasures would you put into your fantasy jewel vault, and why? Every so often I’ll compile your stories into a podcast of their own. To get in touch with me and also to access show notes and images, go to:

https://www.juraster.com/blogs/insidethejewelvault/inside-the-jewel-vault-with-carol-woolton

Produced by broadcast & media guru Lizzie Wingham. https://www.tinydinosaur.tv/

Engineered by sound genius Asa Bennett.

My grateful thanks to you both!

Welcome Inside the Jewel Vault hosted by me, jeweller, and gemmologist Jessica Cadzow-Collins, with a guest drawn from the great and the good from across the jewellery world.

In this episode I ask the fiction writer, Josie Goodbody, to select six pieces from her life and career in jewellery and put them into a fantasy Jewel Vault, ultimately choosing that one special treasure to keep safe forever.

Josie is the creator of the glamorous Jemima Fox Mysteries, a series of adventures inspired by real-life diamond heists. Romping through high-society and fashion PR, Josie’s own real-life stories and adventures are almost as dazzling and colorful as her Vault jewellery choices.  Josie selects a cornucopia of the most superlative gems and jewels in existence, pieces which are on a whole different level to most items any of us will ever encounter.  Although her energy and sense of fun is infectious, it’s the emotional connection she has with the transformative promise of gems and her strong feelings about their power to make our dreams come true which marked this special conversation. I hope you enjoy listening!

Guest Bio:  A jewellery & fashion PR turned author, Josie Goodbody worked with the jewels of Bulgari, Ritz Fine Jewels, and was Head of PR at Graff for several years, working closely with Laurence Graff himself, the King of Diamonds. She has traveled extensively particularly in South Africa and France where she lived in Paris and Monaco. A heist expert, Josie has so far written 4 novels and 1 novella following the diamond sleuth Jemima Fox as she unravels audacious diamond thefts inspired by real life events. The series has recently been optioned for TV. Josie also has her own podcast series exploring jewellery history, The Jewellarian.  http://www.josiegoodbody.com/

I want to hear from you!  What special treasures would you put into your fantasy jewel vault, and why?  Every so often I’ll compile your stories into a podcast of their own.  To get in touch with me and also to access show notes and images, go to: https://www.juraster.com/blogs/insidethejewelvault/inside-the-jewel-vault-with-josie-goodbody

Produced by broadcast & media guru Lizzie Wingham. https://www.tinydinosaur.tv/

Engineered by the genius Asa Bennett.

My grateful thanks to you both!

Welcome Inside the Jewel Vault hosted by me, jeweller and gemmologist Jessica Cadzow-Collins, with a guest drawn from the great and the good from across the jewellery world.

In this episode I ask the multi-talented Darren Sherwood to select six pieces from his life and career in jewellery and put them into a fantasy Jewel Vault, ultimately choosing that one special treasure to keep safe forever.

Darren is a highly regarded diamond mounter, but his unique expertise is in using cutting edge technology to blend seamlessly with his mastery of traditional fine craftsmanship, making use of the best of both worlds – manual and digital.  Apart from being one of the warmest, most patient and up-beat guys you could meet, Darren has innate talent, focus, and drive along with a curiosity to create the seemingly impossible.  He forged his own career for himself in defiance of his parent’s expectations of an academic career. He has worked for some of the greatest names in jewellery and silver, taught himself multiple digital programmes and recently he has also taught himself micro-diamond setting – giving him more skills and accomplishments than most jewellers ever master in one entire career.  

I met Darren a few years ago when I worked at Garrard-Stephen Webster. Each time I visited the workshop, he was working on increasingly complex and astonishingly technical creations for both brands, pushing the boundary of what was technically feasible. To listen to Darren is to glimpse inside the mind of a genius. He is a true maestro, but so natural and funny to chat with.  I am very excited to share this conversation with you because it’s rarely possible to have the opportunity of learning how such extraordinary pieces are actually created, and what sort of person it takes to achieve this level of skill.  Sit back, relax and let him explain all - I hope you enjoy listening!

