The Hidden Gem

SSEF

Gems carry more than beauty. They carry history, science, culture, and the lives of the people who find, study, cut, trade and treasure them. The Hidden Gem is a podcast from the Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF). In each episode, Laurent Cartier and Michael Krzemnicki sit down with some of the world's leading figures in gemstones and jewellery for in-depth conversations — following the journey from the source to the finished piece, and the human stories at every step.

Episodes

  1. Prof. Dr. Henry A. Hänni: Über ein Leben in der Gemmologie, Neugier und den Mut zu hinterfragen

    3 DAYS AGO

    Prof. Dr. Henry A. Hänni: Über ein Leben in der Gemmologie, Neugier und den Mut zu hinterfragen

    Diese Folge ist ein Gespräch mit Professor Dr. Henry Hänni, der von 1990 bis 2009 Direktor des SSEF war und dessen Arbeit die moderne Gemmologie massgeblich geprägt hat. Aufgezeichnet wurde es im Sommer 2024. Henry verstarb am 8. Januar 2025, und es ist ein Privileg, seine Stimme hier teilen zu dürfen. Laurent Cartier — ein ehemaliger Student Henrys — spricht mit ihm über seinen unkonventionellen Weg, über Entdeckungen, und wie die Gemmologie zu einer modernen wissenschaftlichen Disziplin geworden ist, über die Morddrohungen und unbequemen Wahrheiten, die mit dieser Arbeit einhergingen, und über eine lebenslange Faszination für die Farbe und Symmetrie von Steinen.

    40 min
  2. Prof. Dr. Henry A. Hänni: On a life in gemmology, curiosity, and the courage to question

    3 DAYS AGO

    Prof. Dr. Henry A. Hänni: On a life in gemmology, curiosity, and the courage to question

    Recorded in the summer of 2024, this episode is a conversation with Professor Dr. Henry Hänni, who served as Director of SSEF from 1990 to 2009 and whose work helped shape modern gemmology. Henry passed away on 8 January 2025, and it is a privilege to share his voice here. Laurent Cartier — a former student of Henry's — speaks with him about an unconventional path into science, the discoveries that pushed gemmology toward scientific rigour, the death threats and difficult truths that came with the work, and a lifelong fascination with the colour and symmetry of stones. This conversation was originally recorded in Swiss German. The English version you hear is a voice-over, with Laurent Cartier reading his own words and Martin Herzog voicing Henry.

    43 min
  3. Hussain Alfardan: On a lifetime with natural pearls

    3 DAYS AGO

    Hussain Alfardan: On a lifetime with natural pearls

    Hussain Alfardan, one of the world's most influential collectors of natural pearls, joins Michael Krzemnicki and Laurent Cartier at GemGenève to share a lifetime spent with pearls. Born into a Qatari family whose business traced back through generations of pearl trading, Mr. Alfardan saw the Gulf's pearl economy collapse with the arrival of cultured pearls and the discovery of oil — and yet kept collecting through the lows. He reflects on rarity, patience, the personal bond he has with each pearl, and why for him a natural pearl will always be something made by nature.

    39 min
  4. Joanna Hardy: On gems and being custodians of what the earth provides

    3 DAYS AGO

    Joanna Hardy: On gems and being custodians of what the earth provides

    Jewellery historian and Antiques Roadshow specialist Joanna Hardy joins Laurent Cartier at Goldsmiths' Hall in London to talk about a career built on curiosity — from a childhood spent surrounded by her godmother's mineral cabinets, to sorting rough diamonds at De Beers in the 1980s, to writing definitive books on ruby, sapphire and emerald. Joanna reflects on what it took to find her way in a male-dominated trade, why trust and reputation still sit at the heart of the gemstone world, and why — even in an age of AI and synthetic stones — the craft, the human stories, and the unexplained energy of gems still draw us in.

    1hr 2min
  5. Enzo Liverino: On precious coral, craftsmanship, and the heritage we pass on

    3 DAYS AGO

    Enzo Liverino: On precious coral, craftsmanship, and the heritage we pass on

    Fourth-generation coral specialist Enzo Liverino joins Laurent Cartier to talk about precious coral — a material humans have prized for thousands of years, from Mediterranean fishermen to Tibet and the kings of Benin. From learning to read a coral branch as a boy in his father's factory in Torre del Greco, to buying rough material in Japan and Taiwan in his twenties, Enzo shares a lifetime of knowledge — and makes the case that what really matters is the culture and heritage we pass on.

    43 min
  6. Helen Molesworth: On why gems and jewels touch every level of humanity

    3 DAYS AGO

    Helen Molesworth: On why gems and jewels touch every level of humanity

    Jewellery historian and gemmologist Helen Molesworth joins Laurent Cartier at the V&A in London to explore why gems have captivated humanity for thousands of years. From a childhood geode that broke her leg to curating the museum's blockbuster Cartier exhibition, Helen makes the case that no other subject sits at the crossroads of science, history, art and emotion quite like this one.

    38 min
  • 6 Episodes

About

Gems carry more than beauty. They carry history, science, culture, and the lives of the people who find, study, cut, trade and treasure them. The Hidden Gem is a podcast from the Swiss Gemmological Institute (SSEF). In each episode, Laurent Cartier and Michael Krzemnicki sit down with some of the world's leading figures in gemstones and jewellery for in-depth conversations — following the journey from the source to the finished piece, and the human stories at every step.

Information

  • Creator
    SSEF
  • Years Active
    2k
  • Episodes
    6
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © SSEF 2026
  • Show Website
    The Hidden Gem