Hey! Yeah, I'm talking to you.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Do you understand why it is that people are so deeply enthralled...
with gold, diamonds, and precious jewels?
-Stocks are out and jewelry's in. -Bling it on!
JEFF GOLDBLUM: The global jewelry market is worth almost 300 billion dollars.
A figure that's likely, by the year 2035, to more than double.
Might it be the glamour, the glitziness, the sparkle?
Are we just showin' off, or could there be something meaningful
that's buried deep beneath the surface?
(SINGS)
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(SINGS)
We're talking about jewelry. I'm Jeff Goldblum.
Howdy, ma'am. We're here in Houston on a hot, hot day
to meet the King of Bling, as he calls himself, Johnny Dang.
JEFF: He's the jeweler to some big, big stars,
and Dang's creations have helped define the way
that so-called "bling" is worn in popular culture.
Myself where I stand, the truth is, tactilely, I like to have nothing.
I like to be naked.
And speaking of which, I've never tried any of these teeth things.
But you know, I'm of a changing, fluid mentality.
But we've got a special golden ticket, and we're... we're going inside.
(JEFF MUTTERING)
JEFF: Where I come from, it was always impolite to say,
"Hey, how much money you got?" Or, "How much did you pay for that?"
Don't show off!
I never wanted to spend all that much money
on a piece of jewelry, anyway.
Oh, my God, Johnny Dang!
Don't move a muscle. Don't get up. I know you're in the middle
-of an important deal. -JOHNNY DANG: Yeah.
JOHNNY:
-WOMAN: Hi, how are you? -JOHNNY:
-You're getting a grill? -WOMAN: Yes.
JOHNNY:
-WOMAN: Yes. -JOHNNY:
(WOMAN LAUGHS)
WOMAN: Have another reason to smile.
This is the first time I've been in this room. This is crazy!
It's like, you ever see the movie Scarface?
-Yes. -He's like Tony Montana.
-He's like Tony... -But a lot nicer, eh?
-But nicer? Well, I don't know. I mean. -(WOMAN LAUGHING)
-JEFF: You know. -JOHNNY:
Johnny Dang, congratulations. You've made another sale.
-JOHNNY: -MAN: Appreciate it.
-Thank you. -Thank you so much.
-Excuse me. Thank you. -JEFF: Yeah, well, grills...
This is your... this is your specialty?
Grills! Wow, how did that happen? Why did you become...
-You were? -JOHNNY: Yes.
So why do we like it? Do we like it 'cause everybody else is wearing it
or there's really something about shiny, shiny things?
Yeah. Very shiny.
JEFF: Right, right.
JEFF: Yeah.
I guess so. I guess so.
And they really like it.
(RAPPING) I do it with ease So they think that it's easy
JEFF: Grills exploded into the hip-hop mainstream
all thanks to one particular rapper right here in Houston,
and I'll be jingoed if we didn't track him down.
Paul Wall.
-Yes, sir. -That's your rapper name,
-somebody told me. -That's my rapper name, yeah! Yup.
Now, you've got... Look at those grills! Do you see his...
Let me see. Look at that!
-Well, how about that? -Yes, sir.
-You are something! -We call this the "disco ball."
-Disco ball? -Yeah.
-We call this the disco ball. -Oh, sure, disco ball.
Could you do a little bit of Texas rap right now, ready?
Five, six, seven, eight. Go.
(RAPPING) What it do baby It's the Iceman Paul Wall
I got my mouth looking Something like a disco ball
I got the diamonds And the ice all hand-set
I could cause a cold front If I take a deep breath
-Yes, sir. -Jeez, you are fantastic.
And you started him out, Johnny Dang. You were the first rapper,
and you brought all the other rappers here.
Yeah, yeah, I was like a walking billboard.
I'm like a walking billboard.
So, of course, you know, me coming up in my career as an entertainer or rapper,
all the other rappers are like,
"Man, hold up. How come your grill looks different than mine?
"Let me get in on that, let me get one of your grills like that.
"Who made your grill?" "My boy Johnny Dang."
You ever get any problems from guys, from people, who are, like,
don't have much money for one reason or another.
And they go, "Hey, you're showing off too much.
-"How come you're rich? And what..." -Yeah.
-"Couldn't I have some of that money?" -Yeah.
"Shouldn't we equalize all the wealth?" You ever hear that?
We definitely should, but my response is
what encouraged me was to see people shining
who worked hard for it, went out there and got it.
They had adversity, but they overcame it.
That's what inspired me to go out and do it.
So, uh, hopefully, this will be used as some type of inspiration
for those who don't have it.
-If they want it, they use it. -I see.
-(MACHINE WHIZZING) -All right, let me show you the factory.
