Jacqueline Cullen

Whitby jet is a prehistoric black fossilised wood most commonly associated with Victorian mourning jewellery but now rare, the trend for wearing jet jewellery was started by Queen Victoria in response to the death of her consort Prince Albert. Mined during its heyday, raw samples of jet are now found washed up by the tide; or encased in the cliff face on the North Yorkshire coast.

Jacqueline Cullen is the only person working with Whitby jet in a non-traditional way and she remains committed to introducing this ancient and sensual material to a contemporary audience. Jacqueline Cullen has developed innovative processes that celebrate the inherent flaws and inclusions of Whitby jet allowing the natural beauty of the material to speak for itself. Jacqueline is inspired by dramatic acts of nature, a placid sky ripped open by a slash of lightening, a volcano erupting, a cliff edge left jagged from erosion. Natural fractures and fissures in the material are highlighted with an encrustation of 18CT gold granulation, Swarovski crystals or black diamonds.

Jacqueline’s beautiful pieces have featured in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and in Vogue, Financial Times, The Independent, Harper’s Bazaar and Wallpaper* magazine.