WHITBY, of course, was the home of the original jet set. It was jet that turned the town into a jewellery boom town in Victorian times. In those days there were more than 50 jet workshops in the town, employing hundreds of craftsmen.

But jet - which is actually fossilised monkey puzzle tree, found in abundance in local cliffs and beaches - has never lost its appeal. It is now seeing another surge in popularity.

Ironically, although most of Whitby's jet jewellers enjoy creating stunning modern pieces, the Victorian designs are still popular.

"They are more detailed, a lot of cut and facet work. It takes more time and skill," says Hal Redvers Jones who, with his father-in-law Alec Mackenzie, runs the Victorian Jet Works at the foot of the Abbey steps.

Current favourite is a slightly smaller version of a Victorian design drop ear-ring, snapped up as fast as Alec and Hal can make them and selling at around £75.

"American ladies in particular love them and order via the Internet," says Hal.

Ear studs start at around £10, contemporary style drop earrings at around £60, silver and jet brooches around £60, pendants on silver chains from around £25. And you can get a set of earrings like birds in a gilded cage, definitely different, for £250.

Alec retired early from ICI many years ago and took the opportunity to indulge his life-long fascination with fossils to start working with jet. He still walks on the beach most days, hunting for bits of jet, and loves showing and explaining it to visitors to the workshop.

He was joined in the business by Hal, whose background is in fine arts.

"I was always fascinated by the intricacy of miniatures, which have their own in-built charm," says Hal, so jet jewellery was an obvious progression.

The Victorian Jet Works is part jewellery shop - plenty of pieces on display in the cases around the walls - part workshop and part museum. Alec and Hal came across an old jet workshop bricked up and forgotten for years, so they have put it on display.

There are a number of machines, each powered by a large treadle, and each doing one aspect of the cutting, drilling, filing and polishing. Now Hal and Alec sit in the middle of the shop with all the tiny electrically powered tools within arm's reach.

The skill and talent needed is just the same as that of the Victorians. "The only difference is that the electricity works 20,000 times faster. That just means you can make mistakes 20,000 times more quickly," says Alec.

That includes maybe hitting a piece of sand hidden in the middle of the jet. It wrecks the tools, wrecks the piece of jet and wastes all the time and effort already put into it.

"Very frustrating," says Alec, "very character-forming."

But he seems very relaxed and at ease as he delights in telling the story of jet to the visitors who steam in.

In the early days much of their work was restoration of Victorian pieces.

"A great way of learning," says Hal. "Working on pieces made by 19th century masters makes you follow their processes, almost as though they're teaching you. Although they were very skilled craftsmen and stunningly talented, there is very little documentation left. But we have their work to learn from."

Not just Victorian - one of his commissions was to make a replica of an intricate jet necklace found in a Scottish Bronze Age burial site.

"Jet has always been fashionable, long before its connection with mourning. Black is always chic. Jet is also very light so you can make big bold pieces that are still easy to wear."

They undertake commissions and work with you to get just what you want.

In between the very modern pieces and the Victorian designs, there are some inlaid with ammonites, also found locally, also amber, and mammoth ivory. And there's another Whitby speciality - catering for Goths.

"We've made a lot of earrings in the shape of bats. Even done some coffins," says Alec, bemused.

Prehistoric material, traditional skills, modern technology - today's jet set can cope with it all.

* Victorian Jet Works, 123b Church Street, Whitby. Tel: (01947) 821530. www.whitbyjet.net