Gem Junkies

Parle Jewelry Design's Jonathan and Brecken Farnsworth.
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  • EDUCATION
Gem Junkies

Hosts Brecken and Jonathan are co-owners of Parle, a multi-generational, family-run jewelry brand that specializes in sourcing colored gemstones of extraordinary beauty, rarity, and value. Parle means "to speak", and they believe in the powerful stories behind jewels. Through inspiring interviews and fun conversations, they educate listeners about gems as well as the hottest topics and trends in the jewelry industry.

  1. 12/18/2023

    Way To Go Idaho

    In this long-awaited comeback episode of our podcast, "Is Anyone Listening?", we enthusiastically announce our return from a brief hiatus! We're thrilled to be back on air, ready to dive into the fascinating world of gemstones once again. This episode is particularly special as we cover two distinct regions: the tropical paradise of Hawaii and our very own home state, Idaho. First up, Hawaii! We'll explore the island's unique geological features and the captivating gemstones they produce. Expect to hear about Hawaii's vibrant and rare minerals that reflect its rich cultural heritage and stunning landscapes. Then, we turn to Idaho, the Gem State. We discuss why Idaho earned this nickname, delving into the state's diverse and plentiful gemstone deposits. From the famous Idaho star garnets to opals and more, we uncover the hidden treasures beneath our feet. As always, we share personal anecdotes, fun facts, and our adventures during the hiatus. Whether you're a gemstone enthusiast, a curious listener, or just happy to have us back, this episode promises to be a gem-packed journey across two of America's most intriguing states. Stay tuned, and let's sparkle together in this exciting new chapter of our podcast! Transcription here: https://www.parlegems.com/blog/way-to-go-idaho/

    28 min

  2. 05/11/2021

    Gems Of The US - Georgia And Florida

    It’s been a while! Between (2) quarantines and a terrible case of a stomach bug, we’re back on track to bring you Florida and Georgia. 00:00:00 Name that bool 01:30:00 Long time, no chat 03:18:00 So Florida 05:07:00 Moonstone (For more details on moonstone check out our episode – “Phenomenon-phe-no-me-no-me-non !!!”) 06:45:00 Popularity 07:06:00 Florida state stone 10:41:00 State shell 12:11:00 Georgia – Quartz 13:36:00 2nd most abundant mineral on Earth 14:38:00 Most common mineral on Earth’s crust 15:18:00 Most common mineral in Earth 16:34:00 The core of the Earth 18:42:00 Onto the state mineral—Staurolite 20:33:00 Fairy crystal 20:55:00 Good luck 22:00:00 The legend of the Fairy Crosses

    28 min

  3. 02/25/2021

    Gems Of The US - Connecticut And Delaware

    Hello, 2021!! It’s already been off to a crazy start but we will kick things off with the continuation of our “Gems of the US” series. Up next we’ve got Connecticut and Delaware. 00:00:00 Rabbit hole 00:25:00 We’re back 01:45:00 Storytime – wallpaper O3:00:00 Onto Connecticut and Delaware. Neither of which has a state gemstone. 04:12:00 Connecticut State Mineral = Almandine Garnet 05:10:00 The role that Garnet has in Connecticut 05:52:00 The geology of Connecticut 08:40:00 The Garnet trail 09:42:00 Where to collect Garnet 11:19:00 Connecticut has gem-quality material and should have a state gemstone 11:46:00 Understanding mining in CT 12:24:00 Feldspar 12:42:00 Mica 13:25:00 Beryl 16:20:00 Morganite = JP Morgan 18:26:00 Onto Delaware . . . Sillimanite 19:16:00 Where does the name come from? 20:01:00 Why Sillimanite? 21:02:00 Sillimanite as a gemstone 21:56:00 What’s out on the market?

    28 min

  4. 12/18/2020

    Gems Of The US - Colorado

    Up next on our journey exploring gemstones across the US we’ve got Colorado. Not only does Colorado have a state gemstone but it also has a state mineral we haven’t covered yet – rhodochrosite. Pull up a chair as we look into into this double-gemmy episode. 00:00:00 Notes 00:29:00 Colorado 01:10:00 The Charlemagne connection 03:52:00 Ranking in most hated states 05:30:00 Aquamarine 05:47:00 1880’s 08:20:00 The discovery at Mt. Antero 09:30:00 About Mt. Antero 09:55:00 High altitude gemstones 12:07:00 Mining story 14:34:00 Commercial mining 16:07:00 Largest aquamarine crystal to be found in CO 18:43:00 Renewed interest in mining 19:46:00 Get a claim 20:41:00 Rhodochrosite 22:13:00 Single-crystal versus an aggregate specimen 23:23:00 Sweet Home Mine 25:52:00 The 1960’s 26:11:50 The Alma Queen 27:03:00 1991 27:26:00 Alma King discovery 27:44:00 The Crystal Wall 29:07:00 Smithsonian 30:13:00 Off-limits 31:31:00 Other gemstones found in Colorado

    34 min

  5. 11/06/2020

    Gems Of The US - California

    Continuing with our series Gems of the US and up next we have California. A state that encompasses a plethora of gemstones we focus dabble about Spodumene, Tourmaline, and of coarse, it’s state gemstone--Benitoite. It's a big state so it is only fair to recognize these two influential gemstones. 00:00:00 Calimocho/ Kalimotxo 01:58:00 Cookie Monster + Wednesday Addams = Happy Halloween 03:24:00 This week –California 04:41:00 Benitoite 05:16:00 Its discovery 09:10:00 What is it? 12:44:00 Gemstone matrix and removing the crystals 14:40:00 You can visit the site it was discovered at 16:24:00 Cost of benitoite 17:28:00 All other minerals in California 18:10:00 Leading gemstone mined in California 18:47:00 All the Tourmaline colors 18:57:50 Rubellite Tourmaline 19:11:00 The Chinese connection 20:24:00 Spodumene = Kunzite 21:19:00 Highschool drama w/ Kunzite 26:30:00 Color fading 27:24:00 JP Morgan + George Kunz 28:07:00 Other California Gemstones 30:24:00 [SIDE NOTE] What is California’s ranking in the most hated states?

