Holts the Hatton Garden Gemstone House Cutting Stones Since 1948

Holts is one of the longest established names in Hatton Garden, a gemstone house in London's EC1N quarter that has cut, sold and set coloured stones since 1948. Holding one of the largest collections of precious and semi-precious gems in the country, the business offers a rare rock-to-ring experience, from loose stone to finished piece, alongside stone testing, valuations and bespoke commissions. Buyers are drawn here for bright coloured gems set with diamonds, and for the depth of expertise that comes from more than 70 years of trading. For anyone seeking a coloured stone or a one-off design in the jewellery quarter, Holts is a destination in its own right.

Where Holts Sits in the Hatton Garden Quarter

Holts is a gemstone and jewellery specialist based in Hatton Garden, the historic London jewellery district in the EC1N postcode of the Borough of Camden. The shop sits among the dense cluster of dealers and goldsmiths a short walk from Chancery Lane and Farringdon stations.

The business offers a professional service in bespoke jewellery and lets visitors experience the journey from rough stone to finished ring. Its current listing, with contact details, appears on the Holts directory profile.

That breadth, from raw gem to mounted piece, is unusual even within the quarter. It means a buyer can follow a stone through testing, cutting and setting in a way few jewellers can offer.

A Gemstone House Cutting Stones Since 1948

Robert Holt founded the business in 1948, originally trading as a diamond polisher. During the 1970s the firm expanded significantly by moving into lapidary, the art of cutting and shaping coloured stones, and that craft remains central to its identity today.

With more than 70 years of trading behind it, Holts has built knowledge that is difficult to replicate. Lapidary is now just one facet of a wider gemstone business that spans buying, cutting, testing and setting.

That heritage gives buyers confidence. A house that has worked stones for over seven decades brings a depth of practical experience to every gems and gemstones enquiry, from a single sapphire to a full commission.

Coloured Gemstones and Diamond Set Jewellery

Holts is one of the largest stockists of calibrated precious and semi-precious gemstones in the country. The collection includes diamonds, emeralds, rubies and sapphires, alongside more unusual stones that are harder to find elsewhere.

Customers are drawn to the shop in particular for bright coloured gems set with diamonds, a combination that lets a vivid centre stone shine against the sparkle of surrounding brilliants. The breadth of stock means buyers can match a stone to a very specific vision.

Calibrated stones, cut to standard sizes, make it easier to plan a design and to replace a stone consistently later. For anyone building a coloured-stone piece, that consistency is a practical advantage worth knowing.

Stone Testing Valuations and Rock to Ring

Beyond selling stones, Holts offers stone testing, pearl and bead re-stringing, and jewellery valuations, services that suit owners as much as new buyers. An independent valuation records what you own and what it is worth, which your insurer will expect for any high-value item.

The rock-to-ring experience lets buyers follow a stone through the making process, an education in itself. Availability and price for any particular gem can be confirmed by contacting the sales floor on 020 7405 5286.

Fun fact: Lapidary, the craft of cutting and polishing stones that Holts embraced in the 1970s, is one of the oldest decorative arts known, practised for thousands of years before the diamond brilliant cut was ever devised.

Visiting Holts and Booking a Consultation

The friendly staff at Holts are happy to answer questions, provide a quote or arrange an appointment, and visitors can simply call in to the centrally located Hatton Garden shop. Further detail on its collections is available on the firm's own website at holtsgems.com.

For a coloured-stone commission, it helps to bring any inspiration images and a sense of budget, and to ask about stone origin, testing and lead times. With more than 70 years of gemstone expertise and one of the largest stone collections in the quarter, Holts gives Hatton Garden buyers a route to coloured gemstones and jewellery that few jewellers can match.