All That Glitters: Season 1, episode 1

 This post contains spoilers - please watch the episode first.

If you haven't heard of the latest reality TV series to hit the screens, where have you been?

All that glitters is a BBC reality series that started on the 13th of April 2021.  Only aired in the UK, the best place to watch for the rest of us,  is YouTube.

The concept follows the standard recipe format of putting a bunch of jewellers together in a workshop, giving them projects to design and make, and choosing the winners and the losers after each episode.

But; the time given for each project is too little, the projects too complex, the skill level too varied - and THAT makes for some interesting television.

The contestants remain the same throughout the series, but with each episode one is voted out, until there is only one left.

After the first project of each episode, some of the contestants are put on probation (shown by having the light of their display boxes turned off).  They have to then work extra hard to redeem themselves with the next project. 

Without giving away too many spoilers, let me introduce you to the 8 starter contestants:

Tamara 47 (years of jewellery making experience, makes own designs); 

Sonny 26 (self taught, only been making jewellery for 5 years);

Hugo 23 (been making jewellery since 15, works in the trade);

Dan 40 (years of jewellery making experience, works in the trade);

Naomi 23 (trainee goldsmith);

Kim 56 (craft jeweller, 20 years of jewellery making experience);

Lee 49 (15 years of jewellery making and repair experience);

Nicola 25 (part time jewellery maker)

The presenter is Katherine Ryan, a Canadian comedian and fashionista, and the judges are world renowned jewellery designer Solange Azagury-Partridge

https://solange.co.uk/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solange_Azagury-Partridge

and UK master jeweller Shaun Leane. 

https://shaunleane.com/

They are set up in an amazing space in Birmingham, England.  The tools and equipment are of course brand new and sparkling (which of course made me drool).  But even with all the cool tools, jewellers are creatures of habit, and we all spend a  lot of time creating and getting used to our own workspaces at home/work.  It all ads to the stress of a strange environment without your favourite saw or plier for comfort.

Each episode has the contestants making 2 projects.

In this episode the first project was;  The best seller.

Design and make 3 bangles that are best sellers - in 3 hours!

At least they were given the silver plate (1.2mm thick) ready made.

Specifications:

The bangle designs must compliment each other but must each have its own distinct character, and must have an inside diameter of 8 inches (which I found strange as the UK uses the metric system)

The second project:

Bespoke pendant:

Design and make a pendant according to details given by the client.  4 Hours!

Materials silver and brass/copper

I am pretty sure a bit of TV magic was involved by having done some of the design work beforehand.

With a lot of good editing, you can make anyone seem too stressed, at the point of giving up, and about to burst into tears.  TV audiences just love drama.

But all in all I thought the designs were great, even if there was just not enough time to properly execute them.

I will not spoil it for you by telling you who was sent home and who was the jeweller of the week.  You will just have to watch and see for yourself.

I am eagerly awaiting the next episode!

Have a look and let me know what you thought in the comments below?