Cleopatra's Bling Podcast
by Olivia Cummings
Host Olivia Cummings is the founder of the jewellery brand Cleopatra's Bling. Cleopatra's Bling travels around the world, meeting fascinating creatives, craftspeople, and cultural experts to inspire our artisanal collections. This podcast invites you into those intimate conversations which bring tradition and practices from the past into the present.
Episodes
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Diamonds at 10 Miles an Hour: A Brilliant and Hidden History
Our guest today deals in such precious items, we cannot reveal his full name or his face. Sean is a diamond dealer, and an expert in the trade, as well as an incomparably fascinating storyteller. He and Olivia have worked together for years, and share a delight in these natural, sparkling,...
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Ambition and Lies: Untangling Literary Deceptions
Have you ever been caught in a lie? Maybe just a small one. Borne out of a misunderstanding. Never intended to be told. But one lie leads to another. "It's easier to go along with it than to explain the whole truth," you tell yourself. That's exactly where the protagonist of Dominic Amerena's…
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Between Worlds: Spirits in Motion
Every day, Edhi lives with the unseen. Spirits hover in daily life, receiving offerings of coffee, rice, even cigarettes. In this episode, Olivia and her friend drive through Bali's lush landscapes, discussing ancestral presence, the philosophy of balance, and why both angels and devils deserve...
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The Other Side of Bali: Recipe and Ritual
For many holidaygoers, visiting beachside destinations like Bali becomes an excuse to harrass locals, buy cheap souvenirs, and see the inside of a local hospital after an inebriated scooter ride. In recent years, TV shows like White Lotus have brought the dark side of tourists' superficial...
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Crafting an Aesthetic Life: Art in Practice
Artist Miranda Skoczek transcends the traditional role of painter, creating wall works, co-designing with fashion houses like Gorman and Silk Laundry, and crafting figurines inspired by ancient Pagan traditions of her Slavic ancestry. We share a love of symbols and amulets, and we discussed how…
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Thick Skin, High Fashion: Runway Real Talk
"You're not like other girls, you're not pretty... you look... interesting." These are the words Syrian-Palestinian model Lana Albeik (born and based in the Emirates) has heard many times throughout her career. In today's episode she shares her story, alongside her advice on overcoming naysayers,...
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Other People's Lies: A writer and activist's journey to the truth
There was a moment in 2020 when Instagram was suddenly blanketed by black squares as social media users struggled to find a way to express that they supported the justified anger and calls for justice within the Black community. In the years since, as the frenzied media cycle churned on, the...
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Balance: Health Advice from a TCM Expert
Have you ever wondered what connections ancient cultures see between totally disparate parts of the body? How earlobe connects to spleen, and eyebrow to abdomen? After discovering a breast tumour in her 20s, Zoey Xinyi Gong realised that she needed to make some changes in her life to protect her...
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On Refusing to be "A Subtle Girl": Artistry, Creativity, Style
Artist Atong Atem proclaims proudly, "I'm not a subtle girl". In this episode filled with laughter and the sharing of history and creative influences, Olivia and Atong joke about painfully plain interior design trends, the pipeline from large families to the decision to elope, and Atong's view of...
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She's Coming: Are You Ready?
"I love this lack of control." These are the words founder and designer Olivia Cummings used to describe the contrast between becoming a first time mother, and running a business. On the 18.10.24 our founder Olivia welcomed her most precious creation to date, as she birthed her first child, a...
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Making Headlines: Tales From the Heart of the Media Sphere
Virginia Trioli has won not one, but two Walkleys–the highest prize for journalism in Australia–through her illustrious career which spans decades and many eras of politcal and cultural life. It's no wonder, then, that you've never heard a more engaging storyteller. Virginia became a household…
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Stories of the Pharaohs: God, King, and Symbol
Imagine a world in which the same earth you walk had been populated by Gods in years past. These deities may have had bull's tails, or the heads of falcons, held massive whips, or possessed the moon in their left eye. This was the belief system of the Ancient Egyptians, who saw their Kings and...