I want to hear from you!  What special treasures would you put into your fantasy jewel vault, and why?  Every so often I’ll compile your stories into a podcast of their own.  To get in touch with me and also to access show notes and images, go to: https://www.juraster.com/blogs/insidethejewelvault/inside-the-jewel-vault-with-darren-sherwood

Produced by Lizzie Wingham. https://www.tinydinosaur.tv/

Engineered by Gareth Lewis.

My grateful thanks to you both!

In this episode of Inside the Jewel Vault, my guest from the great & the good of the jewellery world is the world leading expert on ancient metalwork and technology, Dr Jack Ogden. He selects six pieces from his life and career to put into a fantasy Jewel Vault, ultimately choosing that one special treasure to keep safe forever.

This was the very first podcast we recorded so I think you might hear how nervous I was, but Jack was so charming and kind – I could have easily doubled the length of our conversation because he was really easy to chat to. Despite the highly academic nature of his research, Jack talks so fluently and engagingly that his passion and regard for ancient jewellery materials and technology shines brightly. The spellbinding magic of the ancient jewels he selects comes vividly alive as he shares with us some of their secrets. In over 45 years of research, Jack has studied an astonishing quantity of ‘real’ treasure - gems, ancient jewels and precious artefacts discovered or passed down through the ages from the hands of their ancient craftsmen and owners. A fourth-generation jeweller, Jack has successfully straddled both the jewellery industry and the academic realm in his career. The author of innumerable books and scholarly articles, his first book Jewellery of the Ancient World was hailed as a masterpiece and earnt him a Doctorate from Durham.  He is considered one of the foremost scholars in his field, and along with research for his books, he is a renowned consultant in dating and authenticating jewels from the Ancient to the Medieval worlds. He was appointed Visiting Professor of Ancient Jewellery, Material and Technology, at the BCU in 2019. He is also the current President of The Society of Jewellery Historians  https://www.societyofjewelleryhistorians.ac.uk

I hope you enjoy listening!

I want to hear from you!  What special treasures would you put into your fantasy jewel vault, and why?  Every so often I’ll compile your stories into a podcast of their own.  To get in touch with me and also to access show notes and images, go to: https://www.juraster.com/blogs/insidethejewelvault/inside-the-jewel-vault-with-dr-jack-ogden

Produced by broadcast & media guru Lizzie Wingham. https://www.tinydinosaur.tv/

Engineered by the very patient and brilliant Gareth Lewis.

Welcome Inside the Jewel Vault hosted by me, jeweller and gemmologist Jessica Cadzow-Collins.  In this episode I ask leading designer Hannah Martin to select six pieces from her life and career in jewellery and put them into a fantasy Jewel Vault, ultimately choosing that one special treasure to keep safe forever.

Since first encountering Hannah’s pieces over a decade ago, I have admired her uncompromising approach to designing jewellery that speaks to her essential vision. It is non-derivative, non-gender defining, non-prescriptive. Her designs explore our deepest attachments to jewellery as talismans of life and emotion, in a way that is so much more than just skilfully crafting pieces from gorgeous gems and precious metal.  It just exists now and always in the moment. To speak to her and learn about her life and journey was transfixing, the passion and intelligence she emits is bewitching. She is a phenomenally talented person but so easy to speak to, and so openly honest about her story. Listen to her as she describes her process in this revealing podcast episode.  This was a conversation I was so excited to have with a real jewellery hero of mine, and even more excited to be able to share with you, so I hope you also enjoy.

Guest Bio: Hannah is a leading contemporary designer whose fine jewellery emit a uniquely edgy energetic aesthetic. Hannah founded her own workshop in Clerkenwell, East London in 2006 shortly after graduating from St Martin’s, since when her work has been acclaimed by the press and jewellery lovers alike for its uncompromising post-punk vision.  Her pieces straddle the gender divide as well as confronting norms of beauty and function.  https://www.hannahmartinlondon.com

I want to hear from you!  What special treasures would you put into your fantasy jewel vault, and why?  Every so often I’ll compile your stories into a podcast of their own.  To get in touch with me and also to access show notes and images, go to: https://www.juraster.com/blogs/insidethejewelvault/inside-the-jewel-vault-with-hannah-martin

Welcome Inside the Jewel Vault! In this episode I ask the jewellery experts’ expert, Vivienne Becker, to select pieces from her life and career to put inside her fantasy Jewel Vault, ultimately choosing that one special treasure to keep safe forever.

