Ancient History Jewelry Stories

We've done it! We've made it through all four episodes about women jewelers of the Arts and Crafts movement! In this final episode, we discuss May Morris, Dorrie Nossiter, Sibyl Dunlop, and Ella Naper, 4 incredible women who crafted beautiful and distinctive jewelry. For more information on Dorrie Nossiter, check out www.dorrienossiter.co.uk

Though jewelry is often thought of as something worn mostly by women in the modern world, there are shockingly few women jewelers recorded throughout history. For the next two months, we will be exploring some of the most influential, talented, and creative women who worked within this fairly male-dominated field. This month (and next!), we are focusing on the Arts and Crafts movement. This episod...

Though jewelry is often thought of as something worn mostly by women in the modern world, there are shockingly few women jewelers recorded throughout history. For the next two months, we will be exploring some of the most influential, talented, and creative women who worked within this fairly male-dominated field. This month (and next!), we are focusing on the Arts and Crafts movement. This episod...

Though jewelry is often thought of as something worn mostly by women in the modern world, there are shockingly few women jewelers recorded throughout history. For the next two months, we will be exploring some of the most influential, talented, and creative women who worked within this fairly male-dominated field. This month, we are focusing on the Arts and Crafts movement, starting with an episod...

We are continuing to ooh, aaah, and bitch over the stolen French Crown Jewels with a look at the Hope Diamond/French Blue Diamond, the Grand Sapphire, and the Côte de Bretagne spinel. In 1792, the audacious theft of the French Crown Jewels rocked Paris. Taking place in the midst of the French Revolution, the theft occurred over the span of multiple days, and saw over 90% of the royal treasury clea...

In 1792, the audacious theft of the French Crown Jewels rocked Paris. Taking place in the midst of the French Revolution, the theft occurred over the span of multiple days, and saw over 90% of the royal treasury cleaned out. In this episode, we are discussing the histories and fates of 3 of these stolen stones- the Sancy, Regent, and Hortensia diamonds.

The discovery of Queen Pu-Abi's grave, replete with glittering treasure and dozens of attendants, guards, and retainers, was a startling and macabre revelation during the 1920s. A woman of high status, either a Queen. Priestess, or perhaps both, Pu-Abi's tomb had been hidden, untouched, for nearly 5,000 years. Come with me on a journey to uncover the shifting ideas about Pu-Abi's identity, her tre...

Tiara Tuesday has quickly become one of the most exciting days of the week, and an opportunity to delve deep into the history of tiaras and all kinds of headwear. Despite making dozens of tiara videos, we have never actually discussed the history, styles, and etiquette of tiaras! Let's dive a bit deeper into the sparkling, ornate head jewelry we all love so much.

We are continuing the conversation about jewelry forgeries by taking a look at some fake historical pieces, embarassing discoveries of forgeries in museum collections, and an ongoing drama involving Fabergé eggs!

Fakes and counterfeits are a huge problem in the jewelry world, from faux designer jewels to modern pieces meant to fool buyers into believing they're genuine antiquities. Far from being a modern problem, this scam has been around for thousands of years! In this episode, we tackle the age-old con of faking precious gems, whether by substituting them with cheaper lookalikes, or creating synthetic d...

By popular demand! For this month's podcast episode topic, I enlisted the help of my Patreon members in the form of a poll (well, two polls), and the topic chosen for April was Art Nouveau jewelry. In part 2, we dive into the histories of two of the most famous art nouveau jewelers, René Lalique and Georges Fouquet, along with the influence of Alphonse Mucha and the most important woman in the mov...

By popular demand! For this month's podcast episode topic, I enlisted the help of my Patreon members in the form of a poll (well, two polls), and the topic chosen for April was Art Nouveau jewelry. In part 1, we cover the basics of the Art Nouveau design movement, along with three incredible jewelry designers- Lucien Gaillard, Henri Vever, and Gabriel Falguieres.

Some of you may have noticed that there were no new podcast episodes during the month of March- no, I did not fall into a portal that transported me back in time to Ptolemaic Egypt (I wish), but I did take the month off to regroup and stave off some dreaded burnout. The podcast will be back in full swing for the month of April, with a new topic that *you,* the lovely listeners, can help me choose!...

Continuing our look into the early history of a truly great American jewelry house, this episode explores some of the immensely talented craftspeople and goldsmiths who were instrumental in bringing Charles Lewis Tiffany and Louis Comfort Tiffany's visions to life. Learn about the contributions of Paulding Farnham, Julia Munson, and Meta Overbeck, along with some of the women who were responsible...

Tiffany & Company is a jewelry and luxury goods brand that has managed to saturate pop culture and public awareness, though many people are unfamiliar with their early history, and their close connection to Tiffany glass. Come with me as we get to know three of the main figures who made the jewelry house the unstoppable force it remains today- Charles Lewis Tiffany, Louis Comfort Tiffany (yes,...

We pick up the History of the famed House of Fabergé where we left off, with an ancient Scythian bracelet and a very impressed Emperor Alexander III. The history continues with the story of the Imperial Easter Eggs, where they ended up, and just what happened to the illustrious firm.

The illustrious House of Fabergé, best known for its whimsical, jewel-encrusted Easter Eggs, has a surprising connection to ancient jewelry. From its founding in 1842 until the fated meeting between Peter Carl Fabergé and Emperor Alexander III, this episode is a journey through the early History of the famed jewelry house, and just what led to the infamous eggs.

Come with me as we go on a journey spanning the globe, across millenia, to take a look at the incredible number of cultures that have cherished turquoise, from the ancient Egyptians to the Mexica people and so many more! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ahjs/support

Whether you love or hate your birthstone(s), you'll probably be surprised to learn that the concept is more than two thousand years old! From the biblical Breastplate of Aaron, to Hindu astrology, and a jeweler's conference in Kansas in 1912, our modern idea of birthstones has some surprising, and very intinteresting, roots. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ahjs/su...

A brief look into the intriguing history of filigree, a technique which was been popular for over 5000 years, and continues to evolve in cultures around the world. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ahjs/support

We continue our look into the history of body piercing, continuing the saga of strange myths and real customs with lip, nipple, and genital piercings! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ahjs/support

A much-requested topic, we start the ancient history of body piercing with a look into earlobe and nose piercings! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ahjs/support

Victorian era Europe saw an increasing interest in the glory days of the Renaissance, and a burgeoning middle class had the money to spend on historical works of art. Goldsmith Reinhold Vasters was just the man to meet the demand, turning out dozens, if not hundreds, of pieces meant to be taken as true Renaissance originals. They were, too, until a chance discovery in the 1970s uncovered the truth...

History’s Greatest Jewelry Scandals, Part 2 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ahjs/support

For this month's Deep Dive, we are going to take a look at some historical jewelry scandals, from the frustrating to the awe-inspiring. In this episode, we cover the only time the British Royal Jewels were stolen, the whereabouts of the missing French Blue diamond, and the Great Diamond Hoax of 1872! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/ahjs/support