What do Bianca Castafiore and Rihanna have in common? What about the Andes Mountains and the Château de Versailles? And JRR Tolkien and James Cameron?

Here’s a hint: they’ve been around since the dawn of time. They’ve induced passion and powerful emotions. Sometimes quaint or ostentatious… They’re jewels.

Whether connected with feelings or power, whether mythical, magical or romantic…their beauty has unveiled many mysteries and unfolded a slew of adventures!

Discover Sentimental Jewels, the first season of Voice of Jewels, the podcast by L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the stories and secrets behind History’s most fascinating jewels.

With Inezita Gay-Eckel, Jewelry Historian and Lecturer at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts and

Léonard Pouy, Professor of Art History and Content and Transmission Manager at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.

Written by Martin Quenehen and Aram Kebabdjian, performed by Edoardo Ballerini and produced by Bababam.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Look at me... That's what jewelry tells us. Because jewelry is always about gaze... and... feelings! But then, what do you do... when gazes have to remain secret? And feelings, clandestine?... What do you do in the case of a Secret Affair? That's exactly what Prince George, the heir to the English throne, wondered one day in 1785... He who was hopelessly (and scandalously) in love with a beautiful and young widow, Maria-Anne Fitzherbert!

That's how the future George IV imagined a piece of jewelry full of passion and mystery! A jewel that was going to launch a devastating fashion trend across the planet... A jewel named: Lover's Eye. The eye... of the lover.

Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the stories and secrets behind History’s most fascinating jewels.

With Inezita Gay-Eckel, Jewelry Historian and Lecturer at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts and

Léonard Pouy, Professor of Art History and Content and Transmission Manager at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.

Written by Martin Quenehen and Aram Kebabdjian, performed by Edoardo Ballerini and produced by Bababam.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Diamonds are often thought to have been exclusively reserved for kings and queens, treasures meant for royalty. However, there is another category of individuals who adorned themselves with these precious gems, treating them as trophies and even weapons for liberation - the courtesans!

At the forefront of these courtesans is a woman whose romantic destiny captivates hearts and even opens the Cannes Film Festival: Jeanne du Barry. Born into the common folk, she rose to the rank of a countess and became the favorite of the King of France! She left behind a legacy as a defender of writers and artists - from Voltaire to Fragonard - and also as an avid collector of jewelry.

Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the stories and secrets behind History’s most fascinating jewels.

With Inezita Gay-Eckel, Jewelry Historian and Lecturer at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts and

Léonard Pouy, Professor of Art History and Content and Transmission Manager at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.

Written by Martin Quenehen and Aram Kebabdjian, performed by Edoardo Ballerini and produced by Bababam.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know that in the trenches of World War I, soldiers made... jewelry? In the chaos and horror of war, love still exists! But how did a simple aluminum ring, fashioned in the midst of turmoil from a German shell, end up at the heart of one of the greatest love stories in literature?

The wild love of Guillaume Apollinaire for the beautiful and rebellious Lou... This is the story of a rudimentary ring, which would eventually be set in gold... The story of a tragic passion - that of a wounded poet - which would be sublimated... in the famous Poems to Lou, a monument of French literature. This is the story... of a "war jewel"... and of love.

Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the stories and secrets behind History’s most fascinating jewels.

With Inezita Gay-Eckel, Jewelry Historian and Lecturer at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts and

Léonard Pouy, Professor of Art History and Content and Transmission Manager at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.

Written by Martin Quenehen and Aram Kebabdjian, performed by Edoardo Ballerini and produced by Bababam.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever wondered why lovers kneel on one knee to ask, “will you marry me”? It’s actually less about the kneeling - it’s more about the ring…

Engagement rings are part of a tradition which dates back to Ancient Rome. They symbolized a legally binding commitment, reserved for the most solemn of oaths. Pretty unromantic...

Things have changed quite a bit since ancient times… asking somebody’s hand is something very passionate… and today, any kind of jewel can be used for an engagement.. rings, earrings, a bracelet, watch, or a necklace... Some people prefer to embrace tradition, others like to rock the boat…

... Just like American rapper A$AP Rocky when he proposed to girlfriend and pop icon, Rihanna…

Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the stories and secrets behind History’s most fascinating jewels.

With Léonard Pouy, Professor of Art History and Content and Transmission Manager at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.

Written by Martin Quenehen and Aram Kebabdjian, performed by Edoardo Ballerini and produced by Bababam.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They say diamonds are forever. Some have such a surprisingly rich tale to tell that you would think they had had one thousand and one lives!

The Great Blue Diamond is one of those. Its barely believable story is the stuff myths are made of.

Discover the Blue Diamond's One Thousand and One Lives, the latest podcast season of Voice of Jewels. A podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the stories and secrets behind History’s most fascinating jewels.

With Cécile Lugand, Doctor in Art History, Editorial content project manager, Heritage and Culture referent at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts ;

Paul Paradis, Art Historian and Lecturer at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts ;

Lætitia Gilles-Guéry, Gemologist and Lecturer at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.

Written by Martin Quenehen and Aram Kebabdjian, performed by Edoardo Ballerini and produced by Bababam.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They say diamonds are forever… but is that really true?

That said, it is true that some have been known to last a very long time, sometimes going through some rather unexpected transformations. The Great Blue Diamond is one of those. Its incredible tale is the stuff of legend and myth.

Our journey takes us around the world, from the Indian empire to King Louis XIV’s court in Versailles. It is one of the world’s most famous diamonds as well as probably the most intriguing. It disrupted the lives of all who approached it, including that of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, the man who discovered it.

Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, unveils the stories and secrets behind History’s most fascinating jewels.

With Cécile Lugand, Doctor in Art History, Editorial content project manager, Heritage and Culture referent at L'ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts and

Paul Paradis, Art Historian and Lecturer at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.

Written by Martin Quenehen and Aram Kebabdjian, performed by Edoardo Ballerini and produced by Bababam.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Wouldn't you say jewelry empowers us? Don't some jewels make us feel invincible ? Some stones and diamonds might. Take our blue diamond for example.

In any case, that is how some kings felt as they collected gems, had them set on their crowns and had exuberant sets of jewelry and insignia designed as a means to display their power.

The famous Golden Fleece King Louis XV had made for him is one of those. It reflects his absolute power… as well as his overthrow.

Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the stories and secrets behind History’s most fascinating jewels.

With Paul Paradis, Art Historian and Lecturer at L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts.

Written by Martin Quenehen and Aram Kebabdjian, performed by Edoardo Ballerini and produced by Bababam.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.