The COUTURE Podcast

At the 2026 COUTURE show, we were delighted to host the Honorable Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, the Minister of Minerals & Energy for Botswana, who sat down for a fascinating conversation with long time COUTURE designer, Jade Trau. The two bonded over being "diamond babies," they discussed the impact the mines are having on the people and environment in Botswana, and they agreed on the importance of the end consumer wanting to be associated with the prestige of owning a diamond that has given the...

ZAHN-Z designer, Hiba Husayni, made her debut in COUTURE’s 2025 Design Atelier, where she took home Best in Debuting at the COUTURE Design Awards. Her Zaha and Sadaf collections are now core to her distinct, aesthetic DNA, and her pieces are becoming increasingly well known throughout the industry and beyond. It was an absolute joy to sit down with Hiba to talk about her journey to jewelry design, to hear about her experience working with her mentor and her fellow mentees in COUTURE’s volunte...

Tracr is the world’s leading digital platform for tracing natural diamonds at scale. With a complex suite of cutting edge technologies, it provides consumers with the ability to explore the unique provenance and journey of their diamonds. In this fascinating conversation with Tracr’s CEO, Wes Tucker, he shares details about how the platform works, the collaborative approach they take to the business, and the company’s strategies for promoting the health and vitality of the industry as a whole.

The Tucson Gem Shows in February each year are a destination for designers and retailers who want to hunt for particular stones, discover new deposits, foster and nurture relationships with miners and dealers from across the globe, and get an accurate assessment of the current state of the market. It is also a source of inspiration and chance encounters under the sun, and in our latest episode of The COUTURE Podcast, our "man on the street" interviews provide insights into why Tucson is a mec...

Since it was founded in 1999, Jewelers For Children has donated over sixty four million dollars to nonprofits serving kids that are facing impossible circumstances. We had the opportunity to sit down with the organization’s Director, Sara Murphy, to learn more about the impact all of our efforts have had on the lives of kids in need, to discover the ways in which anyone can get involved, and to learn more about what the future holds for our industry’s charity.

Within the hallowed halls of their Naples and Palm Beach, Florida locations, Marissa Collections has built a veritable jewelry empire. Offering the work of 100’s of jewelry designers and brands complements their selection of high end clothing and accessories, allowing their loyal clientele to rely upon the store to outfit them from head to toe. CEO and Owner of Marissa Collections, Jay Hartington, along with Buyer and Lead Fine Jewelry Curator, Jennifer (JJ) McCurry, share with us their circu...

Founder and creative director of Cadar, Michal Kadar, says that every piece she creates begins with a story. Yet when we sat down to record the COUTURE Podcast, I realized that “story” seemed almost too small of a word to convey the universe she is building through her designs. From understanding the essence of oneself, to the skin that serves as a vessel for one’s humanity to the lives and experiences that make up a whole being, she has created a multi-dimensional means of self-expression.&n...

Have you ever wondered how Tahitian pearls get their unique color? Or why South Sea pearls are so valuable? Or how those who cultivate pearls work towards maintaining the eco-chain of oysters’ natural habitat? In our most recent episode of the COUTURE Podcast, Senior Vice President of Assael, Peggy Grosz, answers these questions and more, while also sharing the vital role she plays in maintaining the venerable company’s 75 year legacy.

A quest for joy is at the heart of everything Corina Limon Madilian does. Along with her husband, Ari, Corina owns and operates the brand Single Stone, a multi-brand jewelry store of the same name, as well as a lifestyle boutique. In our conversation for the COUTURE podcast, Corina shares more about her background, the creative process she and Ari apply to jewelry design, and some very useful tips for successfully working with one's spouse.

For artist Stephen Wilson of Stephen Wilson Studio, the medium is the message. After getting his start in New York City's garment district, hustling gigs making concert t-shirts and offering his embroidery services, Stephen eventually added interior design projects to his repertoire of fashion experience. The mixed medium art that is now his signature came out of a desire to fill his own home with art, and while his work is now carried at several galleries, jewelry and specialty stores, he st...

Designer Adel Chefridi recalls with wonder how a magician visiting his little town in Tunisia when he was a child sparked his first sense of having purpose. Watching the magic tricks, he suddenly realized that everything wasn’t always as it seemed, and as an artist, he transposes a similar sense of awe and wonder onto the gemstones with which he works. In our COUTURE podcast, Adel shares how the many influences from his childhood continue to impact his work, the emotional attachment he feels ...

After emigrating to the United States from Argentina, designer Jorge Adeler, his wife, and their two daughters, Wendy and Valentina, became an insular unit. Tune in to our latest COUTURE Podcast to discover how this family-run business has evolved over the years and how passion and love of family continue to be the driving force behind Jorge’s creative expression.

Founder of Moksh, Milan Chokshi, takes a holistic approach to running his business. He named the company Moksh because it refers to liberation; he wanted to break free from the traditional view of jewelry held in his native India and establish a brand that revered the art, craft, engineering and precious materials inherent in creating pieces that have global appeal. We were thrilled to sit down with Milan to discuss the intricacies of the craftsmanship applied to the brand’s designs, learn mo...