Robert Holt, a pre-war Jewish refugee from Vienna, came to England in 1939 aged 16 and began work as a diamond polisher for a company in Clerkenwell.

WHY HATTON GARDEN?

After opening a nearby shop, a Brazilian man offered Robert Holt a pile of rocks ‘on approval’ and by the next day Mr Holt had sold them all, sparking the beginning of Holts Gems and the renaissance of lapidary. The very first items of stock held by R Holt and Co in May 1948 was a consignment of coloured gems from Brazil – a mixture of amethysts, citrines and aquamarines. Colour gemstones are still the heartbeat of Holts Gems.  Mr Holt developed the business significantly during the 1970s after moving into the field of stone cutting.

Sadly Robert Acker Holt, founder of Holts Gems passed away on 12th January 2018.

A former lawyer who took control of his family business in 1999. Jason founded Holts Academy in 2000 to ensure the longevity of craftsmanship and skills for the industry, and as such he was awarded a Commander of British Empire (CBE) for services to the Jewellery Sector and Apprenticeships on the New Years Honours list 2015.

WHAT DO YOU DO AT HOLTS:

I try to make Holts a great place to work and a great place for clients to feel so welcome that it's like they're walking into their own home.

WHAT SPECIAL SKILLS DO YOU BRING TO HOLTS:

It's possible that my experience as a solicitor, specialising in commercial litigation, has been helpful in negotiating and planning the direction of Holts. One additional aspect of this experience has been the process of setting up Holts Academy of Jewellery. This required a mixture of stubbornness in not letting the public sector bureaucracy defeat me, relentlessness in drafting hundreds of pages of grant applications, and a hardened liver in stomaching the plethora of networking events needed to persuade the powers that be that skills training for the jewellery industry are essential to secure its future!

IF YOU COULD MAKE JEWELLERY FOR ANY ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY:

My wife. She's often remarks on how little jewellery she owns given the occupation her husband is in!

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE GEMSTONE:

Alexandrite - myth has it that you can tell the mood people are in by the colour of the alexandrite they are wearing. Red is a bad sign - how useful would that be in the office?!

WHAT'S YOUR 'TOP TIP' FOR CUSTOMERS:

In the past I have advised customers to never buy jewellery for investment purposes. The purchase should be for pleasure and pleasure alone. However, with the price rises we've seen for gold, diamonds and precious stones it seems that not only can you obtain an item of joy, but also more than ever, an article with intrinsic preciousness and value.

WHAT SPECIAL SKILLS DO YOU BRING TO HOLTS:

My exquisite taste when buying special stones and specimens.

IF YOU COULD MAKE JEWELLERY FOR ANY ONE PERSON, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY:

Maharani of Jaipur.

FAVOURITE GEMSTONE:

Demantoid Garnet

WHAT’S YOUR ‘TOP TIP’ FOR CUSTOMERS:

Don’t be afraid of gemstones that have some life and colour in them, explore the world of gems with open eyes