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Going Rogue: A side of myself I don't often share.
In the first episode of the 5th season, I wanted to focus on my journey: owning and running a successful beauty, history, and design-driven brand; being an expectant first-time mother; and navigating life's ups and downs. This is a side of myself I don't always share, but I wanted to open up this...
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Homecoming
Olivia first came across Charnel Rizk when she read her moving short essay My Family's Yellow Fibro Home was my Greatest Teacher. As a young writer Charnel writes about her identity as a Lebanese-Australian, and how her background forms an indelible part of the performer, musician, and creative…
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News as a Force for Good
Do you sometimes feel scared about the direction that the world is going in, but not sure what you can do to help? Too overwhelmed to turn on the news? Sophie McNeill is a journalist and researcher for Human Rights Watch, covering everything from the most headline-grabbing events to some of the...
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The Business of Building Brands
This episode contains inspiring ideas, intimate connection, and practical advice, as we explore the power of purpose-driven work. Less an interview and more a free ranging and informative conversation between two longtime friends and successful businesswomen. Ethical beauty brand Fluff founder...
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Relationship Revelations
Natasha Lunn is a bestselling writer and journalist whose passion is having Conversations on Love. Her weekly newsletter and her essay compilations of the same name help us understand how relationships function, and how they grow through our lives. Natasha has interviewed Alain de Botton, Esther...
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The Story of Who We Are
A dinner party guest we'd all love to be next to (or, frankly, be!) is the warm, encylopaedically knowledgeable historian Erin O'Halloran. As quick with an interesting anecdote as with unexpected insights into the connections between far reaching areas in the ancient world, listening to her is…
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Cheesy Feelings
If you've ever wondered why a chef might need to know the exact temperature of a cow's fourth stomach, chef Lucy Whitlow - is here to fill you in. She turns dairy produce into delicious cheeses, creams, and milk products, balancing the slowness needed to keep cheese "happy" and "calm" with the…
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Creative Soul Corporate World
Ennis Ćehić understands the predicament many of us are in in the 21st century - we need a money job to pursue a creative passion. As an author, he managed to capitalise on his experience working as a brand strategist and use it to fuel his writing with biting humour and detailed observation.…
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Words From Ghosts
There is a moment in every child's life when they realise that the relationships around them may not be as simple as they seem. It's a perplexing sensation that can stay with us well into adulthood: times when you see your partner speaking, but hear the words of their father or grandmother…
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Loving When It's Hard
Bestselling author, and marriage and family therapist, Elizabeth Earnshaw has been helping couples and parents for decades. She uses attachment theory to help individuals understand better how and why they are reacting to emotional triggers. Her insights have been featured on the Huffington Post,...
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Olivia and James Chat: Love Rings
What kind of engagement ring would a jeweller want for herself? These questions and more in our final episode of the season that covers the earliest ever love rings, engagement rings' secret codes, and how capture by pirates led to one of the world's most iconic love ring designs.
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Interview with Sustainable Florist, Petrina Blooms
Our guest today is more often referred to by the charming moniker "Blooms" which she uses as her Instagram handle @petrinablooms. This cheerful gardener is as riotously colourful and funny as the wild and varied flowers she tends to in the green expanses of her suburban Melbourne home. It's these...
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Interview with Forager and Chef, Liam Spurrell
Many of us spend our whole lives attempting to climb the ladder of success in our chosen profession. Liam Spurrell found accolades and opportunities early: thanks to his talent for flavour and keen eye for detail already at a young age he found positions opening up to him in some of Melbourne's...
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Olivia and James Chat History: Ancient Spies and the Death of a Star
Co-host James is back to the Podcast to talk a small but ubiquitous accessory with a very long history: the silk scarf. This week we've got ancient spies, martial arts, war propaganda, and the death of a star of the stage. Plus: Listener questions!
