Ancient History Jewelry Stories

Latest Episodes:

The History of Body Piercing - Part 2 Oct 02, 2024

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We continue our look into the history of body piercing, continuing the saga of strange myths and real customs with lip, nipple, and genital piercings!

The History of Body Piercing, Part 1 Sep 26, 2024

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A much-requested topic, we start the ancient history of body piercing with a look into earlobe and nose piercings!

The Master Forger and Goldsmith Who Sold His Renaissance Fantasy to 19th Century Europe Sep 11, 2024

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Victorian era Europe saw an increasing interest in the glory days of the Renaissance, and a burgeoning middle class had the money to spend on historical works of art. Goldsmith Reinhold Vasters was just the man to meet the demand, turning out dozens, if not hundreds, of pieces meant to be taken as true Renaissance originals. They were, too, until a chance discovery in the 1970s uncovered the truth.

History’s Greatest Jewelry Scandals, Part 2 Aug 28, 2024

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History’s Greatest Jewelry Scandals, Part 2

History's Greatest Jewelry Scandals, Part 1 Aug 14, 2024

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For this month's Deep Dive, we are going to take a look at some historical jewelry scandals, from the frustrating to the awe-inspiring. In this episode, we cover the only time the British Royal Jewels were stolen, the whereabouts of the missing French Blue diamond, and the Great Diamond Hoax of 1872!

Jewelry as Magical Symbol, Part 3 Jul 31, 2024

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The inevitable conclusion, and final episode of this month's very very deep dive into jewelry as magical symbol! We pick up where we left off, in Hellenistic Greece, touch on a few other Eurasian cultures, and then take a look at some of the ritual uses of jewelry in pre Columbian Mesoamerican and Andean cultures.

Jewelry as Magical Symbol, Part 2 Jul 24, 2024

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Let's continue our tumble into the rabbithole of jewelry as magical symbol, with a trip through the use of jewelry through a few different eras of history in ancient Greece. Along with the continuing use of amulets and protective jewelry, the influx of gold into ancient Greece changed the way jewelry and belief were intertwined, giving us some absolutely spectacular examples of goldsmithing and craftsmanship made in the name of ritual and devotion.

Jewelry as Magical Symbol, Part 1 Jul 10, 2024

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We are going on the deepest of dives this month, discussing the rich and fascinating history of jewelry as magical object, spanning hundreds of thousands of years. In part one we talk about the oldest known jewelry, the first known purely symbolic adornments, and how ancient Mesopotamians and Egyptians approached jewelry and spiritualism.

The History of SILVER! Jun 26, 2024

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We continue our Deep Dive into the histories of everyone's favorite precious metals, gold and silver. This episode we cover the cool, shiny, moonlike metal, silver, and its secret importance as a driving force behind most cultures, ancient and modern.

The History of GOLD! Jun 12, 2024

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Here it is, folks- the big one, the foundation of it all, the history of everyone's favorite shiny gold metal, gold! Let's discuss 7,000 years of gold and why we even think it's special to begin with.