(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
-JEFF: Setting diamonds like this. -JOHNNY: Right.
-JEFF: Wait a minute. Wait a minute. -JOHNNY:
JEFF: Whose teeth?
That's Beyoncé's teeth?
-This is Beyoncé's teeth! -JOHNNY:
Hey! She's got little, tiny teeth!
Look how tiny. Well, she's a delicate creature.
Look at my big horse teeth compared.
Her husband is Jay-Z. Wait a minute, Mr. Will Smith. I know him.
Look at that. Justin Bieber?
JEFF: Our attraction to this shiny stuff is nothing new.
And who likes graphics? Okay, now listen up.
The story goes that somebody came up with that word "bling"
to refer to...
(TINKLING)
...the sound of light hitting a shiny object.
Ding. Ding
-(ENGINE REVVING) -(CAR HORN HONKING)
Grills might seem like a modern phenomenon,
but, uh, their roots go way, way back.
Sources claim that decorated teeth can be traced back to at least 2500 BC,
thanks to the discovery of ancient Egyptians
who got buried with their gold teeth thingamajigs.
And around the eighth century AD, the Mayans put precious stones
right into their enamels.
-Ouch! Ow! -(SHATTERING)
JEFF: When we examine the origin of jeweled-up teeth,
one thing seems to remain constant, what they might symbolize.
Power, status, and wealth.
When you put on earrings, or just a chain here or there,
that could be simple adornment.
But grills are a statement that's kinda in your face.
You know, for the wearer and the onlooker.
I'm not opposed to doing things to my teeth.
But my question is this. What's it feel like when you...
JEFF: Oh, my gosh! Okay. Now, let me see, wait a minute.
-Wait a minute. -Yeah, that's some...
Holy cats!
JEFF: How much is this?
Wait a minute. Two hundred and fifty thousand dollars.
So how do you make these things?
-JOHNNY: -JEFF: It is?
You-- really? I don't know...
-Well, if it... I'm not nervous. -All right. So, you go...
-Now I'm getting nervous, okay. -(LAUGHS)
JEFF: (MUFFLED) Okay, okay. Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, mm-hmm.
JOHNNY: Okay?
Johnny Dang, you're a master!
-Wow! That's me. -JOHNNY: See?
(CHUCKLES)
I wonder if my wife would like it, you know?
If I surprised her and I said "sweetheart" on one of our date nights, and I said...
(MUMBLING)
Dang! What a world!
And, uh, amazing. Hey, I may have embarked
on a deal to get a grill. Am I nuts?
Uh-oh, wait till I tell my wife.
I wonder if not everyone is from this corner
of the sensibility, jewelry sensibility world.
But there must be people who use jewelry, and jewelry a-plenty,
I'm imagining, for...
other reasons.
Deeper reasons.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(PEOPLE CHEERING)
JEFF: Jewelry, it's long been symbolic in the act of matrimony.
Yes, sweet, sweet matrimony.
And Indian culture takes this to the next level, I should say.
-This is the groom. I had no idea. -(LAUGHTER)
-How are you feeling, first of all? -Uh, excited!
-I bet you are. -Yeah.
-A little nervous. -(LAUGHTER)
-Nervous, too? -Nervous, yeah.
There he goes. Don't let me pester you anymore.
(PEOPLE CHEERING)
JEFF: I'm a privileged guest at this spectacular wedding.
But I wanna see if there's more to the wearing of precious jewels
than just showin' off.
Okay. Jeff, Jeff, enough with the posing. Hey!
Let me see if I can get a gander at the bride.
-Are you decent? -(INDISTINCT CHATTER)
-Is this a bad moment? -No, it's not.
-Haritha, I'm Jeff. -Hi! It's so nice to meet you!
-Yes. -(SINGS)
Did you over... oversleep? What happened? How are you feeling?
I'm feeling okay. I got two and a half hours of sleep. But that's okay.
What were you doing? Bachelorette party.
It was, like, the musical event with dancing and...
-Did you dance? -...music. Yeah.
-This is the greatest of all days. -Yeah.
You'll never forget it as long as you live.
I know. And this is really special that you're here.
-Me? Why me? -Yeah!
Because you're Jeff Goldblum!
Your jewelry, what is going on with your jewelry that...
-Yeah. -...symbolizes or makes you feel any way?
Well, a lot of this jewelry is, like, the ancient temple style of jewelry.
With gold, you typically associate with goddess Lakshmi, goddess of wealth.
The bride is supposed to be adorned with all these gold and jewelry.
And that's kind of why I have so many pieces
-on me. -Oh, I see. Tell me about these.
So these are glass bangles.
-Nice. -They are from the city of Hyderabad
in India, the old city where they sell a lot of these,
-um, bangles and... -Yes.
