Startseite Podcasts The Hidden Gem

The Hidden Gem

SSEF 7 Folgen Okt 6, 2026

Gems carry beauty as well as history, science, culture, and the lives of the people who find, study, cut, trade, and treasure them. The Hidden Gem is a podcast from the Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF). In each episode, Laurent Cartier and Michael Krzemnicki speak with leading figures in gemstones and jewellery about the journey from source to finished piece and the human stories along the way.

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Brian Cook: On Paraíba tourmaline and a colour the world had never seen Okt 6, 2026 2453 Geologist and gem hunter Brian Cook joins Laurent Cartier to talk about a life spent chasing crystals in Brazil — and about being one of the first people outside the country to see Paraíba tourmaline. From a chrysocolla pebble given to a high-school girlfriend, to emerald pits in the Bahian outback, to a dinner plate of electric blue stones in a remote town in Rio Grande do Norte, Brian tells the

Helen Molesworth: On why gems and jewels touch every level of humanity Mai 6, 2026 2296 Jewellery historian and gemmologist Helen Molesworth joins Laurent Cartier at the V&A in London to explore why gems have captivated humanity for thousands of years. From a childhood geode that broke her leg to curating the museum's blockbuster Cartier exhibition, Helen makes the case that no other subject sits at the crossroads of science, history, art and emotion quite like this one.

Enzo Liverino: On precious coral, craftsmanship, and the heritage we pass on Mai 6, 2026 2596 Fourth-generation coral specialist Enzo Liverino joins Laurent Cartier to talk about precious coral — a material humans have prized for thousands of years, from Mediterranean fishermen to Tibet and the kings of Benin. From learning to read a coral branch as a boy in his father's factory in Torre del Greco, to buying rough material in Japan and Taiwan in his twenties, Enzo shares a lifetime of know

Joanna Hardy: On gems and being custodians of what the earth provides Mai 6, 2026 3691 Jewellery historian and Antiques Roadshow specialist Joanna Hardy joins Laurent Cartier at Goldsmiths' Hall in London to talk about a career built on curiosity — from a childhood spent surrounded by her godmother's mineral cabinets, to sorting rough diamonds at De Beers in the 1980s, to writing definitive books on ruby, sapphire and emerald. Joanna reflects on what it took to find her way in a mal

Hussain Alfardan: On a lifetime with natural pearls Mai 6, 2026 2318 Hussain Alfardan, one of the world's most influential collectors of natural pearls, joins Michael Krzemnicki and Laurent Cartier at GemGenève to share a lifetime spent with pearls. Born into a Qatari family whose business traced back through generations of pearl trading, Mr. Alfardan saw the Gulf's pearl economy collapse with the arrival of cultured pearls and the discovery of oil — and yet kept c

Prof. Dr. Henry A. Hänni: On a life in gemmology, curiosity, and the courage to question Mai 6, 2026 2577 Recorded in the summer of 2024, this episode is a conversation with Professor Dr. Henry Hänni, who served as Director of SSEF from 1990 to 2009 and whose work helped shape modern gemmology. Henry passed away on 8 January 2025, and it is a privilege to share his voice here. Laurent Cartier — a former student of Henry's — speaks with him about an unconventional path into science, the discoveries tha

Prof. Dr. Henry A. Hänni: Über ein Leben in der Gemmologie, Neugier und den Mut zu hinterfragen Mai 6, 2026 2398 Diese Folge ist ein Gespräch mit Professor Dr. Henry Hänni, der von 1990 bis 2009 Direktor des SSEF war und dessen Arbeit die moderne Gemmologie massgeblich geprägt hat. Aufgezeichnet wurde es im Sommer 2024. Henry verstarb am 8. Januar 2025, und es ist ein Privileg, seine Stimme hier teilen zu dürfen. Laurent Cartier — ein ehemaliger Student Henrys — spricht mit ihm über seinen unkonventionellen