Gem Junkies

In this long-awaited comeback episode of our podcast, "Is Anyone Listening?", we enthusiastically announce our return from a brief hiatus! We're thrilled to be back on air, ready to dive into the fascinating world of gemstones once again. This episode is particularly special as we cover two distinct regions: the tropical paradise of Hawaii and our very own home state, Idaho. First up, Hawaii! We'll explore the island's unique geological features and the captivating gemstones they produce. Expect to hear about Hawaii's vibrant and rare minerals that reflect its rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes. Then, we turn to Idaho, the Gem State. We discuss why Idaho earned this nickname, delving into the state's diverse and plentiful gemstone deposits. From the famous Idaho star garnets to opals and more, we uncover the hidden treasures beneath our feet. As always, we share personal anecdotes, fun facts, and our adventures during the hiatus. Whether you're a gemstone enthusiast, a curious listener, or just

It’s been a while! Between (2) quarantines and a terrible case of a stomach bug, we’re back on track to bring you Florida and Georgia. 00:00:00 Name that bool 01:30:00 Long time, no chat 03:18:00 So Florida 05:07:00 Moonstone (For more details on moonstone check out our episode – “Phenomenon-phe-no-me-no-me-non !!!”) 06:45:00 Popularity 07:06:00 Florida state stone 10:41:00 State shell 12:11:00 Georgia – Quartz 13:36:00 2nd most abundant mineral on Earth 14:38:00 Most common mineral on Earth’s crust 15:18:00 Most common mineral in Earth 16:34:00 The core of the Earth 18:42:00 Onto the state mineral—Staurolite 20:33:00 Fairy crystal 20:55:00 Good luck 22:00:00 The legend of the Fairy Crosses

Hello, 2021!! It’s already been off to a crazy start but we will kick things off with the continuation of our “Gems of the US” series. Up next we’ve got Connecticut and Delaware. 00:00:00 Rabbit hole 00:25:00 We’re back 01:45:00 Storytime – wallpaper O3:00:00 Onto Connecticut and Delaware. Neither of which has a state gemstone. 04:12:00 Connecticut State Mineral = Almandine Garnet 05:10:00 The role that Garnet has in Connecticut 05:52:00 The geology of Connecticut 08:40:00 The Garnet trail 09:42:00 Where to collect Garnet 11:19:00 Connecticut has gem-quality material and should have a state gemstone 11:46:00 Understanding mining in CT 12:24:00 Feldspar 12:42:00 Mica 13:25:00 Beryl 16:20:00 Morganite = JP Morgan 18:26:00 Onto Delaware . . . Sillimanite 19:16:00 Where does the name come from? 20:01:00 Why Sillimanite? 21:02:00 Sillimanite as a gemstone 21:56:00 What’s out on the market?

Up next on our journey exploring gemstones across the US we’ve got Colorado. Not only does Colorado have a state gemstone but it also has a state mineral we haven’t covered yet – rhodochrosite. Pull up a chair as we look into into this double-gemmy episode. 00:00:00 Notes 00:29:00 Colorado 01:10:00 The Charlemagne connection 03:52:00 Ranking in most hated states 05:30:00 Aquamarine 05:47:00 1880’s 08:20:00 The discovery at Mt. Antero 09:30:00 About Mt. Antero 09:55:00 High altitude gemstones 12:07:00 Mining story 14:34:00 Commercial mining 16:07:00 Largest aquamarine crystal to be found in CO 18:43:00 Renewed interest in mining 19:46:00 Get a claim 20:41:00 Rhodochrosite 22:13:00 Single-crystal versus an aggregate specimen 23:23:00 Sweet Home Mine 25:52:00 The 1960’s 26:11:50 The Alma Queen 27:03:00 1991 27:26:00 Alma King discovery 27:44:00 The Crystal Wall 29:07:00 Smithsonian 30:13:00 Off-limits 31:31:00 Other gemstones found in Colorado

Continuing with our series Gems of the US and up next we have California. A state that encompasses a plethora of gemstones we focus dabble about Spodumene, Tourmaline, and of coarse, it’s state gemstone--Benitoite. It's a big state so it is only fair to recognize these two influential gemstones. 00:00:00 Calimocho/ Kalimotxo 01:58:00 Cookie Monster + Wednesday Addams = Happy Halloween 03:24:00 This week –California 04:41:00 Benitoite 05:16:00 Its discovery 09:10:00 What is it? 12:44:00 Gemstone matrix and removing the crystals 14:40:00 You can visit the site it was discovered at 16:24:00 Cost of benitoite 17:28:00 All other minerals in California 18:10:00 Leading gemstone mined in California 18:47:00 All the Tourmaline colors 18:57:50 Rubellite Tourmaline 19:11:00 The Chinese connection 20:24:00 Spodumene = Kunzite 21:19:00 Highschool drama w/ Kunzite 26:30:00 Color fading 27:24:00 JP Morgan + George Kunz 28:07:00 Other California Gemstones 30:24:00 [SIDE NOTE] What is California’s rank

