Jewellery exhibition opening soon at Whitby Museum

I have spent a considerable amount of time recently in the planning of an exhibition about jewellery for Whitby Museum.  It will draw upon a number of the museum collections including ethnographic pieces and of course upon the considerable collection of Whitby Jet.  I have had a huge amount of pleasure in looking at and handling items that are perhaps not usually on display and in putting items together when they would more usually be seen in different parts of the museum.

This is detail of a bangle made in Vulcanite, a jet substitute developed when the popular demand for jet could not be met from the locally sourced raw material.  Of the pieces not usually on display one of my personal favourites it the necklace or rosary made of water lily seeds.  They are such beautiful forms.

I have tried to include items like this, made from interesting materials that are often overlooked.  I am planning to have a number of small magnifying glasses for visitors to take a closer look at the detail of the pieces on display.