Tea & Gemstones
All Things Jewelry! Your home for a happy shiny mix of social commentary and gemstone history. Dish on today's modern jewelry trends and discover designers both classic and new. We also get historical and science-y; let's talk epic diamonds, scandals, royal crown jewels and why certain gems are the way they are. Basically, come in and enjoy all things shimmer glimmer and shine.
Episodes
40 episodes
039. Suffragette Jewelry
"Jewelry is how you show the world what you're thinking without saying a word." This is a popular mantra at Tea & Gemstones. How did Suffragettes -a woman seeking the right to vote through organized protest- use jewelry for their cause? We'...
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Season 4
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Episode 39
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24:30
038. Ouroburos
People like the concept of jewelry representing "forever." But what does a forever symbol look like to you? Well... for thousands of years there was one popular and revered icon of eternity: the ouroboros, or "tail-devourer" Let's break away fr...
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Season 3
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Episode 38
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30:23
037. Cottagecore
When life gets big and scary and we feel overwhelmed... how do we seek daily comfort? What restores us when we are stressed and tired? Science says: Nature! How does the rejuvenating power of plants connect to the rise of a trendy aesthetics-on...
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Season 3
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Episode 37
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31:28
036. The Imitators
Welcome to Season Three! Let's dive into the world of sparkly masquerade; the stones we prize because they're "like" a diamond. But these imitators deserve to stand and shine on their own merit. Come in and meet them; you might just fall in lov...
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Season 3
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Episode 36
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32:44
035. Labradorite
Opals may reign supreme as the most popular iridescent gemstone... but labradorite is coming for their throne. Let me introduce you to this gorgeous feldspar. It is a stone with a galaxy of visual magic within it, believed by legend to be the b...
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Season 2
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Episode 35
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19:55
034. Carmen Lucia Ruby
The rich red of the ruby is a well-established representative of love. But one astoundingly exquisite ruby in the Smithsonian National Gem Collection has a particularly interesting romantic history. Let's journey to uncover the origins and not-...
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Season 2
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Episode 34
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20:02
033. History of Birthstones
The notion of assigning a gemstone to represent a specific calendar month is a concept both ancient and modern, with shifting definitions through time. Let's pull birthstone's origins from the fog of history, talk about who exactly made t...
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Season 2
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Episode 33
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23:24
032. JUSKA (Jewelry U Should Know About): Daniela Villegas
It is my pleasure to introduce you to jewelry designer Daniela Villegas. She flawlessly and creatively mixes together the natural world, exquisite materials and a lot of imagination. The first thing you see on Daniela's Instagram bio is a...
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Season 1
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Episode 32
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16:26
031. Gemstones of the Zodiac
Aquarius, Pisces, Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius and Capricorn. These are the 12 signs of the Zodiac. Whether or not you believe in the power of astrology, the unshakable fact is the stars were in a certa...
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Season 2
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Episode 31
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44:21
030. Fanciful Feathers
Take flight! There is no other creature so dually harmonizing pure aesthetic beauty and meaningful imagery than the bird. We discuss the origins of bird jewelry (about 130,000 years ago) and trace mankind's fascination with birds rendered into ...
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Season 2
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Episode 30
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37:49
029. Controversial Jewelry Pt. 2
This episode tackles the topic of jewelry that is emotionally, societal and culturally controversial. Can a piece of jewelry not just be inappropriate, but offensive and straight-up WRONG? In part two, we’re going to talk about some heavier top...
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Season 2
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Episode 29
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31:32
028. Controversial Jewelry Pt. 1
Most jewelry does not trigger a debate. The vast majority of jewelry does not prompt visceral reactions. But most is not ‘all’, and there are absolutely some kinds of jewelry that immediately spark a sharing of opinions, or even a guttural expr...
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Season 2
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Episode 28
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29:12
027. More Magnificent Opals
It's not time to leave opals behind just yet! We've got More Magnificent Opals. Specifically, the very best of the best. The biggest, the rarest, the most beautiful; come and meet the cast: the Olympic and Aurora Australis, a pair of Fire &...
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Season 2
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Episode 27
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38:05
026. Magnificent Opals
This is the long awaited, much requested opals episode! Learn about opal's very unique formation process, all the color possibilities, and quirky physical features. I also cast a critical eye on the origins of the "opals are bad luck" myth and ...
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Season 2
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Episode 26
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49:03
025. Story of Silver Pt. 2
Silver has been second place to gold long enough. This two part episode series hope to change that. Come on everyone! Let's walk through the history, the science, the cultural connections, how silver is intricately involved in so much of ...
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Season 2
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Episode 25
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46:26
024. Story of Silver Pt. 1
Silver has been second place to gold long enough. This two part episode series hope to change that. Come on everyone! Let's walk through the history, the science, the cultural connections, how silver is intricately involved in so much of ...
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Season 2
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Episode 24
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34:08
023. Bling Bugs
Can something "icky" become beautiful via a transformation into jewelry?How has buggy adornment trended and changed throughout history? What significance did different cultures assign to insects? We discuss the not-so-simple artisan challen...
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Season 2
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Episode 23
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41:30
022. Beyond the Rainbow: Diamonds
Season Two Premiere! The very first episode of this show was "Across the Rainbow: Diamonds" and we talked about the ROY G BIV of diamond bling. It seems only fitting for season two to kick off with going 'beyond the rainbow'... yes, there are s...
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Season 2
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Episode 22
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43:20
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021. Luck & Protection Jewelry
Season one finale!!! Can jewelry protect us? Can jewelry bring luck or good fortune? From earliest recorded history, mankind has used jewelry and gemstones to try to influence fate or render protection from evil. How has this conce...
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Season 1
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Episode 21
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32:49
020. Mourning Jewelry
It is not a foreign concept to wear a piece of jewelry to imbue you with comfort, strength and connection to a memory. But for about four decades in the late 1800s, the absolute dominant style of jewelry was 'mourning jewelry.' I trace th...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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35:28
019. JUSKA (Jewelry U Should Know About): Dear Rose, With Love
In JUSKA episodes I highlight a designer or a shop, or an event you may not know was out there in the world of jewelry and gemstones. In this episode let's talk about "Dear Rose, With Love." This shop opens you up to a wonderful world of ...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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22:27
018. Watches: Jewelry or Not?
What is the purpose of jewelry? Personal adornments conveying wealth, authority or engagement or just to show, like 'hey, I like the color blue'. But what about watches? They certainly have a function... but are they jewelry with a ...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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22:57
Patreon Bonus Episode! Diamond Shapes 101: Extra Credit
Tea & Gemstones Patreon page is now launched! To celebrate, the first bonus episode is being shared with everyone... but this is the only time! After this, all bonus episodes will be on Patreon! Head to the page link below to sign up...
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20:47
017. 94th Academy Awards Red Carpet Review
The 2022 Oscars were surprisingly memorable... for a mix of reasons. But here in this episode we are taking a focus on all the sparkly jewelry from the red carpet and stage. Red was the color of the evening for gowns, but what gems took center ...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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36:57
016. Signet Rings: A Holy Authority
Let's talk about one of the most powerful *jobs* a piece of jewelry can have. The signet ring has a unique connection to personal identity and authority; from the humble family crest on an heirloom, to kings and merchants, all the way to bespok...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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22:52
