Ear Candy: The Best Jewellery Podcasts Right Now

There was a time when finding a good jewellery podcast meant digging through a very limited selection of aural offerings. Thankfully, things have changed, and there are now plenty of podcasts catering to just about every jewellery obsession. You can eavesdrop on conversations with some of the world’s leading jewellers, delve into the histories of famous gems, discover independent designers or find out what everyone in the industry is talking about – all while walking the dog, commuting to work or making dinner.

The only problem is knowing where to start. I’ve listened to a lot of jewellery podcasts – some familiar, others completely new to me – and whittled them down to five favourites. Consider this your shortcut to some seriously good jewellery listening.

If Jewels Could Talk with Carol Woolton

If you love jewellery but also want to know the stories behind it, If Jewels Could Talk is the podcast for you. Former British Vogue Jewellery Editor Carol Woolton has spent more than 25 years writing about jewels, so there are few people better placed to explore royal scandals, extraordinary discoveries and the lives and work of some of the biggest names in the industry.

Episodes have covered the Tudor Heart pendant that was unearthed by a metal detectorist in Britain in 2019, Cartier’s blockbuster V&A exhibition and the macabre world of Codognato, one of Europe's most eccentric jewellers. Guests are equally impressive, with Michelle Ong, Glenn Spiro and David and Sybil Yurman among those joining Carol for a chat. I particularly enjoyed her conversation with the actress Jennifer Tilly, a modern-day Elizabeth Taylor whose remarkable jewellery collection includes one of the most important pieces of American jewellery ever created: the iconic aquamarine and ruby Belt Buckle necklace by Paul Flato.

Woolton’s warm, conversational style makes even the most complex historical subjects feel accessible. She knows when to let her guests do the talking, chiming in with questions and fascinating nuggets of her own. Episodes usually run for 40 to 60 minutes, and with more than 100 to choose from, there’s an impressive back catalogue to explore.

Best for: Jewellery lovers who enjoy the stories as much as the stones.

A Thousand Facets

If independent jewellery is your thing, chances are A Thousand Facets is already on your radar. Since launching in January 2023, the podcast has become a firm favourite among collectors, makers and jewellery obsessives, with its anonymous host bringing the same infectious enthusiasm to her interviews that has made her A Thousand Facets Instagram account such a brilliant showcase for independent talent.

This is where you come to meet the people behind the jewels. Recent guests include Danish jeweller Max Danger – returning for a second time – Märta Mattsson and NYC Jewelry Week co-founder Bella Neyman, with previous interviewees ranging from Giovanni Corvaja and Alice Cicolini to Tura Sugden and Anthony Lent. Conversations wander from childhood influences and unusual materials to techniques, creative breakthroughs and the realities of life as a working jeweller. 

It’s intellectually engaging without ever feeling overly serious. My most recent A Thousand Facets listen was an excellent interview with Karen Cheung from Kerchung!, whose gloriously sweary jewels make me smile. Just what you need when you’re dismantling the patriarchy, one porcelain pendant at a time. 

Best for: Discovering brilliant independent jewellers before everyone else does.

Gem Pursuit: An Antique Jewellery Podcast

If you can happily lose an hour reading about a famous diamond or an extraordinary jewel from the past, Gem Pursuit is for you. Launched in 2020 and hosted by Courtville Antiques CEO Matthew Weldon and gemmologist Alyce Ketcher, the podcast delves into the stories, people and mysteries behind antique and vintage jewellery.

Recent episodes have explored how Frédéric Boucheron built one of France’s great jewellery maisons, followed the extraordinary adventures of 17th-century gem merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier and investigated the stories behind the Orlov, Dresden Green and long-lost Florentine diamonds. There are also more practical conversations about careers in antique jewellery, buying and selling, and how the trade is changing.

It’s the more unexpected subjects that proved most interesting to me. Until I listened to an episode called Andy Warhol’s Secret Stash, I had no idea the Pop artist was also a serious jewellery collector. It turns out Warhol was well ahead of the market, buying Art Deco and 1940s jewels in the 1960s and ’70s, long before collectors began coveting them. His eclectic collection ranged from Cartier and Elsa Peretti for Tiffany & Co. to surrealist jewels by Salvador Dalí, pieces by Jean Després and an aquamarine parure once worn by Joan Crawford. It’s exactly this sort of story that makes Gem Pursuit such an enjoyable listen, with Matthew and Alyce’s easy rapport keeping even the more technical subjects entertaining.

