"LOCALITY, HERITAGE & PASSION"
My philosophy can be summed up in 3 key points; locality, heritage, and passion. As a third generation jet carver I am lucky to have had traditional skills passed down to me, it is important that I honour this by respecting the material I use and that means using the best quality Whitby jet.
Where my jet comes from and how it is found is incredibly important. I use genuine Whitby jet and only ever Whitby jet in every piece I produce! This rare and beautiful gemstone is found in the UK along an 8 mile stretch of coastline.
My workshop and shop is situated in Whitby at the end of historic Church street, near the bottom of the famous 199 steps. All of my jet is hand carved and each piece is made with care and craftsmanship. I handcraft a range of genuine Whitby jet jewellery, specialising in traditional Victorian carved work as well as contemporary pieces. In addition to creating original pieces I also undertake restoration work and rethreading of jet beads. This is a true dying art and I am incredibly lucky to have had this skill passed down to me from my grandfather to my father and now to me.
I'm proud to house the last remaining example of an authentic Victorian jet workshop. The workshop was discovered by chance by a builder in Burns Yard, Whitby. The workshop was first registered in 1876 in White's industrial directory of North Yorkshire. More information about the workshop can be found on our Victorian workshop page.
THREE GENERATIONS
Hal Redvers-Jones has been carving Whitby jet and restoring victorian pieces for 30 years and can be considered a true craftsman. He has always had a passion and fascination with the creation of small items of beauty. Small wonders that served to inspire and encouraged him to acquire and develop his jewellery skills all those years ago. His expertise and skill in traditional jet carving techniques sits along side his constantly evolving passion for modern and innovative jet design.
Alec MacKenzie (1933-2010) was one of those fortunate souls who found his passion in life and indulged it. Grandfather of Imogen and father in Law to Hal, he was and still remains a much loved and respected inspiration. He had an abiding passion for Whitby and for Whitby jet and took early retirement to develop his growing interest in the carving of jet jewellery. This interest first started when he took a night school course in geology and learned of Whitby jet. Little did he know this was to open up a whole new chapter of his life. He spent many happy days scouring the beaches for his elusive raw material and many more happy hours in his workshop. Although his beach combing was severely curtailed in later years by arthritis his enthusiasm for his beloved jet and keenness to develop his carving skills never diminished .
Imogen Redvers-Jones is the third generation of our family to work with Whitby jet. Rather unsurprisingly she has inherited a deep affinity for this gemstone. She hopes to combine this love with enthusiasm, creativity and a fresh perspective to produce new and individual pieces of jewellery.