    35 min

  6. 10/08/2020

    Gems Of The US - Arizona And Arkansas

    Working our way down the alphabet which means we’ve got Arizona and Arkansas up next. These two states bring a plethora of gemmy goodness. 00:00:00 Deck issues 00:58:00 “The United States” 02:10:00 Arizona & Arkansas 03:02:00 Arizona = Turquoise 03:20:00 Rich history in Arizona 03:37:00 State neckwear 05:15:00 First mined in 200 BC 06:06:00 Turquoise legends 06:35:00 It’s found throughout the state 07:31:00 Native American translation for turquoise 08:17:00 Usage with Native Tribes 08:49:00 Healing properties 09:50:00 Famous turquoise mines 12:21:00 Sleeping beauty 14:12:00 Kingman Mine 15:12:00 Other cool gemstones in Arizona 25:37:00 Alright, Arkansas 24:55:00 State gemstone = DIAMONDS! 25:05:00 State flag 25:23:00 Feb. 22nd, 1967 27:02:00 The geology of Arkansas 28:16:00 The discovery of diamonds 29:47:00 The largest diamond found in Arkansas 30:47:00 The start of Arkansas 34:11:00 The early 90’s 35:08:00 The appearance of the diamond in their rough 36:03:00 Average diamond findings 38:25:00 Other gemstones found in Arkansas

    47 min

  7. 09/11/2020

    Gems Across The US - Alabama And Alaska

    With so many people unable to travel beyond the US border and taking more local road trips we figured now was the perfect time to explore each state’s gemstone. To start things off we’re talking about Alabama and Alaska. 00:00:00 Who’s starting? 01:01:00 Alabama and Alaska . . . cue the states song 03:17:00 Alabama – Blue Star Quarts 03:26:00 Thought it would be something red 03:48:00 1990 04:04:00 But why? 06:23:00 How is it found? 07:32:00 Blue Star Quartz being an oddity 09:22:00 Is there any mining going on in Alabama? 09:55:00 The Lane Cake 12:16:00 Moving onto Alaska 12:43:00 Jade = nephrite jade To learn more about Jade listen to our episode “Stone of Heaven, Hello Jade!” -- https://soundcloud.com/user-141776549-657959872/stone-of-heaven-hello-jade 13:16:00 Native Alaskan Inuits and their use of jade 13:27:00 Where is Alaskan Jade found? 14:34:00 First non-native to rediscover jade 15:14:00 [Storytime] The legend of the Jade House. 18:27:00 Jade Mountain 19:36:00 About the man who made the Jade Lamp 20:45:00 [Storytime] The Jade Lamp 25:00:00 Another modern legend 25:27:00 Washington Monument 27:19:0 0 Other gemstones that are being mined in Alaska?

    30 min

  8. 08/31/2020

    Production With Paul = Metals

    We’ve covered gold, silver, and platinum. But how do all of these different metals work within the components of jewelry design? We take you through each step of the process from molding to polish and talk about how these metals vary within each step of the process. To ensure we don’t overlook any details we brought in our production manager, Paul Hartman, to join in on the conversation. 00:00:00 Peeing in the pool 00:40:00 All about metals from a jewelry production standpoint 01:43:00 If you would like to get know more about Paul you can listen to his interview here: https://soundcloud.com/user-141776549-657959872/productionwithpaul 02:13:00 Starting out at the beginning of the process – molding 03:17:00 Gypsum used as the investment 04:46:00 What is the casting temperate 06:06:00 Cleanliness 07:30:00 Is there a lot of difference in casting between the metals? 08:10:00 Why do we like using nickel in white gold? 10:41:00 Clipping off the tree 10:55:00 The trunk of the tree 12:48:00 Polish 16:11:00 How long is the process from casting to polish? 18:21:00 Setting 24:38:00 Plating 26:37:00 Durability of silver with tarnish on it 27:60:50 Black rhodium 28:38:00 [Story time] Cyanide bomb 24:43:00 Caustic chemicals involved with metals 31:23:50 What is the most important step in plating? 34:19:00 Wear and durability 36:17:00 Stone in place casting

    42 min
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4.6
out of 5
87 Ratings

About

Hosts Brecken and Jonathan are co-owners of Parle, a multi-generational, family-run jewelry brand that specializes in sourcing colored gemstones of extraordinary beauty, rarity, and value. Parle means "to speak", and they believe in the powerful stories behind jewels. Through inspiring interviews and fun conversations, they educate listeners about gems as well as the hottest topics and trends in the jewelry industry.

Information

  • Creator
    Parle Jewelry Design's Jonathan and Brecken Farnsworth.
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2023
  • Episodes
    72
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    Gem Junkies

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