Working our way down the alphabet which means we’ve got Arizona and Arkansas up next. These two states bring a plethora of gemmy goodness. 00:00:00 Deck issues 00:58:00 “The United States” 02:10:00 Arizona & Arkansas 03:02:00 Arizona = Turquoise 03:20:00 Rich history in Arizona 03:37:00 State neckwear 05:15:00 First mined in 200 BC 06:06:00 Turquoise legends 06:35:00 It’s found throughout the state 07:31:00 Native American translation for turquoise 08:17:00 Usage with Native Tribes 08:49:00 Healing properties 09:50:00 Famous turquoise mines 12:21:00 Sleeping beauty 14:12:00 Kingman Mine 15:12:00 Other cool gemstones in Arizona 25:37:00 Alright, Arkansas 24:55:00 State gemstone = DIAMONDS! 25:05:00 State flag 25:23:00 Feb. 22nd, 1967 27:02:00 The geology of Arkansas 28:16:00 The discovery of diamonds 29:47:00 The largest diamond found in Arkansas 30:47:00 The start of Arkansas 34:11:00 The early 90’s 35:08:00 The appearance of the diamond in their rough 36:03:00 Average diamo

With so many people unable to travel beyond the US border and taking more local road trips we figured now was the perfect time to explore each state’s gemstone. To start things off we’re talking about Alabama and Alaska. 00:00:00 Who’s starting? 01:01:00 Alabama and Alaska . . . cue the states song 03:17:00 Alabama – Blue Star Quarts 03:26:00 Thought it would be something red 03:48:00 1990 04:04:00 But why? 06:23:00 How is it found? 07:32:00 Blue Star Quartz being an oddity 09:22:00 Is there any mining going on in Alabama? 09:55:00 The Lane Cake 12:16:00 Moving onto Alaska 12:43:00 Jade = nephrite jade To learn more about Jade listen to our episode “Stone of Heaven, Hello Jade!” -- https://soundcloud.com/user-141776549-657959872/stone-of-heaven-hello-jade 13:16:00 Native Alaskan Inuits and their use of jade 13:27:00 Where is Alaskan Jade found? 14:34:00 First non-native to rediscover jade 15:14:00 [Storytime] The legend of the Jade House. 18:27:00 Jade Mountain 19:36:00 About th

We’ve covered gold, silver, and platinum. But how do all of these different metals work within the components of jewelry design? We take you through each step of the process from molding to polish and talk about how these metals vary within each step of the process. To ensure we don’t overlook any details we brought in our production manager, Paul Hartman, to join in on the conversation. 00:00:00 Peeing in the pool 00:40:00 All about metals from a jewelry production standpoint 01:43:00 If you would like to get know more about Paul you can listen to his interview here: https://soundcloud.com/user-141776549-657959872/productionwithpaul 02:13:00 Starting out at the beginning of the process – molding 03:17:00 Gypsum used as the investment 04:46:00 What is the casting temperate 06:06:00 Cleanliness 07:30:00 Is there a lot of difference in casting between the metals? 08:10:00 Why do we like using nickel in white gold? 10:41:00 Clipping off the tree 10:55:00 The trunk of the tree 12:48:00 Polish 16:11:0

What is denser than a diamond and is extremely ductile? PLATINUM. Once tossed away to be believed un-ripened silver that noble metal has become a popular choice in jewelry design. Learn about its discovery and its out of this world origins. 00:00:00 Dubba-dub-dub-dub 00:14:00 The game plan with the podcast 03:50:00 Garden Woes 05:54:00 So Platinum. . . how did it get its name? 06:13:00 Platinum’s discovery 08:22:00 Platinum group of metals 10:05:00 Studying the properties of platinum 13:36:00 First reference of platinum 15:12:00 The heaviness of platinum 15:47:00 Platinum is very ductile 16:19:00 Malleability 16:36:00 Durability 18:33:00 Melting point 19:43:00 Mining platinum 20:52:00 WWII 22:05:00 How did it get here? 22:43:00 The moon 22:58:00 Platinum in the Earth’s crust 24:19:00 Producing pure platinum 26:06:00 Platinum in jewelry 26:51:00 Other usages for platinum 27:28:00 Platinum vs. Gold $$$

