In Paris, in the 1920s, a myriad of languages was spoken. Elegant ladies from all over the world flocked to the French capital to shop to their heart’s content. The city, a veritable crossroads of influences, drew inspiration from the most diverse sources. But if there was one country whose charms enchanted high society, it was China. Shanghai was on everyone’s lips. The exotic name made people dream, and it inspired and offered a repertoire of new forms to designers. In the workshop of the La...
Apr 17, 2025•17 min•Season 9Ep. 4
Can jewelry be used as an instrument in liberation or a tool in the struggle for freedom? It is the early 20th century. The world is abuzz with countless battles: those that tear nations apart, but also those for women’s rights. It is in this tumultuous context that the Art Deco movement emerges. The jewelry pieces born from this artistic movement become symbols of modernity, freedom, and audacity. In their own way, they accompany the emancipation of women, in particular in the 1920s, nicknamed ...
Apr 10, 2025•15 min•Season 9Ep. 3
Movie stars have always worn jewelry. In the 1920s, the Art Deco style gradually took over red carpets and film reels. Worn by some of the greatest actresses of the day, from Louise Brooks to Brigitte Helm, Art-Deco jewelry was the epitome of modern beauty. Raymond Templier, one of the leading jewelry-makers of that time, seized this opportunity to free his creations from tradition, and mark his era with bold pieces, celebrating speed and pure lines. Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, Scho...
Apr 03, 2025•14 min•Season 9Ep. 2
Where do new ideas come from? What is the genesis of those masterpieces that have redefined Modernity? At the beginning of the 20th century, a revolutionary artistic movement emerged, with the ambition of changing everything. This movement was Art Deco. A new style, with clean, pure lines that owes its name to an event with global repercussions, held in Paris in 1925: The International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts. At the heart of this avant-garde event, and amongst the je...
Mar 27, 2025•14 min•Season 9Ep. 1
Jewelry is often turned towards the future… In the interwar period, changes were stirring in the world of creative design. Jewelry was imbued with Modernity: radical forms, new materials, speed, lightness... These novel jewelry pieces reflected the changing standards of beauty. In this new season, Voice of Jewels takes listeners to the heart of a creative explosion, where daring women and secrets abound, told through stunning jewels in an innovative, influential style … Art Deco. Voice of Jewels...
Mar 20, 2025•1 min
He is known as the most important American artist of the second half of the 20th century. A Pop icon par excellence, rumor has it that he once declared: “It would be glamorous to be reincarnated as a great big ring on Liz Taylor’s finger.” In a sense, that is exactly what he did. When he died, a veritable treasure trove was discovered, hidden in his apartment, including a small diamond heart containing plenty of secrets. Proof perhaps that fame often conceals even greater gifts... Voice of Jewel...
Feb 27, 2025•12 min•Season 8Ep. 4
Some treasures tell beautiful stories. Others are connected to tragedies... As is the case with the Jewish Treasure of Colmar. Hidden in dramatic circumstances, it was miraculously preserved. The treasure, comprising objects of a rare luxury, along with more modest items, is the witness to a past filled with darkness, but also with light. 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 fa...
Feb 20, 2025•10 min•Season 8Ep. 3
Treasures have been found at the bottom of the sea, in the jungle, in fields … usually far removed from human habitation. But there have been some remarkable exceptions! A few feet underground, in the middle of one of London’s busiest streets, the Cheapside wooden chest managed to conceal its secrets for three hundred years. Without doubt, the most urban treasure story imaginable. Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the s...
Feb 13, 2025•12 min•Season 8Ep. 2
Some treasures disappear forever ... but others resurface. Like the sunken treasure of Belitung. Once submerged in a reef, somewhere in the Java Sea, the treasure now holds pride of place, in the heart of the Asian Civilizations Museum in Singapore. Presented in a display that evokes the benevolent and impetuous waves on which it once sailed, the Belitung Treasure contains remarkable riches. It is also connected to the great history of the Silk Roads. Synonymous with human adventure, full of won...
Feb 06, 2025•11 min•Season 8Ep. 1
Swallowed by the sea, buried, hidden behind walls or concealed… True treasure troves have always known the best place to hide. And when to reappear and surprise us! Harboring tales worthy of an adventure novel, they often contain fascinating secrets. In this new season of The Voice of Jewels, we travel from the Java Sea to the entrails of London to medieval Colmar in the east of France… We even make a visit to Andy Warhol’s room in New York! Discover the secrets of these remarkable treasures of ...