...they matched it to my outfit.
Anything on your toes or...
-or anklet... anklets? -I have...
I have anklets on. I have the one right now.
-It's silver. -I'm glad I asked.
Yeah, this is silver.
-Silver. -Yeah.
-Yes. -Do any of the other accoutrements
-have symbolism? Do they mean anything? -Hmm-mm.
This is the more subdued... It gives you
-the very ancient temple feel. -This is subdued?
-Uh, well, the... the tone... the tone. -See, the bridal look is even brighter...
Yeah. Well, I think it gives the really traditional feel
of the entire ceremony with this kind of jewelry.
-Thank you for letting us intrude. -You're welcome.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
JEFF: Each and every year, India hosts over ten million weddings,
and they involve so much gold that it influences the price
of the global markets.
(CHANTING)
JEFF: Indian immigrants here in the United States
certainly haven't jettisoned any of that particular custom.
Oh, here she is! Oh, she's a lotus blossom. Radiant.
Uh, there they are. There they are!
(JEFF SINGING)
Oh, here we go! The exchange of malas, India's version of the floral garland.
Here given as a symbol of purity, beauty and love. That is so, so sweet.
Having been here today, I'm reminded of the jewelry
that Emilie and I exchanged on our wedding day.
A day that I'll never forget.
I had given her an engagement ring a little bit before that.
A... a cognac diamond, if you ever heard of such a thing.
And it sort of reminds her, she said, of my hazel eye,
in cognac-y in, uh, color. She said,
"Feels like you're always looking at me." And she wants me to look at her.
So it means something to us, and I guess that's the point.
Them... For these people today, the bride and groom and everybody here,
jewelry is not just opulent adornment, superficial adornment,
it means something culturally...
and historically.
It's a lovely thing. It's a lovely thing.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
JEFF: Hey, here's a question.
How can the jewelry that we wear impact the way that we feel?
Well, it's used to negotiate romance and it's even obligatory gift-giving,
and, as we know, it's adorned by royalty.
But so much of their worth comes down to the meaning
that we humans have attributed to them.
For instance, sapphires are said to be associated
with helping the owner feel at ease in social situations.
Rubies are believed to increase the leadership skills of the wearer
and ward off negative energies.
Oh, look at Elizabeth, fresh as a daisy. She is...
But there's one gem that we imagine is valuable above all the others.
Look at her go, look at her go.
(MARILYN SINGING)
JEFF: So, we know that jewels can be a visual mouthpiece of the richie rich,
but they can also have an important cultural significance.
Here in Hipsterville, I'm meeting a guy
who I'm told has a deeply personal connection
to one particular diamond that he simply adores.
And you may be wondering what... what this may have to do with doggies,
but, well, you'll see. You'll... you'll see.
-My darling, may I have a seat with you? -Very adorable.
-Look. So, what's your whole name? -My name is Jacob.
Tell me your story.
JACOB: So, I had an amazing, amazing dog. Her name was Miss Piggy.
-Her name was what? Miss Piggy? -Uh, Miss Piggy.
-Miss Piggy. -Miss Piggy.
She had a lot of personality, and she snorted...
-um, like a pig. -Snor... snorted like a pig.
-(JEFF SNORTS) -(DOG SNORTS)
-JACOB: She was my angel for 12 years. -(DOG BARKS)
JEFF: Oh, for heaven's sakes, what a doll.
JACOB: And she was...
-She was just everything to me. -So sorry.
You know, society doesn't always treat an animal death
the same as a human death and...
um, it just really, really took its toll on me.
But the fact that I still I get to talk about her...
is incredible and it's a testament to her.
I had already set up to have her cremated,
'cause I wanted to keep her with me forever.
What... Yeah, what did you imagine you'd do? Yes. Yes.
-I could not believe this was possible... -Yeah.
...but I was able to turn her ashes,
a small portion of her ashes, into a diamond.
JEFF: Jacob discovered the world of synthetic diamonds,
where high-pressure heat technology
mimics the geological process of diamond creation.
So you found out about it, and then you said, "I wanna work there."
-I said, "I wanna work there." -But you didn't work for them at the time.
-Not at the time. -JEFF: Wait a minute,
so you're holding in your hands now...
-This is her diamond. -You ever... You know that song...
-(SINGS) -Diamonds are forever.
-It's absolutely true. -JEFF: Right. Right.
So, open it up.
And that is Miss Piggy.
I chose to make her a pink diamond
because her name was Miss Piggy. (CHUCKLES)
Oh, yeah, yeah. Pink, pink... Right, like a pig.
JACOB: Had to be pink and she just... it sparkles just like she did.
-JEFF: Oh! -JACOB: And...
