The Hatton Garden Podcast

Jess has a shop and workshop in Kentish Town and uses the workshops of Hatton Garden as well.  She graduated from Central Saint Martins and went straight into making her signature style of jewellery, full of personal meaning and symbolism.  She talks about several highly successful collaborations she has had over the years including one to commemorate the death of Frida Kahlo which ended up with her work being shown in the Museo Frida Kahlo Riviera Maya in Mexico.  
 
We covered:
 
Central Saint Martins and early work
Making jewellery for death
Crests, Seals and Monograms
Frida Kahlo collaboration
Emily Johnson & an amazing coincidence
The power of writing letters
Daughter of an antiquarian book seller!
Is your work quintessentially English?
House of the Dragon collaboration
Comic Con
Taking inspiration from old jewellery
Taking inspiration from other jewellers, or not
Taking on interns and nurturing other jewellers
Balancing work and children
How Jess builds deep relationships with her customers
Has 'storytelling' become hackneyed?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Vivian Watson is the author of How Did Our Garden Grow?  The History of Hatton Garden.  It is a fantastic read, rich with facts from the history of the street and human stories from the people that inhabited it.  Our conversation covered some highlights from the book, general reflections on the world of fine jewellery manufacturing and life in Hatton Garden.
Instagram: @hattongardenpodcast

S Weissbart is one of the longest running and best known diamond dealers on Hatton Garden.  I sat down with Jonathan and Sapir to talk.
 
We covered:
How Jonathan got into the Trade.
Stepping into the family business.
Saul Weissbart.
Diamond jokes and intro songs.
The appro system and its vulnerabilities.
Challenges facing the diamond industry.
The Responsible Jewellery Council.
How the trade has changed over the years.
What diamonds still excite Jonathan.
Diamonds essential to the story of Hatton Garden.
Closing thoughts.
 
 
 
 

In this episode I most enjoyed the enthusiasm and drive that Harrison Beasant has for his work.  Harrison is an up and coming jewellery designer in Hatton Garden.  Originally a graduate of the Goldsmiths' Centre Foundation program, he then spent time as an apprentice in a traditional workshop.  His work carries the hallmarks of both approaches and I'm excited to see where he goes.
 
Enjoy!
 
We covered:
How Harrison got into jewellery making.
The Goldsmiths' Centre Foundation program.
How Geoff got into the jewellery trade.
Finding his own style as a maker.
An ambitious engagement ring commission that he is working on.
A pair of earrings that Geoff designed.
The creative process.
Collaboration with Lorenzo OG.
Collaboration with the fashion designer Wisnel.
Grillz.
Experimental materials.
Harrison's new mens' jewellery brand Monarch.
Engagement rings.
Designing with lab grown diamonds.
Visions for the future of Hatton Garden.
 
 
 
 
 

I enjoyed Peter's infectious enthusiasm for fine jewellery and hearing about his experiences with Bvulgari in Rome.  We spoke about:L
 
How Peter was encouraged into the trade by his mother and a family friend.
The importance of experience in manufacturing.
The joy and stress of working with high value gemstones.
The art of designing bespoke pieces for clients.
Timeless design.
Rome, Bulgari, Cartier and the Duchess of Windsor.
The London skyline.
Hatton Garden and the West End.
A culture of excellence.
Hatton Garden village.
The recent, darker side of Hatton Garden.
The plight of diamond cutters in Surat.
Historic diamond cutting centres.
Some great characters of the trade.
 

I was touched to hear about the love that Max and his family have for their business, the oldest shop in The Garden and how, in a time of soaring gold prices, they see themselves as custodians of antique jewellery, doing their bit to save old treasures from the melting pot.  We discussed:
The 'jewelry' industry in New York
The only general jewellery antique shop in Hatton Garden
A little on shoplifting
What would have happened to the jewels stolen from the Louvre
The buzz of buying
Working with family
The threat to antique jewellery from the high gold price
US vs the UK market for antique and 20th century jewellery
Custodianship of old jewellery and the challenges of restoration
A tale of two heists: Hatton Garden & The Louvre
The obligatory chat about laboratory diamonds
The joy of dealing in family jewels
 
 
 
 

I really enjoyed this conversation with Howard and learned a lot about the, largely hidden, mass-production side of the diamond polishing industry.  At the end of our chat he shared his thoughts on what makes a great jeweller, I think his insights there get to the essence of what it is all about.  I hope you enjoy the conversation.  We discussed:
 
Howard's route into the trade
The pearl market in the UK
How Diamnet improves the approbation system for its clients
Natural and laboratory diamonds
The importance of a physical presence selling diamonds
Ethics of natural and lab grown diamonds
'Super Fancy' lab grown cuts
Why do we buy jewellery?
How large is too large? 2 - 3 cts it turns out.
Taylor Swift
Hatton Garden, national centre of the jewellery trade
How Hatton Garden used to be a global diamond trading centre
How Sarin technology changed the diamond polishing industry
What makes a beautiful diamond - beyond certificates
How AI is affecting things
The rise of bespoke jewellery
What makes a great jewellery? Empathy.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Michael retired in 2021 after nearly 60 years in Hatton Garden.  I got the sense from him of a different time; a harder but more simple time. Here's what we covered:
 
Introduction and Michael Fox's Background
 
Hatton Garden in 1963
 
Early Experiences and Apprenticeship
 
Why Jobbing Appealed
 
Traditional Tools
 
Workshop Atmosphere
 
Transition to Self-Employment
 
Community and Relationships
 
Gaining Confidence
 
Hatton Garden as a Diamond Trade Center
 
Enjoyment of the Trade
 
The Cost of Gold
 
Sense of Belonging and Community
 
Work as a Hobby
 
Current State of the Trade
 
Cultural Fabric - Lubavitch Visits
 
Retirement
 
Natural & Synthetic Gemstones
 
 

In my conversation with Justin we talked about the following:
 
What makes a great jeweller
Justin's route into the trade
The craft of handmade jewellery
Antique jewellery
Being an apprentice is 1974
Hatton Garden and the West End
Making high end jewellery
The challenges of having an apprentice
Trade secrets
Approaching retirement
Working with the finest gemstones
Favourite jewellery (Art Deco)
Justin's long running passion project
The future of jewellery
 
 
 
 
 
 

Tessa is an unorthodox presence in Hatton Garden but nonetheless part of the place.  I had a great time chatting with her in her shop at the end of the street about all sorts of things, from pigeons to window cleaners, from her creative process to the politics of diamonds.  Enjoy!
 
How Tessa got into jewellery.
Why Pigeons?
Where Tessa draws inspiration from.
Jewellery and art.
Diamonds.
Gemstones.
Tessa’s creative process.
Symbolism and the everyday.
Heart shaped gemstones.
Creative tone of voice.
Coming to Hatton Garden as a female maker.
Questions from Instagram.
The future of jewellery?