Jan 23, 2025•57 sec
Some jewels have only ever existed in books, and this is probably why they are so famous. Tolkien’s rings are amongst those mythical jewels found only in fiction, created thanks to their talented author. However, Tolkien did in fact, attempt to anchor his iconic rings to a true story and it is possible that a very real jewel served as his inspiration. This is the story of a magic ring and a curse. Of course... Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef...
Dec 05, 2024•14 min•Season 7Ep. 4
“It was in Megara, a suburb of Carthage, in the gardens of Hamilcar…” This is the opening sentence of Salammbô, Flaubert’s great historical novel, which has become a cult classic. Just like its heroine … the Carthaginian princess with dazzling finery and a tragic destiny. Salammbô was a profound source of inspiration to the artists of the Belle Époque and particularly, one of its avant-garde jewelers: the audacious René Lalique. But how did a jeweler dare to give substance to such a sensual, ext...
Nov 28, 2024•13 min•Season 7Ep. 3
In 1895, Sarah Bernhardt, then known as ‘the empress of the theatre’, had just acquired a theatre in Paris, on the Place du Châtelet: the Théâtre de la Renaissance. And to launch it, she needed a play. Or rather: a success. Sarah Bernhardt commissioned a young up-and-coming playwright, Edmond Rostand, to write a historical drama in her honour, entitled La Princesse lointaine. To further her triumph, Sarah turned to the great jeweller René Lalique, whom she asked to make her a crown... the likes ...
Nov 21, 2024•12 min•Season 7Ep. 2
It's well known that the sword is the prerogative of knights and musketeers. But did you know that the weapon could also be transformed into a living symbol of the talents of men and women of letters? And sometimes even into exceptional pieces of jewellery... In 1955, Jean Cocteau faced a major challenge: to become the first academician to design his own sword. Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the stories and secrets b...
Nov 14, 2024•13 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Jewels can tell stories… they can also inspire them… The greatest writers, actresses, and poets have forged masterpieces from jewels, gems, and precious metals. While some pieces really exist, others do so only in the realm of the imagination. This new season of Voice of Jewels takes listeners on a journey of discovery… From a cursed gold ring to the sparkling crown of a princess in love to a most unique and unusual sword! Listen to the history of these jewels, springing not from the entrails of...
Oct 31, 2024•57 sec
This is the penultimate chapter in the story of Cixi, Empress Dowager of the Qing dynasty, renowned for her enduring love of different types of jade. Even more precious than gold or diamonds, jade is considered the ultimate good luck charm. Over time, it has become a symbol associated with China’s emperors and empresses. Steeped in legends and myths, jade is believed to bring wisdom to all those who wear it... and maybe even eternal life. Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelr...
Oct 17, 2024•15 min•Season 6Ep. 4
Can a piece of jewelry save a life? Or guarantee eternity? Napoleon Bonaparte believed this to be the case. His military campaigns around the world had already introduced him to the supernatural power of jewelry... But it was after escaping death a first time that his faith in the power of jewelry was properly set. So much so that he imagined a strange talisman, a lucky charm and symbol of his love, sculpted in the shape of… a scarab beetle! Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jew...
Oct 10, 2024•13 min•Season 6Ep. 3
Have you ever heard of abraxas? These are talismans in the shape of oblong shields, covered with motifs inspired by Egyptian, Greek, and Roman mythology, and engraved with Kabbalistic prayers, Hebrew words, and magical symbols. One could easily believe that these strange jewelry pieces belong to the wizards of tales and legends… And yet, they were made by a human hand! No surprise then that the Queen of France, the feared Catherine de’ Medici, had her very own talisman, one that would fuse jewel...
Oct 03, 2024•12 min•Season 6Ep. 2
Pilots are sometimes superstitious, and Jackie Cochran, one of the first female pilots in the American Air Force, is no exception… She is never injured and never has an accident. Her luck seems endless. But there is a reason for this, a necklace assembling a variety of lucky charms into a single object. A charm necklace…a piece of jewelry said to bring good luck wherever its wearer. Even in the skies! Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Ar...
