The Hatton Garden Podcast

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 Garde...

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

...

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.

**Apologies, but the sound quality is poor in this episode** with some of the recording unusable so the editing is a bit of a dog's breakfast. The substance of what Gareth had to say was so valuable that I hope you will condone the decision to run with it.

For this episode I visited Gareth of Smith and Harris is his dungeon workshop on Hatton Garden.  Surrounded by the tools of the trade, some of which he and his business partner D...

When I first stepped into the offices of Ino Creative, Norman's company, I had a sense that this was the future, or at least one aspect of it, for the bespoke jewellery industry in Hatton Garden.  Norman's perspectives and insights in this conversation are valuable and informative - well worth a listen.  Thanks for giving me your time, brother!

We covered:

Valentine's Day.

The challenges of casting.

Secrecy and transparency in jewe...

I sit down with Stuart Poole to discuss his work in founding Nineteen48 Gems and the challenges of supplying fully traceable, ethical gemstones.  Here's what we covered:

 

How Stuart got into the world of jewellery and started 1984 gems.

The importance of reputation and relationships.

Establishing a traceable supply chain.

The Sri Lankan mining industry.

I talk with Marcus McCallum, eminent gemstone supplier to the jewellery trade in Hatton Garden.  I'm grateful to him for being a good sport and trusting me with this first instalment of the podcast.  The insights he had to offer were broad and deep. 

 

Introduction: the aim of The Hatton Garden Podcast.

How Marcus came to Hatton Garden.

How Hatton Garden has changed over the last 40 years.

...