Gemologists are fascinated by Whitby Jet and its formation. Historians, jewellers and scientists are too. It’s a rare and unique gemstone that is brought to us through natural erosion forming right here in our hometown of Whitby. Mining was made illegal a long time ago as it was life threatening for those who braved it. It also changed the landscape dramatically. Therefore, Jet hunters usually head to the beaches knowing the right spots to look after a particularly turbulent storm. Although Jet can be found in other locations such as Spain, Germany, China, Turkey and the US, they don’t come close the quality of the gemstone found in Whitby. Let’s delve deeper on how Whitby Jet actually ends up on our shore.
Whitby Jet Formation
Our name is taken from the very tree that Whitby Jet originates from. That’s right our much loved gemstone is fossil wood and begins its life as an Araucaria tree. You may have heard of Monkey Puzzle or Chilean Pine, which it is more commonly used today. A lot of these trees were swept into the sea after a series of natural disasters, which happened during the Jurassic era. The branches and trunks became saturated making them heavy and sinking to the ocean floor where all of the ancient wood became buried in organic rich sediment. The layers of mud created a lot of pressure with very little oxygen. These were the perfect conditions for Whitby Jet to form.
Easy to Carve
Although similar to coal, especially to an untrained eye, Whitby Jet is less crumbly. Our much loved gemstone can easily be precisely cut, hand carved and polished showcasing Jet’s impressive lustre. It is a soft gemstone with a uniform texture, which makes it really easy to carve and cut into various shapes.
We’re not the first to be handcrafting exquisite designs from the British gemstone, people have been carving Jet for thousands of years producing many different kinds of objects. We may be biased but jewellery is the most desirable way to utilise the gemstone. It’s intense hue, weightlessness and mirror like shine makes Whitby Jet perfect for earrings, necklaces, charms and cufflinks. Jet is super comfy to wear due its lightweight nature so large, statement designs are always an option.
Whitby Jet History
Jet’s been around since the Stone Age. In fact, a necklace made from Jet and chalk beads was discovered in a Neolithic burial in France. Beaded Whitby Jet necklaces have also been uncovered in a few bronze-age mound burials in both England and Scotland. Interestingly, unfinished Jet pieces, waste fragments and ancient tools were recovered from two different English bronze-age sites. This evidence proves that there was an early Jet industry.
Jet was popular during the Roman times where Jet was sourced from Whitby beaches. They would take the pieces to York to make jewellery and many other items. Sold locally and in Europe, each piece was bought with the understanding that the stones had protective and healing properties. Many carved Jet into amulets and talismans to provide good fortune.
But, the most popular time by far was the Victorian era when a lot of people followed Queen Victoria’s lead. She wore Jet after the death of her husband, Prince Albert. This was a time when Jet was mined to keep up with the demand and this practice continued until the 1920s. It was then made illegal to mine Jet.