Sep 26, 2024•13 min•Season 6Ep. 1
There’s something enchanting about jewelry. Some pieces more than others… Imagine a bracelet with the power to win the favor of the gods, an amulet that makes someone fall in love, and a ring that brings eternal life! Down through the centuries, some of history’s greatest men and women have used talismans in their quest for sovereignty or protection. Discover their fascinating powers in this latest season of Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts, supported by Van Cleef ...
Sep 12, 2024•43 sec
The origins of a jewel often lie in a story of adventures… Eiichiro Oda’s manga One Piece is one of the most popular manga in the history of comics. In typical shonen fashion - a shonen is a tale of adventure and initiation – One Piece tells the story of a young hero on a quest for nothing less than… a treasure! Discover the full season "Iconic Jewels of Comic Books" Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the stories and sec...
Aug 29, 2024•10 min•Ep. 4
The origins of a jewel often lie in a story of adventures… Pearls have always been considered precious. Almost miraculous. According to more than one legend, they fell to Earth from the Moon! Others say that they are the fruit of thunder. Some say that they are the seed or even the tears of the gods… That is why the attempt to find the very first pearl is a fascinating quest, shrouded in mystery! Discover the full season "The Legend of Pearls" Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of J...
Aug 22, 2024•10 min•Ep. 3
The origins of a jewel often lie in a story of adventures… If I told you there is an African country whose soil harbors a mineral with amazing powers that is used for making stunning, magical objects! Well, this country does exist and is no imaginary land. And the fascinating metal that was extracted from it was none other than gold. It’s the gold that jewels and holy objects were made out of. The same gold that was used to design this otherworldly jewel called the Rao pectoral. Discover the ful...
Aug 15, 2024•10 min•Ep. 2
The origins of a jewel often lie in a story of adventures… 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. Discover the full season "The Blue Diamond's One Thousand and One Lives" Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry ...
Aug 08, 2024•15 min•Ep. 1
The origins of a jewel often lie in a story of adventures… The quest of those who crossed oceans, traveled around continents and conquered our imaginations. They explored buried treasures from pre-Columbian kingdoms to the Indian Ocean, via the shores of the United Arab Emirates. A treasure quest through History with 4 episodes highlights from previous seasons. Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the stories and secrets b...
Jul 25, 2024•44 sec
Forget gold chains and big stones! One of the most sought-after accessories for male celebrities in Hollywood and elsewhere is none other than the pearl necklace! A$AP Rocky, Usher, Joe Jonas, Harry Styles, Timothée Chalamet, Shawn Mendes, Pharrell Williams… The list of wearers and admirers is endless. But do you know the story behind Marilyn Monroe’s pearl necklace? Or the secrets of cultured pearls? Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Ar...
Jul 04, 2024•15 min•Season 5Ep. 4
Far from being round and regular, “baroque pearls” have strange and unique shapes. Long considered wonders of nature, they inspired goldsmiths throughout the Renaissance and into the Baroque and Neo-Classical periods. Anna Maria Luisa de’ Medici, known as the last descendent of the House of Medici, had a passion for such pearls. 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 ...
Jun 27, 2024•14 min•Season 5Ep. 3
Richard Burton, one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors, decided to give his beloved an extraordinary piece of jewelry... For Richard’s heart belonged to a star. An immense, internationally renowned star by the name of Elizabeth Taylor. And his gift is unlike any other... It's a royal pearl, once worn by the queens of England and Spain: La Peregrina. Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling the stories and secrets behind H...
Jun 20, 2024•10 min•Season 5Ep. 2
Pearls have always been considered precious. Almost miraculous. According to more than one legend, they fell to Earth from the Moon! Others say that they are the fruit of thunder. Some say that they are the seed or even the tears of the gods… That is why the attempt to find the very first pearl is a fascinating quest, shrouded in mystery! 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 fa...
Jun 13, 2024•10 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Tears of Aphrodite or drops fallen from the sky, symbols of purity and majesty... Pearls have long been a source of fascination. The latest season of Voice of Jewels takes you on a journey... Meet pearl fishermen from Neolithic times, a famous Renaissance queen, and two of Hollywood’s best-loved stars. Get ready to embark on a quest to discover jewelry masterpieces inspired by pearls. Voice of Jewels, a podcast from L’ÉCOLE, School of Jewelry Arts supported by Van Cleef & Arpels. Unveiling t...
May 30, 2024•47 sec
