Feeling Fabulous When Wearing What You Like

Heather Rajaratnam, Catherine Marche, and Natalia Majewska talk about the emotional side of jewellery and gemstones, from coral and rings to Paraiba tourmalines and the fascination of natural crystal formations. The conversation focuses on how adornment can change mood, create ritual, and make everyday life feel more special.

Key topics

• In this episode, Catherine explains that she feels fabulous when wearing coral, describing it as something that makes her feel decorated, excited, and ready to dance into an event.
• Bibba shares that jewellery makes her feel more complete, especially when wearing something on her hands, and compares it to adding a layer of preciousness that improves her mood.
• Heather says her engagement ring feels lucky and that layering rings helps her feel good, while pearl earrings are her go-to for a quick boost in confidence.
• The group compares personal style instincts, including the idea of adding more versus taking one thing off before leaving the house.
• Bibba describes how wearing carefully made pieces, like amber earrings she selected and carved herself, turns getting dressed into a ritual.
• Heather and Catherine discuss what they wear at the bench, including removing jewellery around tools and polishing equipment for safety and practicality.
• The conversation moves from finished jewellery to gemstones themselves, with Bibba explaining that vivid stones excite her more than the price tag.
• Paraiba tourmalines come up as a standout example, with the speakers describing their intense colour, rarity, and emotional impact.
• Heather shares a story about identifying an approximately eight carat ring as Paraiba after seeing it brought back from Brazil.
• The group ends up discussing how gemmology sparks fascination with crystal growth, etching, and the strange beauty of natural materials, including the fact that some stones come from asteroids.

Timestamps

00:00 - Catherine sets up the topic: what makes us feel fabulous

00:27 - Coral as decoration, excitement, and personal ritual

01:45 - Jewellery as a missing piece and a source of joy

03:25 - Handmade amber earrings and wearing precious things carefully

04:56 - Heather’s engagement ring, stacking rings, and pearl earrings

06:21 - More is more versus taking one thing off before leaving

07:04 - No strict style rules, just wearing what feels right

08:48 - What to wear at the bench while making jewellery

10:40 - Removing jewellery for polishing motors and workshop safety

12:00 - Jewellery as joy, twinkles, and a lift to the day

13:13 - Paraiba tourmaline and the excitement of vivid colour

15:10 - The story of the large Paraiba ring from Brazil

17:10 - Why gemstones themselves excite Bibba more than finished jewellery

19:37 - Gemology addiction and the appeal of natural materials

20:31 - Diamond trigons, ruby crystal shapes, and geological curiosity

22:32 - Cosmic origins, asteroids, and a future episode idea

Notable quotes

Copy

“I always feel fabulous when I have a lot of coral on me.”

Copy

“Jewellery gives me joy.”

Copy

“More is more, the less is bore.”

Music licensed through Soundstripe.

Code: 0C2AVZJXKMOBWWTU

Heather Rajaratnam, Catherine Marche, and Natalia Majewska share the stories that made them jewellery people - from childhood trinkets and first precious pendants to a hilariously over-the-top ear-piercing trauma and the rings they still can’t stop collecting.

Natalia opens up about growing up with parents who didn’t wear jewellery at all, but still left her fascinated by hidden wedding rings, glowing copper wire, and a deep-red piece of glass she mistook for a gemstone.

Catherine recalls a tiny gold heart pendant, a painful piercings-at-the-hospital moment in Djibouti, and the moment she realised jewellery could be both sentimental and social. Heather brings her own stash of treasured pendants, animal charms, bead-shop creations, and the family pieces she still keeps tucked away.

You’ll discover:

• why non-precious objects can feel more magical than fine jewellery
• how childhood memories around craft, colour, and texture become lifelong design instincts
• why some jewellers are drawn to organic, asymmetric forms from the very beginning
• the emotional rules people create around borrowing, losing, and passing on jewellery
• how a single piece can carry family history, identity, and a little bit of mischief

Along the way, the conversation wanders through Soviet-era synthetic stones, mood rings, temperature-reactive tees, handmade bead necklaces, and the strange rituals people invent to make jewellery sparkle more. It’s playful, nostalgic, and surprisingly revealing about what jewellery really means when it stops being just decoration and becomes memory.If you love jewellery, design, collecting, or the stories behind the pieces people never forget, this episode will feel like opening a little box of treasured secrets. Perfect for makers, collectors, and anyone who has ever refused to lend out a favourite pair of earrings.

Most jewellery lovers are obsessed with gemstones—but few realise how much their choices reveal about personality, mood, and even cultural influences.

In this lively, unscripted conversation, three passionate jewellery enthusiasts—Heather, Natalia, and Catherine—explore the stories, myths, and practicalities behind our favourite gemstones and holiday jewellery habits.

Discover how personal experiences shape our gemstone preferences, from the timeless allure of sapphires to the vibrant versatility of tourmaline. Along the way, you'll gain insights into how gemstone quality, durability, and symbolism influence jewellery choices for travel and special occasions.

You'll also learn practical tips for travelling safely with jewellery, explore the cultural significance of jewellery in different countries, and discover why wearing pieces that make you feel authentic and confident is so important. These conversations reveal the emotional and sentimental layers that transform gemstones into treasured memories.

On a broader level, understanding the stories behind our jewellery empowers us to make more meaningful choices and wear our pieces with greater confidence.

Perfect for jewellery enthusiasts, travellers, and anyone looking to deepen their appreciation of the adornments that tell our personal stories, this episode combines practical advice with fascinating insights.

Whether you're deciding what to pack for your next trip or simply enjoy hearing stories of gemstone adventures, this episode offers a refreshing blend of humour, curiosity, and expertise. Join us and start seeing your jewellery—and yourself—in a whole new light.

Why this episode works

The opening immediately draws listeners in with the promise of personal stories and practical advice. By highlighting specific gemstones, ethical discussions, and travel tips, it sparks curiosity while offering genuine value. The conversational yet informative tone makes this episode especially appealing to jewellery lovers, travellers, and anyone fascinated by the stories behind the pieces we wear.