There’s a lot to love about Whitby Jet. The colour is most definitely one of our favourites. The deep black shade is distinctive, unique and so beautiful. You’ll see the black gem a lot in Whitby as we’re pretty proud of our gemstone that is found right here on our local beaches. You’ve probably heard the phrase ‘as black as Jet’ or ‘Jet black’ before. It’s our Whitby Jet that these expressions are referring to so you can imagine (or take a good look at the pictures) the intense black shade that we’re talking about. The Whitby Jet that you are most likely used to seeing looks slightly different to that spotted on the coast as after a high shine, Jet has a mirror-like sheen we all can’t get enough of.
Distinctive and Unique
Jet is so different to other gems that we work with as the black colour is so even and intense. Whereas the likes of Amber or Turquoise takes on many characters offering a variety of colours, veins or markings. Amber is not just the fiery orange that most people are familiar with. You can buy green, yellow, brown or even white Amber. Also, the inclusions make each piece so fascinating. Turquoise is similar. The shades can vary from sky blue to green and very often have a matrix pattern reminiscent of the host rock. However, Whitby Jet is always such a striking and distinctive black that does not vary in colour.
Be Aware of Imitations
Every piece of authentic Whitby Jet has an intense deep black appearance especially when polished. Therefore, if the piece is more brown in colour it is most likely a copycat. There’s quite a few imitations that can be confused for Jet. Luckily there are a couple of easy tests that you can do yourself. The easiest way to be confident that you’re buying genuine Whitby Jet is to buy from a trusted retailer, like us. We pride ourselves on only selling the finest Whitby Jet from our local beaches. We work with expert gem hunters who know the fakes from the real deal.
So Much More Than Mourning Jewellery
Due to its intense black colour, Queen Victoria chose to wear Whitby Jet after Prince Albert died. During this time, the British stone became very popular with a lot of people travelling to Whitby to get themselves a piece of the jewellery. The huge demand during this era put a lot of pressure on the workshops to produce a large amount. In lots of ways, we’ve come a long way since the Victorian time and Whitby Jet is seen as so much more than mourning jewellery. It is a contemporary, striking stone that is celebrated due to its unique shade.
