Rae heads into retirement as jewellery shop changes hands
IT WAS way back in 1965 that Lerwick jewellery shop J G Rae’s first opened its doors on the street.
Now, more than 60 years later, its owner Kenneth Rae has decided to call it a day.
The 83-year-old is heading into retirement after selling the shop to Sophie Whitehead, the local silversmith who has already taken on his Shetland Jewellery workshop in Weisdale.
As part of the takeover from the long-serving staff member, Rae’s – one of the longest-running shops on Commercial Street – will be rebranded as Shetland Jewellery at the Street.
Changes are already visible, from new signs to a bench for jewellery making in one of the windows.
Speaking to Shetland News in the shop last week as he reflected on his many decades in business, Rae said he has enjoyed his time at the helm – and was keen to pay tribute to those who have worked for him over the years.
“Every business has to depend on their staff, and we’ve been very lucky with the people that we’ve had,” he said.
“I’m very, very grateful to them for what they’ve done.”
Rae’s family came to Shetland in 1945, with a four and a half years spent in Foula.
They then moved to Weisdale, and Kenneth’s father Jack – who had been a jeweller in Edinburgh – set up Shetland Silvercraft in the 1950s.
“And then he decided to buy what was The Gift Shop here in 1965 and we’ve had a jewellery shop here ever since,” Rae said.
“I took over the shop, so I’ve been here on and off for a long time.”
The current workshop in Weisdale was then built in 1971, and a major extension was added there in 2003.
Kenneth originally worked on the bench making jewellery but moved into a managerial role.
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In 2023 the Shetland Jewellery side of the business, with its Weisdale workshop, changed hands in what was its 70th year as Whitehead took on the reins.
The J G Rae shop in Lerwick – which also sells items like watches and gifts, and offers repairs – remained under Kenneth’s control, but it has now also moved under Whitehead’s ownership as he heads into retirement.
Among her plans for the building is to have workshop space and a jeweller in the shop, for repairs to be carried out on site in Lerwick.
Whitehead said she is also in the process of preparing a room for ear piercing and permanent jewellery, while the premises will enable Shetland Jewellery to meet customers about a bespoke design in town.
“There’s other renovation work to be carried out over time,” she added.
“We’ll be rebranding as Shetland Jewellery at the Street, with help from Art Machine. The new logo was designed by Tenneka from the workshop.”
Among the long-term plans is a hope to host classes in the Lerwick premises, which would be open to locals and tourists on a more regular basis.
Reflecting on his time in business, Rae said Shetland was prosperous in the late 1960s and 1970s, with an influx of people coming to work at Sullom Voe Terminal.
“That all increased the business,” he said. “If you’re involved in business, the first aim is to make a profit – it’s not always easy. In fact the workshop ran at a loss for many years but was supported by the retail shop.”
Expansion in Lerwick was on the cards; the small office space where we are sat with Rae used to be a kitchen as part of a small flat, for instance.
They then took over the shop next door in the 1980s, expanding the footprint of the premises.
Rae was away for around eight years but returned with his partner Heather in 2000 to help the shop when it was “struggling a bit”.
“I took it over and we got it back on track and doubled the turnover in six months, and carried on,” he added.
So how has the street changed since 1965? It is less busy, Rae said, with fewer everyday shops like butchers and grocers.
But “the street seems to be doing okay” even in the advent of online shopping, he said.
Every business that sells local goods has been affected by the convenience of internet shopping, Rae added, especially since the Covid pandemic.
“People were forced to buy stuff [online during Covid], and of course they continued,” Rae said.
“And you can’t blame them. I order stuff on the internet as well. But we’ve still got some very loyal customers that buy stuff from us locally.”
He also said the business has also benefited by the high number of cruise ships coming in, both at the Lerwick shop and the Weisdale workshop, with the latter hosting tours.
“It’s an important part of our business now,” Rae said. “We’re quite lucky in that regard.”
The businessman was keen to highlight the role his staff have played over the decades, including those who have worked for him for many years.
He also paid tribute to the many young people who took on jobs on Saturdays or in school holidays.
“It’s a thing in a way to knock the younger generation, but in my experience, certainly the ones that have worked here, they’ve been really nice young people who have gone on to do very well,” Rae said.
He also said the business has prided itself on being a “homely” place to visit – with some folk even just coming along for a coffee and a chat.
But Rae said he would have sold the business in 2020 – with Covid scuppering the plans.
He was pleased that the Weisdale workshop was taken on by Whitehead, who has worked there since 2003.
“It meant something to me, for the workshop that my father started, that when I sold it I didn’t want it to be bought by some Orcadian jewellery company or maybe some other firm from further south,” Rae said.
“So Sophie expressed an interest and we came to a deal and she took it on, and has done a really, really excellent job.
“And now this year she is taking over the shop, and will come in with new ideas, and I think she will be very good in helping to make this shop do well.”
As we wrap up, Rae’s mind drifts back customers who bought jewellery in the early days.
“When we operated in the 60s and 70s so many young couples would come in and get their engagement rings or their wedding rings, and these couples will now be as old as me,” he said.
“It was nice dealing with them, and of course, dealing with people in Shetland.”
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