Stone[d] Stories with Paige Nestich

Paige Nestich

Tune in with Paige while she tells stories of stones and gems from all over the world. Gem heists, historical figures, myths, legends, and fantastical findings from around the globe. Feeling stressed, anxious, needing a break from reality? Or perhaps a quick story to get you out of your head and back into reality? Everyone loves a story and no matter if you like hearing about stones or getting stoned, do not miss tuning into this podcast...it's a GEM!

Episodes

  1. May 22

    The Krupp Diamond: Stolen, Famous, and Reborn

    What if one of the world’s most famous diamonds carried more than beauty through history? In this episode of Stone[d] Stories, we uncover the extraordinary journey of the Krupp Diamond — the legendary blue-white diamond that would eventually become known as the Elizabeth Taylor Diamond. Born deep beneath the Earth, likely in the legendary Golconda region of India, this 33-carat Asscher-cut diamond passed through some of the most dramatic chapters of the modern world: • European industrial dynasties • World War II history • armed robbery and FBI investigations • hidden compartments and secret vaults • Hollywood glamour and celebrity obsession The stone was owned by German industrialist Alfried Krupp, stolen at gunpoint from Vera Krupp, recovered from inside a thief’s leather coat, and later purchased by Richard Burton as a gift for Elizabeth Taylor. But beneath the celebrity and enormous auction prices lies a deeper question: Why do human beings keep projecting meaning onto gemstones that can outlive us all? In this episode we explore: 🔹 The geology and rarity of natural blue diamonds 🔹 The Asscher cut and diamond craftsmanship 🔹 The Krupp family and postwar controversy 🔹 The 1959 Las Vegas robbery 🔹 Elizabeth Taylor’s relationship with the diamond 🔹 Why famous gemstones feel almost haunted by history Because maybe diamonds do not create obsession. Maybe they simply reveal it. #ElizabethTaylor #Diamonds #History #Gemstones #Hollywood #TrueCrime #Luxury #Gemology #StoneStories

    18 min
  2. Garnet: The Stone That Refuses to Be Ordinary

    May 1

    Garnet: The Stone That Refuses to Be Ordinary

    What if one of the oldest gemstones on Earth has been misunderstood all along? Often dismissed as simple, common, or just “that red birthstone,” garnet holds a story far deeper than most people realize. In this episode, we uncover the hidden life of garnet—a gemstone family born under extreme heat and pressure, forming deep within the Earth long before human history began. But garnet’s story doesn’t stop in geology. For thousands of years, it has traveled through human hands and across civilizations. Worn by warriors, carried by travelers, traded across continents, and placed in ancient graves, garnet became a symbol of protection, life, and return. From Roman signet rings to medieval talismans, from global trade routes to modern gemology, this stone has quietly shaped human history in ways few recognize. And long before science explained it, mythology gave it meaning. Through the story of Persephone, the daughter who moved between the underworld and the living world, garnet became linked to one of humanity’s oldest ideas: that what disappears is not always gone—it may simply be waiting to return. In this episode, we explore: The surprising science behind garnet as a mineral family Its journey through ancient and global history The myths and symbolism that shaped its meaning And why this “ordinary” stone may be anything but Because garnet isn’t just a gemstone. It’s a story of pressure, transformation, and time—one that continues to surface again and again, wherever humans try to hold onto something meaningful.

    30 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Tune in with Paige while she tells stories of stones and gems from all over the world. Gem heists, historical figures, myths, legends, and fantastical findings from around the globe. Feeling stressed, anxious, needing a break from reality? Or perhaps a quick story to get you out of your head and back into reality? Everyone loves a story and no matter if you like hearing about stones or getting stoned, do not miss tuning into this podcast...it's a GEM!