Up, up, up, up. Look at that.
-JEFF: Yes, you're right, it sparkles... -JACOB: It came out amazing.
So, how does it work?
-How does... how does it work? -Yeah.
What do they do? 'Cause I never heard of this in my life!
We're all carbon-based lifeforms.
-JEFF: Yes. -So when we pass,
um, and there's still carbon in our ashes.
-Yes. -Oh, we got a visitor.
-I like this, wait a minute. -She wants to see...
-Just a second. Okay. -Wants to see the box.
We are able to grow a diamond inside a machine
that replicates the Earth's mantle with thousands of pounds of pressure
and thousands of degrees of heat.
And it's her carbon inside a growth cell,
and basically, a diamond forms.
There's the conversation about jewelry, jewels, gems,
-and precious gems being valuable. -JACOB: Hmm-mm.
We know how you must feel, we got a sense of how you must feel,
and the value that you place on this, and how precious this is to you.
Do you think this is every bit as much or more precious...
I mean, for me, it's priceless.
I mean, it's more... Like, there's not an amount of money
that I could... I would part with this.
So I don't know that there's too many other jewels,
you know, that we have in our home that I can say that about.
-Right. -It's something that's truly unique.
Yeah, you have given meaning to that
out of your own real and personal experience.
-It's every bit as valid as anything... -Absolutely.
...says I, and I'll give you a doctor's note to that effect.
JEFF: Dogs...
become jewels...
become a source of value and meaning for sweet Jacob.
The universe, a random place,
but we ascribe and imbue it with meaning.
Gee, I think that's interesting. And that's what he's done with that...
the value and the meaning around that little pink diamond.
-WOMAN: Whee! -JEFF: There you have it.
Trinkets and baubles don't need to have any inherent value
in order for us to have an attachment to them.
But from whence does our attraction spring?
It all has to do, apparently,
with an association that's hardwired into our brains.
The theory being that our primitive ancestors
were first drawn to sparkly things
in the form of sunlight glinting off liquid...
and that shine led them to their lifeline, which was,
that's right, water.
Water.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Our Paleolithic forebearers were known to enhance their cave paintings
with bright mica flakes.
And Neanderthals adorned themselves in reflective face paint.
And ever since then, from the wrappers around our candy
to the clothes that we wear
to the jewels that we cram onto our bodies,
Homo sapiens have been finding ways
to tap into the magnetism of all that glitters.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
We love lustrous and shimmering things so much
that they can make us feel something special,
even if they cost almost nothing at all.
Here I am easing on down the road
to a divine spectacle right here in the Big Easy.
(JEFF SINGING)
-Welcome! (LAUGHING) -Thank you so much.
-Please come on in! -I have so many questions.
Every Southern Decadence, I have guests over
and we get ready for the parades.
TONY: They put on their outfits, their makeup.
Right. Whoa! What's this?
We've been visited by a couple of amazing characters.
TONY: Yes, they're two of the Fabulous Sisters.
Wait a minute. Come in here.
Just wait a minute, let me drink you in. Look. Look at you.
Look at that. Oh, my gosh! Jewelry, jewelry. Bing, bing, bing.
-That's, uh... So, there you go. -(JEFF GROWLS)
Tell me about anything that sparkles on you.
I say that he who leaves a trail of glitter...
-is never forgotten. -That's in one of the wise books,
-I believe. -(LAUGHTER)
I just think that glitter turns something ordinary
into extraordinary. I really do.
Hey, that's my theme! That's part of my theme!
I, like, take the ordinary and I try to make it extraordinary.
It gives me confidence.
It... it makes me feel like I can go out and be bold.
And, uh, I just love it.
(CROWD CHEERING)
JEFF: Southern Decadence, that's the name of the New Orleans
annual celebration of its LGBT community,
where the city's French Quarter becomes a bejeweled carnival
of all that shines and sparkles.
(JEFF SCAT SINGS)
Well, there really is something about jewelry,
or bling, or glitter, whatever you wanna call it.
We're like magpies, um, you know?
You show us something bright and... and shiny,
and we... we just gotta sit up and take notice. We can't help ourselves.
Imagine a lustrous suit of armor...
that makes you feel invincible.
(SPARKLING)
There are a whole lot of folks who associate shine with value.
And that's empowering.
So jewelry isn't necessarily about showin' off
how much we can afford to spend,
but rather helping the world...
to see us for who we really are.
And that's something upon which...
we cannot put a price.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
JEFF: And just to complete what we hope is a very fulfilling arc
to my character's journey. Remember the grill?
-(GASPS) -JEFF: Yeah. Oh, yeah...
-Dang. Dang. -(MOUTHS) Wow.
(HUMMING)
(TINKLING)