Best for: Jewellery history, legendary gems and a good mystery.

The Jewelry District

Want to know what the jewellery industry is talking about right now? The Jewelry District is the podcast from American trade publication JCK, hosted by its editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky and news director Rob Bates. Both are hugely experienced jewellery journalists, which makes for informed – and often refreshingly candid – conversations about the issues affecting the industry.

Recent episodes have tackled everything from soaring gold prices and the natural versus lab-grown diamond debate to tariffs, watches and the future of De Beers. Interviews bring some big jewellery names into the mix too, including Eddie LeVian and, most recently, Ruveil founder Gabrielle Saunders.

At around 30 minutes, episodes are short and snappy, alternating between discussions of the latest jewellery news and interviews that often reveal brilliant insider stories. Lorraine Schwartz, for example, recalls fitting Angelina Jolie for the 2009 Oscars, when she decided on “no diamonds, just emeralds”. At the time, darker emeralds dominated the market, but the enormous, brilliantly green Colombian emerald earrings Jolie wore that night helped change the colour people wanted. Afterwards, Schwartz’s sister Ofira remembers people approaching them at trade shows to thank them for what they had done for emeralds.

It can get quite deep into the business of jewellery, so this one is definitely aimed more at those who work in the trade. For industry insiders, it’s a great way to keep your finger on the pulse.

Best for: Staying on top of the latest jewellery industry news.

GoldDust with Kate Baxter

Launched in March this year, GoldDust takes an honest look at what it really takes to build a successful jewellery brand. Hosted by Kate Baxter, jewellery consultant and founder of The Cut London, it goes beyond the polished Instagram feeds to talk about the creative and commercial realities of running a business.

There are only five episodes so far, but the guest list is already strong. Hannah Martin, Polly Wales, Rachel Boston, Susannah King and Laura Vann have all joined Baxter to talk candidly about everything from finding a signature style and reaching the right customer to pricing, production and the less glamorous side of growing a jewellery business. I particularly enjoyed Hannah Martin’s refusal to subscribe to the idea that successful jewellery has to please everyone. Twenty years into her business, she talks openly about resisting the temptation to make her designs more commercial, knowing exactly who her customer is, and the things she has got wrong along the way.

GoldDust gets into the stuff we don’t often hear about – the decisions, dilemmas and day-to-day realities behind a jewellery brand. If you’ve ever wondered what goes on beyond the beautiful imagery and finished jewels, this is a good place to find out.

Best for: Independent jewellers and anyone thinking of starting their own brand.

Other Jewellery Podcasts to Check Out

Five is hardly exhaustive, so there are a few more jewellery podcasts worth adding to your listening list, including Pass the Torch: Legacies in Jewelry, The Jewellers Podcast, Brillante and the BAJ Jewellery Podcast. And if you’re a Katerina Perez reader, there’s an added reason to seek them out: Katerina has been a guest on all four.

Most recently, she joined Australian jeweller John Calleija on episode 80 of The Jewellers Podcast ahead of the Diamond Guild Australia Awards, while her BAJ Jewellery Podcast appearance dates back to 2022, when she discussed social media and virtual connections in fine jewellery. You can also hear her talking about her career and approach to jewellery storytelling on Pass the Torch and Brillante.

And finally, I found a podcast that combines two of my favourite subjects: jewellery and true crime. The Diamond King, launched in August as part of the Telegraph Investigates series, charts the extraordinary rise and fall of Nirav Modi, the billionaire diamond tycoon whose jewels were worn by the likes of Kate Winslet and Priyanka Chopra Jonas.

In 2018, Modi was accused of masterminding a £1.3 billion bank fraud in India and disappeared from public view, becoming one of the world’s most wanted men. The series follows The Telegraph journalists who tracked him down in London and tells the story of how a celebrated jeweller with boutiques around the world ended up at the centre of an enormous financial scandal.

I’m only halfway through, but I’m completely hooked. Jewellery, diamonds, an alleged billion-pound fraud and an international manhunt – it certainly ticks all my boxes. Happy listening.