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Interview with Political Commentator, Yousef Alreemawi
Over the past years Olivia has found twin passions in learning the Arabic language and advocating for Palestinian liberation. A mentor and teacher who helped to guide her in this journey is Yousef Alreemawi - a lecturer, political adviser and commentator, editor, and friend. They discuss the…
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Interview with former Vogue Editor in Chief Kirstie Clements
Kirstie Clements has presided over the most glamorous corners of the Australian fashion industry throughout her long career. At one point in time her role took her from clubbing with supermodels and Guns N' Roses in Paris, to high tea with Estée Lauder at the Plaza New York, to travels alongside...
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Olivia and James Chat History: Murder, Gold, Necromacy
Co-host James returns to the Podcast to talk the life and times of the Renaissance's most infamous scoundrel: Benvenuto Cellini. This week we've got murder, sex, war, poetry, goldsmithing... with a touch of necromancy and some favours done for the Pope. It's the history of the life of Florence's...
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Interview with Olympic Boxer Harry Garside
The male boxer you see fighting it out in the ring at the Olympics, or the man who comes round to repair your burst water pipe - these might be the last kind of people you would stereotypically expect to pull off their gloves to reveal bright nail polish. Our guest today, Harry Garside, happens…
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Interview with Permaculture Expert, The Urban Nanna
Permaculture is the development of agricultural systems that are sustainable and self-sufficient. Anna, more widely known as "The Urban Nanna", is a former primary school teacher with a horticultural background. Nowadays, rather than a stuffy building, the great outdoors is her classroom. Anna...
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Olivia and James Chat History: Jade
We welcome new co-host James to the Podcast, who will join for regular chats that will give you a laugh as you cook or commute. CB founder and designer Olivia, and musician James are good friends with a wealth of stories and banter between them. They'll also provide insight into the historical...
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Interview with Linguist, Leo Kretzenbacher
Leo Kretzenbacher views language as a collective artwork created by all people who use it. He was born in Austria, grew up in Germany and has been teaching and researching in the German Studies Program of the University of Melbourne's School of Languages and Linguistics for over a quarter of a...
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Interview with Melbourne Food and Wine Festival's Pat Nourse
Imagine trying to feed one of the world's most famously foodie cities in the middle of a pandemic. With COVID-19 forcing us to cover our mouths, that's exactly what Pat Nourse with the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival somehow managed to do. Pat and his team not only found creative ways to bring...
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Goddess of Love and War, Inanna
Cleopatra's Bling brings you some insights into one of the ancient deities that has inspired our collections, Goddess of Love and War, Inanna. With each episode in this new historically oriented series, we give an insight into the folkloric and cultural practices that inspire our artisanal...
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Interview with Everyone at the Table's Julie Marr
Julie Marr is the founder of Everyone at the Table or "EAT", an adventuring Canadian who started a new chapter of her life after renovating a cooking studio in Altamura, Italy. She simultaneously created a new home for herself in Oria which lies in the country's boot heel. There, with her partner...
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The Seven Headed Serpent, Muš-saĝ
Cleopatra's Bling brings you the story of a seven headed serpent, known to the Sumerian peoples as Muš-saĝ. With each episode in this new historically oriented series, we give an insight into the folkloric and cultural practices that inspire our artisanal jewellery collections. Join us on a…
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Interview with Birth and Postpartum Doula, Kalifa Doucet
Kalifa Doucet of The Earth Doula is a birth and postpartum Doula who focuses "on the spiritual connection to mother and baby", working to facilitate the kind of experiences that pregnant people would like to have during birth and its aftermath. Originally based in New York, Kalifa now works with...
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The Mother of Cradles, Aisyt
Cleopatra's Bling brings you the story of a Goddess of the Yakut People: The Mother of Cradles, Aisyt. With each episode in this new historically oriented series, we give an insight into the folkloric and cultural practices that inspire our artisanal jewellery collections. Join us on a journey to...
