S12E03: Gemstones and Minerals

We’re joined by the brilliant jewellery conservator Bill Hawkes for a dazzling episode about the history of gems, the usefulness of pretty stones, and the intriguing secrets of the jewellery industry. Also tune in for an interview with geological conservator Kate Andrew about the hidden dangers of rock samples and why you should never bin an old label! 01:43 What are minerals? 03:00 Uses of gemstones – light, fading, and lasers! 06:14 Famous diamonds and their history 10:38 Cutting gemstones now and in the past 14:09 More gemstone chemistry 26:27 Hardness vs toughness 33:05 How do you identify gemstones? 41:41 How mucky jewellery gets and cleaning strategies 46:59 What to do if you don’t know what you’ve got 48:43 Pigments and other uses of minerals 52:22 Organic gemstones 56:35 Interview with Kate Andrew Show Notes: - S11E02 Metals (Part 2): https://thecword.show/2022/05/18/s11e05-metals-part-2/ - Bill’s website: https://www.williamhawkes.co.uk/ - Lasers and gemstones: https://www.illinoisscience.org/2019/01/surprising-uses-gemstones-ruby-laser/ - Koh-i-Noor diamond: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koh-i-Noor - Cullinan diamond: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cullinan_Diamond - Black Prince’s Ruby: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Prince%27s_Ruby - Mohs scale of hardness: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohs_scale_of_mineral_hardness - Gemstone colour chemistry: https://www.compoundchem.com/2014/06/29/what-causes-the-colour-of-gemstones/ - Gemmological Association of Great Britain: https://gem-a.com/ - National Association of Jewellers: https://www.naj.co.uk/ - Gemological Institute of America: https://www.gia.edu/ - Icon’s guidance on geological specimens: http://natsca.org/sites/default/files/publications-full/care-and-conservation-of-geological-specimens.pdf Reading recommendations from Bill and Kate: - Gemstones by Cally Hall: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gemstones-Cally-Hall/dp/0241436184/ - The Retail Jeweller’s Guide by Kenneth Blakemore: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Retail-Jewellers-Guide-Kenneth-Blakemore/dp/0719800331 - Care and Conservation of Geological Materials by Frank Howie: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Care-Conservation-Geological-Material-Meteorites/dp/0750603712/ Support us on Patreon! http://www.patreon.com/thecword Hosted by Jenny Mathiasson, Kloe Rumsey, and William Hawkes. Intro and outro music by DDmyzik, used under a Creative Commons Attribution license. Made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International license. A Wooden Dice production, 2022.