Moonbeams and ocean reflections are just a few ways to describe the beauty of Moonstone. This week we explore the world of this translucent yet, opulent gemstone. 00:00:00 That’s an “I” 00:44:00 Moonstone 02:50:00 Why is it called moonstone? 03:43:50 The phenomenon, adularescence 04:31:00 What is moonstone? 06:36:00 Where does the name/word adularescence come from? 07:10:00 Quality factors 08:14:00 Moonstone has two cleavage planes 09:08:00 There are (2) types of moonstone 12:28:00 Moonstone is really a trade name 13:12:00 Where is moonstone found? 13:44:00 State gemstone of Florida 14:23:00 Cultural beliefs with moonstone 16:26:00 Ancient Rome 18:46:00 The lovers stone 19:25:00 The travels stone 20:34:00 Skincare For more information head to: https://www.gia.edu/moonstone

We’ve been away for 6 weeks and we’re all excited to be back at the office! Take a seat as we recap about our quarantine experience and explore the ancient world of Lapis Lazuli. Being one of the oldest gemstones mined, it has an extensive involvement with history and folklore that will lure you in. 00:00:00 Has it really been 6 weeks? 00:29:00 The COVID experience 08:53:00 Ok, we’ve got a gemstone for you—Lapis Lazuli 09:30:00 How long has it been around? 10:12:00 It is a rock! 11:27:00 Its gorgeous blue color 12:53:00 Translucency/ luster/ hardness 13:14:00 What it has been used for 13:23:00 Trade grades and mining locations 15:34:00 How long it takes to mine 17:14:00 A prized procession during ancient time 17:49:00 Citation and translation 18:30:00 Marco Polo 18:56:00 A LOT of history and lore associated with Lapis 19:01:00 Highly favored by the Egyptians 20:24:00 King Solomon 24:45:00 Using semi-precious stones for religious purposes =

This week we're getting back to our roots and talking about a gemstone—chrysoprase. Its golden-green tone has a rich presence in history and folklore. We also explore its healing properties and its ability to be a beacon of courage through a time of change. 00:00:00 Social distancing 00:55:00 2020 has already had it's high and lows 06:38:00 What gemstone are we talking about? 06:58:00 The meaning of chrysoprase 07:37:00 Crystal structure 08:17:00 It’s colored by nickel 11:21:00 The finest color 12:13:00 This gemstone has a rich history 13:58:00 Storytime – negotiating a chrysoprase 14:47:50 First mention of it 15:07:00 Fun stories of chrysoprase 17:19:00 The stone of Venus 17:35:00 Healing/magical properties 18:20:00 To save those who were thieves, to be hung or beheaded 18:53:00 Romanian folklore 19:49:00 King Frederick VII 19:59:00 Saint Wenceslaus Chapel 20:32:00 Assist you to embrace your courage 21:15:00 Emotional balance

One of our goals with the podcast this year is to focus on career paths. Up next, is an interview providing another perspective in opportunities within the jewelry industry--journalism. We sit down with Brecken Branstrator, with National Jeweler, to learn a little more about her role as an editor and of course, talk about the name “Brecken.” 00:00:00 I’m so bossy 01:32:00 “Oh, you’re the other Brecken? 02:22:00 Brecken Branstrator for National Jeweler 03:25:00 How did you get your name? 04:48:00 What do you think the name Brecken means? 06:38:00 How did you get into the gemstone/jewelry world? 08:06:00 Take us through your average day? 09:03:00 What are your favorite things you’ve learned and/or wrote about? 10:04:00 Back to the name Brecken 11:15:00 Anything exciting coming up with National Jewelers 11:48:00 What does your day look like while at Tucson? 15:38:00 If I was going to do something else in the industry . . . 18:03:00 How did you feel growing up with that name? 20:20:00 What is your f

In honor of #womensinternationalday and #womenshistorymonth we sit down with Jennifer Markas to learn more about Women’s Jeweler Association (WJA). We dive into WJA’s history, its mission and get to know Jennifer up close and personal. 00:00:00 Are we ready? 00:16:00 We’re going to Disneyland 00:57:00 Introduction to Jennifer Markas of WJA 01:58:00 Where id WJA start? 05:06:00 A common misconception of WJA 06:57:00 What does it mean to be a member of WJA? 08:26:00 WJA connect 11:17:00 What are some of the goals of WJA? 13:49:00 Equal pay 16:38:00 Young female designers 19:20:00 How do people get involved https://www.womensjewelryassociation.com/ 20:23:00 What is going on in March with WJA? 22:08:00 How is it being promoted? 25:45:00 Tell us about yourself 30:11:00 What is your first memory of a gemstone or a piece of jewelry

