The finest, most beautiful pieces of Whitby Jet are only discovered in our small, seaside town. We’d say that’s pretty rare when there’s the whole world to consider. There are many imitations or Jet from other places such as France or Spain yet authentic Whitby Jet can only be found on the 7.5 mile stretch. We take such pride in the British gemstone being exclusively from our town.
Hunting for Jet
It’s not easy to find either. If you fancy hunting for Jet it takes dedication and persistence. The best time to go is after a storm as the violent weather has dislodged the gem from the cliff. There are experts who hunt for Jet for a living. They know the best spots and times to head out. They also know exactly what to look for. As we said its not an easy task to find these rare pieces of Jet at the beach yet with a trained eye it’s certainly possible. We work with professionals who provide us with genuine Whitby Jet to create a beautiful jewellery collection.
Whitby Jet Origins
The fact that we are able to make Whitby Jet jewellery at all is incredible in itself. The gem only forms under the right conditions millions and millions of years ago. It started it’s journey as a Monkey Puzzle tree (also known as Araucaria or Chilean Pine). A whole forest of these trees were swept into the ocean, became waterlogged and fell to the seabed where they were buried under many, many layers of sedimentary mud. With very little oxygen and an extreme amount of pressure, Whitby Jet was formed. A very unique, rare process that we are so proud happens in our little town.
The Victorian Era
During the Victorian era Whitby Jet was in such a high demand due to Queen Victoria’s influence. If you didn’t know already, she exclusively wore the British gemstone after Prince Albert died. A lot followed her lead with many heading to Whitby in search of Jet - the only place you could and still can find Whitby Jet. Back then, many would take on the dangerous task of mining Jet to keep up with the need.
However, today, mining of Whitby Jet is illegal. All of the gems that we use to make our jewellery is found through natural erosion. Therefore, it’s all in the hands of nature making Jet very rare to come by.
Rare Jet Antique Pieces
Antique Whitby Jet is extremely rare. The British gem is made to last and to be passed down through generations. which is regularly the case. However, it’s finding the pieces from the past that can be tricky. We are delighted when we do uncover a cherished piece from the Victorian times. It’s amazing to witness the intricacy of the pieces made during this era with the tools that were available to them. We have quite the collection of these rare pieces that allow for us to delve into the past.