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Interview with Cook, Author, and Teacher Julia Busuttil Nishimura
Julia Busuttil Nishimura is a Melbourne-based cook, working with seasonal produce to create amazing family meals. Her cooking is influenced by her Maltese upbringing and the time she has spent in Tuscany. As a writer her creations have made their way into thousands of homes in Australia and…
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Interview with Lindsay Magazine's Beth Wilkinson
Beth Wilkinson is a publishing powerhouse in the age of a print renaissance. Having founded Lindsay Magazine in late 2017, the publication was initially digital-only. However, just months later, she expanded to print issues, predicting the thirst readers are showing for pieces that they can…
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Interview with Author and Italian Food Connoisseur Paola Bacchia
Paola Bacchia, otherwise known as the social media sensation Italy On My Mind, is author of multiple cookbooks on Italian street food and delicacies from the Adriatic coast. She is fascinated by the way that food connects us to memory and place. From beneath a fig tree in Paola's sunny Melbourne...
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Interview with Singer-Songwriter Julia Stone, Pt. 2
In Part 2 of this intimate interview, Olivia Cummings, founder of jewellery brand Cleopatra's Bling, talks with Julia Stone about the pain and potential of transformation, accessing creativity through shattering norms, and the depth of the mystical female symbol that is the mermaid. Julia Stone…
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Interview with Singer-Songwriter Julia Stone, Pt. 1
Julia Stone is a singer, and multi-instrumentalist whose breakout album Down the Way had audiences falling in love with the collection of poetic, emotive songs she penned with her brother, Angus. Her new solo album Sixty Summers is due to be released in January 2021, and the music video for her...
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Interview with Beekeeper, Poet, and Artist Nicolas Dowse
Nic Dowse is the Founder and head of HoneyFingers, a creative beekeeping practice combining honey-making, poetry and art in Melbourne, Australia. Olivia Cummings, founder of jewellery brand Cleopatra's Bling, talks to Nic about about how urban beekeeping has been transformed and how communities...
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Interview with Actress, Dancer, Singer and Muse Rona Hartner
Rona Hartner a traditional dancer, singer and actress, known for her celebration of Balkan culture. Her work, whether on the screen, or on the dance floor, is as full of life as she is. Olivia Cummings, founder of jewellery brand Cleopatra's Bling, talks to Rona about her role in the 1997 film...
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Interview with Pasta Grannies' Vicky Bennison
Vicky is the founder of Pasta Grannies, a YouTube channel preserving the pasta making traditions of pasta grannies around the world. Vicky worked in international development and has spent the past few years as a food writer and journalist. She's written books on food in Corfu and Andalucía.…
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Interview with Historian of Mermaids Sarah Peverley
Sarah is a medieval studies expert whose specialty is mermaids and the myths that surround them. This has made her the go-to mermaid authority for the BBC and dozens of other publications. She founded the Mermaid Isles Project to study the history of these mythological creatures specifically in…
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Interview with Turkish Rugs Expert Paul Hepworth
Paul is a professor and lecturer dedicated to the preservation of Turkish carpets and rugs. His conservation work has made him an expert in the history of their patterns which tell stories that have been passed on from generation to generation. Olivia Cummings, founder of jewellery brand...
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Interview with Vedic Astrologer Laura Plumb
Laura is the Founder and Director of VedaWise, a training and coaching program dedicated to vedic astrology. As a coach, trainer and lecturer, Laura combines ayurvedic history, culture and knowledge with health and wellness to help people better cope in the modern world. Before turning to...
About this show
Host Olivia Cummings is the founder of the jewellery brand Cleopatra's Bling. Cleopatra's Bling travels around the world, meeting fascinating creatives, craftspeople, and cultural experts to inspire our artisanal collections. This podcast invites you into those intimate conversations which bring tradition and practices from the past into the present.
Hosted by
Olivia Cummings