We’re back with another interview from Tucson at the JCK show and continue to delve into the world of career paths within the jewelry world. Behind every brand is a marketing team that helps bring life to its story. We sit down with Ben Smittee, of The Smithee Group, to get to know a little more about him and his passion supporting the future of the jewelry industry. 00:00:00 Worse topic ever 00:29:00 Ben Smithee 01:20:00 What do you do in the industry? 02:57:00 First memory with a piece of jewelry or gemstone 05:50:00 A little background that brought you to support the jewelry industry? 12:45:00 Helping bring out the story that needs to be heard 14:58:00 Women’s Jewelry Association and involvement at the Tucson Gem Fair 15:06:00 What about Gem Legacy made you say “yes” this is soething you want to be a part of? 17:03:00 Gem Legacy providing its way to give back and telling its story. 20:34:00 Educating retail jewelers 22:33:00 Tell me about my twins

We regularly get asked, “What can I do with a GG? How do I obtain a GG?” We went straight to the source and sat down with Kimberly Overlin, the Dean of Students from GIA. We discuss the nuts and bolts about GIA (Gemological Institute of America), what it offers to students and review career paths that one can obtain. (Recording took place on the show floor of the AGTA Gem Fair. Some of the background noise was able to get reduce but not fully eliminated.) 00:00:00 Losing an episode 00:27:00 Live from the AGTA with Kimberly Overlin from GIA 01:09:00 Tell us a little bit about you and what you do for GIA? 02:44:00 You got your degree and then what? 03:41:00 The unique part of GIA 04:-2:00 When did you start working for GIA 05:11:00 No family background associated to jewelry and paving a path 05:53:00 Education being key 06:27:00 How does one learn/access more information about GIA 07:05:00 Opportunities for scholarship and financial aid 08:24:00 How to search for scholarships throu

2020 is in full swing and we thought it would be a good idea to give you an idea of things to look forward to from the podcast. 00:00:00 It’s Brecken! 00:06:00 Back from Hong Kong 05:43:00 What to expect this year 07:33:00 Delve into the world of less known/obscure gemstones 08:32:00 Speaking of Tucson . . .

We’ve been busy bees getting ready for trade show season but don’t worry Gem Junkies we haven’t forgotten about you!! For awhile we’ve teased about putting together an episode about birthstones and it’s finally come into fruition. From it’s early biblical beginning to its influence in the jewelry world we delve into its long history. 00:00:00 Take 2. Press Record. 00:24:00 Parle tradeshow line-up 01:28:00 Birthstones 01:49:00 How did it all start? 01:55:00 Biblical – Aaron’s Breastplate 04:27:00 What stones we set up in Aaron’s breastplate 06:50:00 How did we get from breastplate to birthstone? 09:14:00 A developed notion of switching out jewelry every month 10:27:00 Vedic astrological system associated to gemstones 11:25:00 Why are gemstones are connected to planets? 12:32:00 How do we get to the idea of a person always wearing and only wearing a gemstone corresponding to their birth month? 13:49:00 In 1912 – standardization of birthstones 2

Hello 2020!! For the first podcast of the year we sit down with Craig Danforth from Jewelers Mutual. With all the jewelry received over the holidays we talk about the importance of acquiring a policy for your jewelry, the history of Jewelers Mutual and of course, we get to know Craig up close and personal. 00:00:00 Sea Legs 00:42:00 Introducing Craig Danforth 02:09:00 First memory of a piece of jewelry or gemstone 02:50:00 Take us through your life 03:43:00 How did you get involved with jewelry 04:32:00 The silver run at @tiffanyandco 06:32:00 And then . . . @cartier 07:19:00 What was your favorite part about that job? 08:21:00 Working with GIA 10:52:00 Transition to Jewelers Mutual 11:36:00 The polar vortex of Wisconsin 12:39:00 The “Gem State” 13:01:00 What do you do for Jewelers Mutual? 14:10:00 The history of Jewelers Mutual 18:31:00 How do I insure this? 23:21:00 A care plan through Jewelers Mutual 24:54:00 How to learn more a

If you’ve been wondering who is often laughing in the background when we’re recording a podcast it’s me, Stephanie Major. Hey Gem Junkies, I’m the producer and marketing coordinator at Parle. We thought it might be time to step up to the mic and for you all to get to know a little more about me. 00:00:00 Hey, @spencerpratt 03:34:00 Happy Birthday Abbey 01:39:00 [Going down a rabbit hole] A look back of the past 02:29:00 The interviews we’ve done 03:14:00 Which one was your favorite interview? 04:47:00 Another interview. . . Stephanie (our podcast producer) 06:41:00 I don’t wear a lot of jewelry 07:20:00 What’s your life story 10:19:00 10 years ago – A BIG YEAR 14:54:00 Never say no . . .fake it till you make it 16:00:00 How did you get to Pocatello 17:36:00 I am done with homeschool 19:11:00 Sh*!, what am I going to do? 21:08:00 A day in the life 22:56:00 A learning curve to get started 23:44:00 A week overview 25:45:00 A personal initiative 26:59:00 Brand Building 27:57:00 Cha