Vivienne is a world authority on jewellery history and design, as well as a leading author and journalist, and she’s encountered a vast array of jewels and designers throughout her 40 year career. She is my personal jewellery hero – when I embarked on my jewellery career over 30 years ago, it was her book that guided me, and I still avidly look to her to learn from – so I was quite star struck to have a conversation with her. I wondered what pieces would someone of her status and discernment choose?

Just as I had hoped, thanks to her superb eye for talent, trend and outstanding design, Vivienne’s fantasy vault is a sumptuous treat of virtuoso jewels. Vivienne also knows everyone who is anyone and it’s fascinating to listen to her describe the warm and supportive friendships she enjoys with the personalities behind the pieces. Vivienne offers so much to learn and wonder at in her selection, but for me, the magic of this podcast is in Vivienne’s final choice - heart-warming, inspiring and meaningful.

Guest Bio: Since working for an antiques jewellery dealer as a teenager, Vivienne was hooked as much by the personalities of the trade as the jewels themselves. She became a journalist specialising in jewellery and wrote her first book in 1980, “Antique and Twentieth Century Jewellery”, which is held as the standard work on the topic and has been reprinted many times. She has written 15 other volumes including one with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and contributed to many more. Her print and online articles on everyone from Laurence Graff to Rene Lalique are commissioned by the top titles of the world’s press. For 4 decades, Vivienne has curated exhibitions, judged awards and lectured, mentored young designers, guided connoisseurs, and educated the lay reader. http://www.viviennebecker.com/

I want to hear from you!  What special treasures would you put into your fantasy jewel vault, and why? Every so often I’ll compile your stories into a podcast of their own. To get in touch with me and also to access show notes and images, go to: https://www.juraster.com/blogs/insidethejewelvault/inside-the-jewel-vault-with-vivienne-becker

Produced by Lizzie Wingham. Engineered by Asa Bennett.

Welcome Inside the Jewel Vault hosted by me, jeweller and gemmologist Jessica Cadzow-Collins.  In this episode I ask superstar fine jewellery blogger Katerina Perez to select six pieces from her life and career in jewellery and put them into a fantasy Jewel Vault, ultimately choosing that one special treasure to keep safe forever.

Katerina speaks about her career and life with passion and intelligence, and it’s moving to hear the personal stories behind her selection. Jewellery has been such a powerfully compelling force in her life that she has forged such a successful career at a time when no one else was blogging about the high end world of fine jewellery. With the entire world of fine jewellery brands and designers to choose from, I was intrigued to see what Katerina would select. The pieces in her fantasy jewel vault are a wonderful assortment of astonishing gems and meaningful keepsakes. It was a big treat for me to make this episode because Katerina is one of my jewellery heroes, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did making it.

Guest Bio: Katerina Perez is a pioneering jewellery blogger with 350,000 Instagram followers who follow her glittering journey in fine jewellery every day. Russian-born Paris-based Katerina worked as a freelance journalist and content editor for Russian and English magazines. She studied gemmology at The Gemmological Association of Great Britain (Gem-A) and founded her own blog devoted to fine jewellery in 2013 whilst working in jewellery retail. In the 7 years since, Katerina has featured an incredible range of jewels which are curated with her innate sense of style and taste. She champions the work of talented jewellers across the globe, from established brands to fledgling designers whom she has personally scouted. https://www.katerinaperez.com

I want to hear from you! What special treasures would you put into your fantasy jewel vault, and why?  Every so often I’ll compile your stories into a podcast of their own. To tell me and also to access show notes and images, go to: https://www.juraster.com/blogs/insidethejewelvault/inside-the-jewel-vault-with-katerina-perez

Produced by Lizzie Wingham. Engineered by Gareth Lewis.

Take a glimpse inside my sparkling brand new podcast!

I ask the great and the good of the jewellery world to put six special pieces from their lives and careers in jewellery into a fantasy Jewel Vault - ultimately choosing that one special piece to keep safe forever.  

Hosted by me, expert jeweller and gemmologist, Jessica Cadzow-Collins. I hope you enjoy listening!

For more info, to contact me or to access show notes & images go to: https://www.juraster.com/blogs/insidethejewelvault