Gem Pursuit: An Antique Jewellery Podcast

A deep red garnet is a familiar sight in antique jewellery. But the same mineral group also includes purple-red rhodolite, bright orange spessartine and green demantoid. Some are plentiful; others are much harder to find, particularly in larger sizes. Matthew and Fenia look at what connects these stones, how their different compositions affect their appearance, and why garnet deserves a closer look. They trace its place in carved ancient gems and Victorian jewellery, explore the stories attached to its pomegranate-like colour, and open Fabergé’s Winter Egg to find the tiny green garnets inside. Matthew also considers the qualities that matter when choosing a piece, from colour and cut to the size of a demantoid, before Gem Trivial Pursuit takes a pomegranate theme. Key Takeaways • Garnet is a group of related minerals with a shared crystal structure and different chemical compositions. • Its colours include the familiar reds, purple-red rhodolite, orange spessartine and the greens of tsavorite and demantoid. • Garnet has a long jewellery history, from carved ancient stones to Victorian necklaces, brooches and earrings. • Fabergé’s 1913 Winter Egg contains a basket of white-quartz wood anemones with demantoid garnets among its materials. • Colour, cut, clarity and the rarity of a particular variety in a given size all affect value. Selected Timestamps 00:00 A closer look at garnet 01:52 What is garnet? 06:03 Garnet names and varieties 09:47 Where garnets are found 12:53 History and lore 22:04 Famous pieces and the Winter Egg 29:20 Looking inside demantoid 32:45 Value and what to look for 39:11 Gem Trivial Pursuit Resources • GIA: Garnet description, https://www.gia.edu/garnet-description • GIA: Garnet buyer’s guide, https://www.gia.edu/garnet/buyers-guide • GIA: Garnet history and lore, https://www.gia.edu/garnet-history-lore • Christie’s: The Winter Egg, https://www.christies.com/en/lot/lot-6559093 • Courtville Antiques: https://www.courtville.ie • Gem Pursuit: https://gempursuit.com Socials & Contact Instagram: @gempursuitpod Instagram: @courtvilleantiques TikTok: @matthew.weldon Email: [email protected] Get social with Courtville, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok This podcast was produced for Courtville by Tape Deck Hosts: Matthew Weldon and Fenia Sigkoudi Research: Veronique Goguen Producer: Ross Hannon Video: Darragh

Why does moonstone seem to carry a moving glow beneath its surface? Matthew and Fenia explore the feldspar gemstone known for adularescence, the soft white or blue sheen that shifts as a stone is turned. From smooth cabochons to carved Victorian faces, they discuss how jewellers work with that effect and why moonstone suited the designs of the Art Nouveau period. Fenia shares the story of her first moonstone ring, bought in Crete, and introduces a very different love token: a Lalique bat ring given by Liane de Pougy to the writer Natalie Clifford Barney. The conversation also takes in moonstone's romantic folklore and Matthew's advice on assessing its sheen and condition. Key Takeaways • Adularescence is the moving glow that gives moonstone much of its appeal. • Cut and orientation affect how well that sheen appears. • Carved moonstones give jewellers another way to use the stone's visual character. • Design, history and personal meaning can contribute to a piece's appeal alongside gemstone quality. • Turn a moonstone under the light and inspect its condition before choosing a piece. Resources Moonstone description, GIA: https://www.gia.edu/moonstone-description Moonstone quality factors, GIA: https://www.gia.edu/moonstone-quality-factor Moonstone care and cleaning, GIA: https://www.gia.edu/moonstone-care-cleaning Lalique's bat ring, Musée des Arts Décoratifs: https://collections.madparis.fr/document/bague/627a8be93edd95462247e72f?pos=4 Courtville Antiques: https://www.courtville.ie Gem Pursuit: https://gempursuit.com Hosted by Matthew Weldon and Fenia Sigkoudi. Research: Veronique Goguen. Videography: Colin Weldon. Producer: Ross Hannon, Tape Deck. www.courtville.ie www.gempursuit.com Get social with Courtville, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok This podcast was produced for Courtville by Tape Deck

Amber can preserve a moment for millions of years, hold a static charge, float in salt water and carry the remains of ancient insects. Yet despite its place in jewellery history, it is not actually a mineral or a stone. In this episode of Gem Pursuit, Matthew Weldon is joined by gemologist Colin Weldon to explore how amber forms, why it feels warm to the touch and what separates natural amber from convincing imitations. They follow amber’s journey along the ancient Amber Road, examine its use in Roman, medieval and Arts and Crafts jewellery, and investigate what colour, clarity, condition and unusual inclusions can do to its value. The conversation also takes in the science behind Jurassic Park, the mystery of the missing Amber Room and one of Europe’s largest surviving amber specimens. www.courtville.ie www.gempursuit.com Get social with Courtville, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok This podcast was produced for Courtville by Tape Deck

For more than 6,000 years, lapis lazuli has connected Afghanistan, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Renaissance painting and the world of antique jewellery. In this episode Matthew and Fenia explore the deep, violet-blue stone that shows up in the mask of King Tut, as ancient carved vessels in the Louvre, in the paintings of Vermeer and of course, has been a staple gemstone in jewellery pieces for thousands of years. Lapis Lazuli! www.courtville.ie www.gempursuit.com Get social with Courtville, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok This podcast was produced for Courtville by Tape Deck

An 11 minute raid. Six smashed display cases. Twenty-seven works gone, including one of Rene Lalique's most symbolic jewels: the Woman Dragonfly With Open Wings pendant. In episode 125 of Gem Pursuit, Matthew tells the story of the Lalique Museum Heist. This time the setting is smaller, but the loss is deeply painful for anyone who cares about jewellery history: 27 works by Rene Lalique stolen from the Musee Lalique in Wingen-sur-Moder, Alsace. Matthew begins with the reason Lalique matters. His jewellery was not valuable only because of gold, diamonds or precious stones. Lalique used glass, enamel, horn, ivory and semi-precious stones to make jewellery whose real value sits in design, technique, cultural importance and imagination. The episode then reconstructs the theft itself: three masked men, an early morning break-in, sledgehammers, six display cases and an alarm response that appears to have failed at the worst possible moment. Matthew also looks at the practical problem facing the thieves afterwards. These pieces are recognisable, fragile and difficult to sell openly, while breaking them up would destroy much of what makes them valuable. The episode closes with the wider question raised by the Lalique and Louvre thefts: how should museums protect vulnerable objects while still allowing the public to see the real thing? www.courtville.ie www.gempursuit.com Get social with Courtville, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok This podcast was produced for Courtville by Tape Deck